Driving 1600km from Southern Finland to Sör-Varang county is a major effort alone. With an overnight pit stop it worked well. Neiden river was crowded with "rutting men with a fly rod in hand" and we explored this tourist spot river for only one night without any catch.

Lille-Sametti, an unknown lake to us was within the reach or our 4x4 cars and there we enjoyed fly fishing and casting on the lake and by the river. Nice weather, heaps of mosquitos and wilderness surrounding us. Sea eagles hoovering above, midnight sun and clean air. Great place!

Bugoynes, an old fishing village with 200 inhabitants and lots of families with Finnish origin. Finnish language is widely spoken especially by the elderly people. To my surprise, the family of our fishing guide and life long fisherman Mr. Leif Inkilä originates from the same rural district where I was born!
You may want to explore the interesting history of Pykeijä in the web and how the inhabitants at one time put the whole village for sale to London newspapers when their future looked very gloomy. The red king crab, devil introduced by Sovjetunion, became as the salvage to local fishermen and life goes on.
http://www.bugoynes.no/sivut/eng/index.htm

Booking contacts - remember to book well in advance!:
Shipmaster Leif Inkilä +47 789 90356

Rent - a - house and Polar Sea Sauna bathing:
Mrs. Elsa Halvord +47 900 32249

If you are prepared to spend lots of time on the road and be a bit do-it-yourself camper; GO NORTH. Not perhaps because of the big game fish, but to feel culture and nature "on the roof of Europe".

Before you fish in Neiden / Norway

1. buy the annual General Fishing License for Norway

2. buy the daily Neiden River fishing license

3. Remember to DISINFECT ALL YOUR GEAR THAT TOUCH THE WATER. You need to get a certificate for that and keep it with you at all times when fishing.

N.b. Learn to do the disinfection by yourself. Fishing is 24/7 hobby and the disnfection station is open but unmanned!

Gyrodactylus salaris is a serious threath to salmon rivers and lakes - help to prevent to spread and distroy the last resorts for the wild salmon to reproduce!

THANK YOU

General Fishing License for Norway

Fishing License for Neiden and Certificate for Desinfection of the fishing gear

Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed in Neiden! Waders not needed, boats pulled up the rapids at 2 am.

Salmon struggling through the Neidefoss on its way to spawning place up the river

"Käppälä", a cast net and salmon milking chamber at the Neidefoss fish protection station

Neidefoss, wild Neiden (Näätämö) river

Sametti River - a nice brown trout place when the water level is right. We came too late.

Base Camp Lille-Samettijarvi - our Rotisseur Risto preparing steaks with "Muurikka"

Lille-Sametti catch on its way to our plates

Russian mining town Nikel (before WW II known as Kolosjoki in Finnish Petsamo). See polluted hills around and workers houses right where the pollution falls down from the smokestacks. Picture is taken from "Point-96", and old cold war era watch tower on the Norwegian side of boarder near village called Bekkevoll.

Shipmaster Leif Inkilä and Red King Crabs

Saunabathing and dip to the Polar Sea (ca. +10C) are the real pleasures of Polar Fishermen after 3 days in rivers and tent accommodation!

The King Crab meal

Cooking the legs of the king crabs á la Monsieur Jaakko Korhonen, Le Rotisseur good himself - our good friend who could not join us this time:

10 litres of water
150 g salt
6 pcs of sugar
dill
Place the legs into the boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes.
Let cool a bit and slit in two with a s h a r p knife.

Dressing:
1/2 of pure mayonnaise
1/2 of "kermaviili" a Northern speciality; cream thick sour milk
garlic
chilli powder

OR
just lots of melted butter and garlic !!!

Half dry with wine and ice water to go with.

ENJOY !

Game over. After an enjoyable week together with great friends we hit the road and navigated 1600km back to more mild latitudes.

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