Finnish Matkakoski
When everything began with the river and the fish
Fishing and catching culture have played a central role in the settlement of the Tornio Valley. When salt began to arrive from Germany in the 13th century, the importance of fishing increased even further, as salt made it possible to preserve fish and transport it to more distant markets. Permanent settlement in the villages of Korpikylä was not established until the late 15th century. Whitefish caught by dipnets was already at that time an important part of the local population’s diet.
A tradition that still unites the community
Fishing remained an essential part of the subsistence economy for centuries and is still significant for many villagers today – dipnetting is important not only for preserving traditions but also for maintaining community spirit and for recreation. On the Finnish side of Matkakoski, fishing rights are owned by the original homesteads, which organize fishing through a joint ownership association.
At Matkakoski, the same old fishing customs are still observed as at the other rapids, such as the rotation of fishing turns and the traditional grilling of whitefish. The annual dipnetting season at Matkakoski has always been strongly influenced by weather and water levels, by fishing rules and restrictions imposed from above, and finally by the local fishers themselves. An old saying from Korpikylä goes: “In the same year, you don’t eat both bread and fish.” Behind this saying lies the fact that good dipnet catches at Matkakoski required high water – a rainy summer – but such summers also produced poor grain harvests.
How dipnetting is practiced at Matkakoski
Dipnetting for whitefish is done mainly from the riverbank or from piers “krenkkus” – wooden fishing platforms built over the water on wooden stilts, with planks laid on top to form a walkway. These allow the fisher to reach further into the current, closer to the whitefish migration routes. During low water, dipnetting is done from anchored boats. The boat is anchored in the rapids and can be maneuvered with ropes tied to the shore to reach the best fishing spots. The whitefish fishing season falls between the early summer salmon fishing and the late autumn lamprey fishing, complementing the diverse, seasonally shifting fishing culture of the Tornio River.
Visit Matkakoski in Finland
