Ice Fishing Contestants Competing From Styrofoam Rafts
Image: YLE
A record number of people are participating in the Summer Ice Fishing World Championships in northern Finland. The lack of ice in the summer is no deterrent; contestants were put on Styrofoam rafts.
More than 200 people came from various parts of Finland and Sweden to participate in the games, held each year in Pudasjärvi.
The rafts are anchored to keep contestants from drifting off, and holes have been cut through the Styrofoam for the fishers. Heino Ruuskanen, chairman of Pudasjärvi's Sports League, says that the contestants have three metres of water under the raft to work with.
So far small bream have been the most common catch, but perch, whitefish, pike, bleak, ruff, and vendace have all been hooked.
The competition continues until next Sunday, which culminates in the finals.
YLE