Lappland or England?

I was lucky enough to spend last week at Saxnas, a small village set in the midst of Swedish Lappland and a complex of big lakes, small lakes and rivers set in pine and birch forest. The aim of the trip was to investigate whether or not it would be worth taking a party there fishing, in 2004. The result is that I have worked out an itinerary, for the fishing is splendid. There are mile upon mile of rivers with deep slow pools, fast rocky riffles, and wonderful 'pocket water' that are full of grayling and trout, both large and not so large. There are outflows of big lakes, and the mouths of inflowing big lakes where both arctic char and brown trout are waiting to be caught. There are two small lakes, separated by about one mile of stream, and further up and down the stream a pair of huge lakes. Char and trout move up and down from the big lakes into the two tiny lakes. I fished both of these char lakes and caught fish in both; in one 2 1/2 hour spell, when the char were rising to fly hatches, I had about 15 char and missed or 'lost' several others.

I will let you know more later, but anyone interested in joining me next year should contact Go Fishing Worldwide, 2 Oxford House, 24 Oxford Road North, London W4 4DH.

Incidentally, the wildlife is great with reindeer everywhere, beaver, capercaillie, golden eagle.... Mind-blowing stuff!

I returned to northern England (see Malcolm's week) to hear that, after a small rise in the rivers and a few grilse moving upstream, the water level had fallen and we were back to summer level. But two evenings after my return I went to the river (Hodder), Pete went to the reservoir. There was a fine hatch of fly, but I managed to prick only a few grayling and landed not one; Pete saw not one fish rise. What we need is a big rise of water and, for the reservoir, a gale to mix up the water and lower the temperature. None is forecast, so I will be out at sea after the bass.