It is no secret that our biggest passion is heading out on adventure, and one activity I prefer a little bit more is flyfishing. For this summer, we are once again planning a trip to Lappland and what better inspiration is there than looking back at the adventure from last year.
Last summer, our adventure started with a 10 hour drive north together with Benny @solitary_man to meet up with our friend and guide Mattias @landforss. On this trip I also had the opportunity to bring my 16 year young son on his first real flyfishing adventure. And what a trip it turned out to be.
Weather forecast did not favor us. High winds and cold temperature was far from what we hoped for, and certainly not very good for any dry fly-fishing.
The wind was way to hard to head up to open terrain for the first day, so we stayed in the valley river. Both the water and the air felt like late November and eve though we saw some fish feeding, no one managed to catch, or even feel even a nibble.
When the wind finally calmed down we headed higher into the mountains, where the secret river flows from Sweden over the border to Norway.
We built camp in high winds and huddled up behind the tarp to make our evening dinner. Thanks to a handy crew, sharp knives and Kokkaffe we soon had a good fire going and plenty of coffee to go around that first cold evening. There may even have been a sip or two of single malt by the evening fire. What else do you need to make a perfect evening stick in your memory for life.
The first morning the weather was still icy cold, so our hopes for hatching dragonfly was at an absolute low. But the urge to go fishing was still very present, so we filled our belly with a warm breakfast to help us keep our spirits high and headed to the river with eager footsteps.
We tried our best to find the right fly to catch the trout's attention, but the day went by slowly and without even spotting a single movement.
In the end, it is only the memories we create in life that we carry with us for the rest of our lives. This adventure was shared between father and son, making it even more valuable.
"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware"
Martin Buber
The harsh weather and cold wind made confitions as demanding as they can be. Having a fire going was always on the top of the list. Preparing wood, fire sticks and gathering tinder and starting fires is something we do all the time. Mostly with ease and joy – in demanding weather it is more a necessity than joy, but once the fire gets going it always offers the same joy and comfort.
Our favorite tool during this trip quickly became the versatile and reliable Nord knife. After years of developing it is extremely rewarding to use a product, and see others use it. All the tweaks and adjustments in development paid off and made it as versatile as it can be. Especially close to camp and used for all the tasks from building camp to kitchen duties.
All in all, last summer adventures calls for a new trip this year. We haven't yet decided where it will take us, but planning and dreaming about future adventures is all part of the journey.
We hope this read inspired you to new adventures.
Anders
Special thanks to Benny @solitary_man and Mattias @landforss for making this trip a unique and special memory. Head over to their IG accounts for more inspiration.
