Sweden Fishing trip, part 1

Got off my British Air flight in Stockholm a bit concerned about my
luggage..BA was giving me 46 kilos in two bags since I'm on a
transatlantic series of flights, but Scandinavian Air only allows me
20 kilos total since this leg is domestic (I had 40 kilos of gear, and
SK charges 10 dollars a kilo for overweight!). Imagine my satisfaction
when I was notified that my bags never made it out of London, so BA
would be shipping them to northern Sweden on my behalf on the next
flight. Then imagine my glee when I was told that the next flight was
only two hours later than my own itinerary! Something about Sweden
makes serendipitous events like this common.

I went to the money change place, and while I was converting a few
hundred US dollars into Swedish Crowns, I founds 100 crowns on the
ground, right between my feet, at the change window. Yay, that paid
for my shower and lunch at the travellers lounge downstairs.

Then I flew up to Umea, and was surprised to find that Vaughan had
driven to the airport to meet me. He's looking quite healthy and
strong...spending a lot of time working on his new house in the
countryside near town. Unfortunately his wife has the flu so he could
not come with me up to Roger's summer house for some fishing, but he
led me to the nearby fishing store where I got some new wading boots
and a few items while I waited for my gear to arrive from London.

A few hours later and with my suitcases in the trunk of my rental car,
I was on the E4 headed north with a grin on my face and a sparkle in
my eye. Northern Sweden is really one of the most lush, green and
healthy feeling places in the world in the summer, and I was way happy
to be here.

Following Roger's directions, I turned left onto a country road that
eventually turned into a dirt road, and drove about 50 miles into the
woods to his summer house. Its in an a remote rural village that his
family has been citizens of for about 400 years. For those Americans
who fear Socialism, you should come out here and see what it looks
like in practice. The townspeople all know their heritage and
connection to this village...a bunch of years back, they decided that
they wanted a communal town center, so all the men got together and
built a nice woodframe building with a communtiy meeting room,
kitchen, shower and bathroom. There is a freezer in the kitchen
stocked with icecream bars and other treats, and an 'honesty box' on
the table where anyone can drop 7 crowns and take an icecream or 10
crowns for a shower. If you don't have the money, you can write your
name on a list there and someone will catch up with you later. There
is such social pride in their community that no one even thinks of
abusing this.

A few buildings down the road is a community oven; a small building
with a brick oven and a stack of firewood. Everyone takes
responsibility to keep the woodstack full, and people come here to
bake Sami bread and other traditional recipes.

The majority of the 30-odd buildings belong to folks with an
affliction for golf, so every lawn is manicured and trimmed as nicely
as a golf course. In fact, it IS a golf course! Most of the houses
have a green in their yard with a flagstick, and the village is an 18
hole golf course, with the fairways connnecting houses! If someone is
out of town and does not keep their part of the course (basically,
their front yard) maintained, then someone else in town with a riding
lawn mower does it. In other years, the favor is returned.

Roger has me staying at a cousin's cabin a few kilometers up the road
while he is staying in a small cabin behind his grandparent's place.
His grandparents are amazing folks...they live out here year round,
and are the epitome of mountain health. Anna, his grandmother, is 87
years old, and looks a spry and nimble as any 55 year old. She is up
in the early morning, cleaning the house, tending the garden, moving
lawn furniture, walking along the river, and making all sorts of
incredible food (she used to be a cook for a woods crew....that's
where she met Roger's grandfather). His grandfather is an old Swedish
mountain man, 6 ft 5, with a stride like treebeard, He can outhike
anyone 40 years younger than himself, and who has been fishing and
hunting these mountains for 90 years. He's lean and wiry, and can
still move around (albeit a bit stiffer than Anna) and tends the yard,
cuts trees and takes care of the house. Only a half dozen years back,
when the river flooded right to the doorsteps, Roger and his
grandfather disassembled the house and moved it back 10 meters to a
higher footing...that's what Old Swedish mountain bloodlines will do
for you. These are hearty people!

Yesterday, Roger and I went fishing with his two boys and a friend of
theirs. The river is running a bit warm for salmon right now, so we
cast for greyling. Both of his boys (15 and 17) can lay out a flyline
60 feet, and have that same natural rhythm in a stream that Roger has.
I am glad to say that I held my own, catching the largest greyling of
the day on my second cast!

Anyway, today Roger and I will drive to a northern section of the
river and fish for a few more hours....we took the boys back home last
night...and see what other mischief we can get into. But between the
24 hour daylight, the incredible crisp, clear air, the water that
tastes like nectar, and the rigorously physical lifestyle, I can see
why people stay spry throughout their fist century of life, and enjoy
every minute of it. What an incredible place.

More later....

--riverman

riverman wrote:
... What an incredible place.

More later....

--riverman

thanks myron. look forward to more, and hope you have photos you will
post...always interesting to read your reports from abroad, esp. sweden,
as it is part of the greater mystery for me. say hi to roger...i'm sure
he remembers his penns creek tryst, especially the bugs he shared a
bedroom with...g

jeff

Thanks. For those of us stuck in cube farms, it was a brief mental
trot outside the stable gate.
Frank Reid

On Jun 25, 10:25*am, riverman wrote:

You are an inspiration lad. Your posts have moved me to get off my ass
and see a bit more of the world while i can. Thanx
Dave

In article
,
DaveS writes
On Jun 25, 10:25*am, riverman wrote:

You are an inspiration lad. Your posts have moved me to get off my ass
and see a bit more of the world while i can. Thanx
Dave

You and Myron are both honorary "Taffs" now.
--
Bill Grey

Great post, Myron!!
....my best to Roger, as well,
Tom