Korkeakoski
The sea-running fish are only able to travel for a couple of kilometres in the Korkeakoski branch, until they are stopped by the Korkeakoski power plant dam. The drop of nearly ten metres had cut off the route for centuries even before waterpower was introduced. Many fish will be packed below Korkeakoski when it’s time for the spawning run. It is probably easier here than anywhere else in Finland to get a big salmon or seatrout in the end of the line. The pier built immediately below the power plant yields hundreds of large salmon, sea trout and migratory whitefish every year. On the best nights, when both fish and fishermen are around in large numbers, excited shouts can be heard around the pier and landing-nets are waved around frequently. However, getting the fish to the dinner table is often challenging, and even a good bite is an achievement during the first visits. The trouble will repay itself before long, when a sizable salmon or a big sea trout is tugging at the other end of the line.
Fishing licences
In summer, the fishing day has been divided on the pier into two 12-hour periods, i.e. day and night licences. The night licence is in force from 6 PM to 6 AM and the day licence from 6 AM to 6 PM. On summer nights, a large number of fish is caught from the pier, but there are also more fishermen at night. By day, there is often more room on the pier. The salmon will not consider the time of day, when they decide to bite. Short 6-hour licences are also available for summer days.
Fishing at Korkeakoski
At Korkeakoski, the primary method is tube fly fishing. A tube fly is efficient, fast and easy to tie. The most successful flies are often the ones that find their way to a fish that is willing to bite; not the most beautiful or glittering ones in the box. Fishing takes place using the so-called Spinfly system: the fly is cast with the help of a weight, using reel equipment. The weight will take the fly near the bottom, where most of the fish are to be found. A knit line of 65 to 80 lbs is followed by a strong swivel to which a trace is attached, using a weight of 30 to 70 grams and a trace length of 20 centimetres for the weight, the length of the rod for the fly. Spoons, spinnerbaits or wobblers can also be used with success. Most fishermen use large casting reels and rods of 11 or 12 feet. The equipment should be of a type that will fit and can land a large fish. A salmon of ten kilograms may quickly take tens of metres of line off the reel.
Autumn whitefish with hook and line
During the autumn season, fishing from the Korkeakoski fishing pier is made more varied by the catching of migratory whitefish running to spawn. Separate areas have been reserved for this at the pier. In the best days of autumn, whitefish catchers have a catch of scores or even hundreds of large fish. The biggest have a weight of several kilograms. Rainbow trout are also often included in the catch. Salmon and sea trout caught as a by-product must be released back in the waters in accordance with the fishing rules.
