After
fishing together in Israel for many years, we decided to plan a
fishing holiday abroad, so we started searching the Internet for
information regarding fishing in Finland in mid-2016. Initially,
Google came up with various results, but every option we looked at
had some disadvantages.
Fairly
early on we contacted a Finnish fishing guide who had been highly
recommended by one of the travel websites. Unfortunately, this guide
turned out to be neither cooperative nor informative.
Subsequently,
we sent an E-Mail message listing our questions about fishing and
accommodations in Finland to some 20 addresses we had found on the
Internet. The answers started coming in – but still nothing seemed
convincing.
Eventually,
we came across Old School Trolling (www.oldschooltrolling.fi)
through the Finnish fishing site. We logged on to their website and
immediately realized that they were offering what we wanted.
That was
how we established contact with Jari Käyhkö, the owner and operator
of Old School Trolling, with whom we started communicating in January
2017 regarding a holiday in July-August of this year.
I can
honestly say that since the very first E-Mail message, we BOMBARDED
Jari with questions regarding every conceivable aspect of our
potential fishing holiday in Finland. The man was unperturbed. He
answered every single question with infinite patience and in minute
detail. This on-going dialog helped build our confidence in Jari and
we eventually booked our holiday with him in early February.
During the
period between our booking and our actual arrival in Finland we
continued to harass Jari with endless questions – which he answered
magnanimously and promptly, providing us with all of the information
we requested.
When we
finally arrived at Jari's cabin on July 29, he was waiting for us as
promised. We found the cabin fully prepared and equipped for our
arrival: beds made with clean bedsheets and covers, a new washing
machine/dryer, a fireplace and a sauna, clean towels, detergents,
cleaning tools and a TV set. The kitchen was fully fitted with new
electrical appliances (refrigerator, dishwasher, oven/stove,
microwave oven, coffee machine, toaster and even a hand blender),
shiny cookware, cupboards full of tableware & glassware, drawers
full of cutlery, utensils and kitchen gadgets. Outside, we found a
barbecue pit and a Muurikka grill plus a smoking box. We felt stupid
for bringing along our own kitchen knives....
Then it was
Jari's turn to brief us – first on the cabin and subsequently on
the boats and the fishing gear. In person he was just as informative,
thorough and patient as he had been in our E-mail correspondence.
During his briefing, we felt even more stupid than before – this
time for bringing along our own fishing tackle!
Apparently,
Jari had prepared everything we could possibly need plus lots of
extras and spares: trolling and spinning rods and reels, lure boxes
with a huge selection of lures (wobblers, soft baits, spinners,
spoons, etc.), landing nets and all of the necessary accessories. He
had prepared two full sets of everything – one for each boat. The
boats were fitted with good Mercury engines and Jari had prepared a
sufficient stock of fuel for us to use. One of my most important
recommendations for future clients – do not bring along anything,
as Jari will provide you with everything you need.
In the
three days that followed, we took three guided fishing trips with
Jari. We were deeply impressed by his professionalism and thorough
knowledge of the area, but even more impressed by his easygoing,
friendly, generous and helpful personality. This gentleman was
genuinely interested in assuring us of a good time and successful
fishing, and he went out of his way to do so. Our second guided
fishing trip was particularly productive and we all managed to catch
fish – particularly lots of Perch.
When we
were left to fish on our own, Jari called us daily to provide more
tips and advice. He promptly solved any problem we encountered and
generally did everything he could to ensure that we were having a
good time.
Jari's
cabin is located in the village of Savonranta. There is a supermarket
nearby that we used on several occasions and it was just fine. There
is also a local restaurant that we have not been to. We had intended
to check out a local nature trail but were unable to do it because of
bad weather.
We drove
into the city of Savonlinna (about 45 minutes from the cabin) a few
times and did some shopping for fishing tackle to take home at the
local Motonet branch. We did our grocery shopping at the Savonlinna
branch of the Prisma supermarket chain, and also ate at a couple of
local restaurants – which were very nice. We also attended a
performance by Finnish singer Ina Forsman at a local club – a
wonderful experience.
In
conclusion, our fishing holiday in Finland was a wonderful
experience. We absolutely loved Finland and everyone we came in
contact with was exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Jari Käyhkö
of Old School Trolling runs a unique operation, combining an
excellent cabin, suitable for 4-5 people, with a complete range of
fishing gear (boats and tackle) for 4 fishermen included with the
cabin. Jari also offers professionally guided fishing trips on his
own boat – at least one introductory fishing trip with Jari is a
must for people fishing in Finland or in Lake Saimaa for the first
time. Jari's rates are more than reasonable and his service standards
are excellent. We have nothing but praise for him.
We warmly
recommend Jari Käyhkö and Old School Trolling to anyone considering
a holiday in Finland where the emphasis is on fishing.
Rami, Ron, Or &Tomer
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| Mission accomplished, our visitors were able to catch all their target fishes. |
