I spent a week at Villa Björklund to fish and hike in the wilderness. As a man from the city, I had always wanted to eat a fish that I had caught, cleaned and cooked myself. I hoped it might teach me something about respect and Mother Nature.
The day after my arrival, I jumped into a canoe with Michael, the owner of AntsInPants Tours, who taught me how to paddle and fish properly. After some reasonably successful paddling, we arrived at this magnificent little island in the middle of the lake.
I chose a huge stone to stand on and cast out my rod. Within ten minutes, I felt a pull and instantly knew something had bitten. As I reeled it in, the fish slowly emerged from the depths of the lake. Michael immediately noticed it was a mature grayling. A sign of good fortune, as grayling only live in very clean, pure water.
After carefully taking it out of the water with a net, we moved the fish onto solid land, where I followed Michael’s instructions to end its life as quickly as possible. What struck me was the swiftness, care and respect with which the whole procedure was done, deliberately minimizing the suffering of the fish. Just seconds before, I had felt this powerful life energy in my hands. Now I could feel its heartbeat fading away within seconds.
Taking a life left a deep impression on me.
The next days were filled with adventures and hikes, but the fishing experience kept returning to my thoughts. That lingering feeling led me to pick up the rod one more time on my final day.
I caught another grayling. This one was even bigger.
I carefully followed the procedure Michael had taught me, but this time Michael wasn’t there to guide me. Doing it completely on my own left an even deeper impression on me.
As I’m writing this on the airplane back home, I know this experience will somehow have an impact on how I live my life. Perhaps with more intention, more care, and more presence.
Michael mentioned that he never takes more from the lake than he and his family need. Usually that means one or two fish, after which the fishing is over. I respect that approach, and it feels right.
If you’re looking for a truly remote place where you can experience ethical fishing with respect for Mother Nature while surrounded by magnificent wilderness, I’d highly recommend AntsInPants Tours at Villa Björklund.
Thanks, Michael, for your incredible company, for sharing your knowledge, and for guiding me through this experience.
Antwort von AntsInPants Tours - Villa Björklund
2026.08.25
Hello Lex,
thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful review! It truly means a lot to me.
I am very happy to hear that you had such a memorable time at Villa Björklund and that the fishing experience gave you more than just a fish to take home. For me, fishing is about much more than catching fish. It is about understanding and respecting nature, taking only what you need, and being fully present in the experience.
I am especially glad that you felt the importance of treating the fish with care and respect, and that you were able to put what you learned into practice on your own. Knowing that the experience might stay with you and influence how you see and approach life makes me very proud.
It was a real pleasure having you here, sharing the wilderness with you, and being part of your adventure. Thank you for trusting me and for being so open to learning something new.
I hope to see you back in Lapland one day! 🎣🌲
Best regrads,
Michael
thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful review! It truly means a lot to me.
I am very happy to hear that you had such a memorable time at Villa Björklund and that the fishing experience gave you more than just a fish to take home. For me, fishing is about much more than catching fish. It is about understanding and respecting nature, taking only what you need, and being fully present in the experience.
I am especially glad that you felt the importance of treating the fish with care and respect, and that you were able to put what you learned into practice on your own. Knowing that the experience might stay with you and influence how you see and approach life makes me very proud.
It was a real pleasure having you here, sharing the wilderness with you, and being part of your adventure. Thank you for trusting me and for being so open to learning something new.
I hope to see you back in Lapland one day! 🎣🌲
Best regrads,
Michael