Harnessing 'Sisu' on the Lake: Ice-Fishing in Helsinki
It would be so easy to tuck yourself away inside the insulated dwellings of Helsinki during the mid-winter bitterness. It would be a blissful bubble, sheltering you from the biting wind and snow so cold it burns.
But the flurry of snow seems to go on for eternity and nightfall is omnipresent. The hibernation can only go on for so long before cabin fever takes hold. This is where ‘sisu’ prevails.
A uniquely-Finnish concept, ‘sisu’ is the capacity to bust through the confines of your self-imposed mental and physical limits with an unrelenting persistence.
This tenacity and grit is said to have been birthed from centuries of white-knuckling through extreme weather conditions and surviving against the odds. It is daring. It is courageous. It is Finnish Fearlessness! Winter must be conquered.
“SISU”
And what better way to capture the elusive hours of light than to spend them in a quest to get the biggest catch! Every winter, you’ll find these brave Finns huddled together on the vast expanse of frozen water, eagerly awaiting the fish that will emerge from the pocket of black carved into the ice.
“‘Finnish Meditation’”
Ice-Fishing has been labelled ‘Finnish Meditation’, used as a way to embrace the serenity of the lake and clear the mind of clutter. But as an Australian accustomed to 30-degree weather, the activity was slightly less meditative and more of a thrill.
With a child-like playfulness I pointed out every apparent crack in the ice, as though we could fall right in at any moment. I drew my name in the snow. I took far too many photographs of our footprints.
But mostly, I was simply awed by the seeming infiniteness of the panoramic blanket of white. It was just us and the lake, encircled by a ring of ethereal emerald-hued pine trees.
“The Mechanics of Ice-Fishing”
We were lucky enough to go ice-fishing with our Finnish friends’ neighbour. Through translations, he explained the fascinating mechanics of ice-fishing.
The day before, he had cut out two symmetrical holes which he marked with sticks. Beneath the surface, he had submerged a net between the two openings. A fluorescent orange string was attached to either side of the net forming a loop between the two holes. This arrangement acted as a pulley system.
Whenever he was ready to check his catch, he would pull the string, feeding it through one of the holes until the net revealed itself on the other side.
“A Vibrant World Thrives Below”
Once our education was complete, the net was heaved out of the inky water, spilling onto the ice. To our excitement, so did three fish!
Our barren icebound surroundings were a stark contrast to the life that was pulled from the lake. Astoundingly, under the four inches of ice, a vibrant unseen world continues to thrive.
Dragging the supplies and our catch behind us, the group sauntered back to the car, our chests puffed up with pride.
Simmering in butter and herbs, the scent of fresh fish pervaded our friends’ home. As we sat together and savoured the flavour, a sense of unity was fostered.
Despite the cracks that had me vaguely worried, our adventurous trip onto the ice had resulted in a delicious meal that a mismatch of Finns and Australians could all appreciate together in harmony. And that is truly meditative.
