The Oulankajoki flows through Oulanka National Park — protected country, which explains the condition of the river and the character of the fish. Brown trout and grayling in the accessible stretches; Arctic char in the deeper, colder pools where the river cuts through bedrock. The canyon section requires commitment to reach and rewards the effort. Midsummer here means the sun sets briefly or not at all, and the best fishing comes in that particular northern light that passes for evening — when the fish lose a little of their wariness and the river looks its best.

• Granite