Lapin isot joet, lukuisat kirkasvetiset järvet ja lukemattomat lammetkin ovat urheilukalastajien tavoittelemia kalastuskohteita. Kalalajejakin on Lapissa aika monia pitkästä ja pimeästä talvesta ja kauan säilyvästä jääpeitteestä huolimatta. Esim. Enontekiön alueella viihtyvät seuraavat kalalajit (Järvinen, A. & Lahti, S., 2004: Suurtuntureiden luonto, s. 152):
Enontekiön vesissä elelee siis yhteensä 18 kalalajia, mutta pääosa tästä lajistosta ei pysty elämään ylimmissä tunturijärvissämme. Siellä viihtyy lähinnä vain nieriä (ja harjus).
Sorry, not all atricles in English yet!
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)
The trout and salmon families are the ‘decoy’ of the North, because many Lapland visitors are after salmons and arctic char. Arctic char (alpine trout) lives in cold oxygen rich and clear waters in the northern Lapland. Earlier it lived in the big lakes of Koillismaa but on the other side of the Russian border it still lives in almost all deep lakes. It also lives as an endangered relict in some lakes of the lake system of Vuoksi.
As a species alpine trout is a bit problematic. Probably there are at least two species that are very close to each others. Different arctic char straits can be different in sizes because of the genome, nutrition and competition factors so the concepts of ‘'small’ and ‘'big’ arctic char are not qualified. The biggest arctic char that was caught in Finland weighted over nine kilograms (Sevettijärvi, 1990), usually they weight less than two kilograms. In some dwarf straits smallest ones that has been mature to spawn were less than 200 grams.
The colour of Arctic char varies a lot. Usually its back is dark, sides are silverish and stomach is light-coloured. In the back and in the sides there are also yellowish spots. Its scales are small if compared to the scales of salmon. In autumn when it’s the spawn time the stomach is reddish. That’s when it is maybe the most colourful fish of the north!
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Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is planted to same lakes, for example to Inari lake. As well brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is propagated.
Grayling (Thymallus thymallus)
Also grayling belongs in the same family with alpine trout. It lives mainly in the provinces of Oulu and Lappi, but sometimes in southern, too. Because of some big environmental changes in the south the amount of grayling has diminished.
Grayling reminds of freshwater houting but grayling has very long back fin. Grayling is about 20-50 cm. It is fished a lot, mainly with fly and spinning rod.
Grayling likes to live in cool and oxygen rich river waters but also in lakes. It doesn’t migrate and it eats for example insect larva and crustacean. Grayling spawns in the spring unlike the other species in that family. The male guards its territory and tempts females to come there.
Traut (Salmo trutta) and salmon (Salmo salar)
Taimen suosii kylmiä ja hapekkaita vesiä. Se on erittäin muunteleva kala. Taimenet voidaan ekologisesti ryhmitellä puro-, järvi- ja meritaimeniin. Taimenista osa elää puroissa, ne ovat pienikokoisia tammukoita (saameksi tambuk). Järvissä elää isojakin järvitaimenia, jotka ovat osaksi puroista ravinteisempiin vesiin vaeltaneita tammukoita. Järvi- ja meritaimenet siirtyvät syksyisin jokiin kutemaan.
Käsivarren lohenpoikaset elävät 3-5 vuotta Könkämä- tai Lätäsenossa. Sitten ne vaelluspoikasina (smolttina) uivat Itämereen (Utsjoelta Jäämereen). Vietettyään siellä 1-4 vuotta, ne palaavat synnyinjokeensa lisääntymään. Kuteneet kalat uivat takaisin merelle. Kuitenkin jotkut (ns. talvikot) jäävät talvehtimaan jokeen talvehtimaan.
As a species alpine trout is a bit problematic. Probably there are at least two species that are very close to each others. Different arctic char straits can be different in sizes because of the genome, nutrition and competition factors so the concepts of ‘'small’ and ‘'big’ arctic char are not qualified. The biggest arctic char that was caught in Finland weighted over nine kilograms (Sevettijärvi, 1990), usually they weight less than two kilograms. In some dwarf straits smallest ones that has been mature to spawn were less than 200 grams.
Grayling reminds of freshwater houting but grayling has very long back fin. Grayling is about 20-50 cm. It is fished a lot, mainly with fly and spinning rod.