26/07/2016 by Laplander1

A weekend in the mountains

My friend Tommy ringed and asked me to spend a weekend in the mountains with him fishing and testing his new boat and outboard motor.

I said no because we would be sleeping in a tent a i could not sleep on the ground because of my back problems. He called back a few days later and said he had bought a camp bed and thick mattress for me to use and so although I was a little apprehensive, I agreed to go. Tommy’s son and ex wife were also with us.

We packed the boat and drove to the mountains, backed the boat trailer into the water and backed the boat off of the trailer and then we were on our way.

The water in the lake was 6 metres lower than usual and so we had to watch for rocks under the water. After about an hour we arrived where we planned to camp.

We camped about 15 metres from the waters edge and as I cannot carry a rucksack, I only had a drying with my sleeping kit and another with some food and medication.

The others stayed in a tipi

but it was so hot that I slept outside

I spent a lot of time around the camp because it was uncomfortable for me to fish from the boat.

It was very hot on Saturday (over 30 degrees) and the scenery was just beautiful

I could not cast a fishing rod very well because of my back pain, so I stood next to a stream

and let the stream water carry my float or fly out into the lake and I caught some really nice Grayling.

Over the weekend there were over 100 fish caught.

20/07/2016 by Laplander1

Grass of parnassus

Before moving to live here in Lapland, I managed Chippenham Fen National Nature Reserve where we spent much time, money and effort to re-establish a plant called “Grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris”

which grew there until the late 1980´s, but we never succeeded in getting it back again.

Here it grows very commonly. We even have it along the edges of the track to our house (the above picture is taken at the edge of our track).

I have only noticed it growing there because we bought Kelly her first cycle and we now go out with her at least twice a day.

It’s not been an easy time for Kelly during the last few days, because she has thrown her dummies in the river, to give to the baby fish!! and now has to sleep without her dummy.

Kelly enjoys fishing, though soon gets bored when she does not catch anything.

I have mad her up a special fishing set. The rod is really an ice fishing rod and i bought a small reel for it.

It works so well that I have one myself now, as with my back problem it is not so easy to cast a full size rod. I cannot cast so far out, but as many of the fish are nearer to the edge, this is not a problem. I have caught 2 1kg Rainbow trout with this set-up.

My dad has settled in now and is really enjoying spending time with Kelly and the rest of the family.