The cooperation between Brand ID and Eumer Finland Oy, one of the most innovative fishing companies in Europe, has continued for years.
“Could it be a whitefish?”
Brand ID’s Marketing Coordinator Kirsi Kjäll wonders out loud as the ice fishing rod in her hands keeps twitching in Satakunta, on the coast of Merikarvia.
The hook is set, but it is not a two-kilo whitefish that emerges from the hole. Instead, it is a 20-gram and 10-centimetre smelt.
It may not be the biggest fish in the region, but the catch is still to the liking of the ice fisher.
“Boy, that thing put up a fight, but there he is. A great feeling,” Kirsi says.
Brand ID’s recreational day as a guest of fishing operator Eumer Finland Oy at Merikarvia is underway.
The cooperation between Brand ID and Eumer Finland has continued for several years.
The story of the Merikarvia-based company began decades ago when the Ojamo brothers Jaakko and Olli were just little boys. The brothers, who were keen fishermen, started to make tube flies for their personal use. Later they developed their own flies for casting.
As the years went by, the brothers started to sell their flies. They needed a company for that, so Eumer Finland Oy was founded in 2007.
“People asked from time to time if we ever intended to do anything else besides fishing when we grow up. But that’s all we ever wanted to do,” chuckles Jaakko Ojamo, the Founder and Sales Manager of the company.
Without that enthusiasm, Finland and Europe would be one inventive fishing operator poorer.
Today, Eumer Finland Oy is known for being one of the most innovative operators in their field.
The company manufactures, develops and exports their own fishing tackle for different sections of sport fishing. Eumer is known for their award-winning products such as the Spintube, Jasu and Eumer, which include fly, ice, lure and angle fishing equipment.
On the ice of Merikarvia, Brand ID’s team members are sitting around ice holes and trying to catch their prey with vertical Jasu spoons that are a combination of traditions and modern technology: they are made from light aluminium and coated with eye-catching 3D technology.
“Nearly every Finnish fishing equipment store sells Eumer products. Our products are also exported to around 20 other countries in total,” says Olli Ojamo, the company’s co-founder and Marketing Specialist.
“We value creating things from scratch ourselves, as well as testing and constantly improving our products and services,” he adds.
One aspect of their operations’ innovative nature is the use of social media.
Eumer Finland has tens of thousands of followers on their social media platforms; over 40,000 subscribers on YouTube alone – people are clearly interested in fishing, tips about fishing techniques, and nature.
“Social media is about putting yourself out there. People want to see who the company owners are and what their values look like in practice,” Olli Ojamo explains, describing the company’s use of social media.
People want to fish with the Ojamo brothers – or at least try their luck on the same waters.
Eumer Finland has increased their range of services over the years to include recreational activities and conference facilities for businesses as well as guided fishing excursions for groups.
This is how Brand ID’s staff is enjoying their recreational day at Merikarvia.
From the point of view of fishermen, this small village in Satakunta is more significant than its size would suggest. According to the Ojamo brothers, Eumer Finland is the only fishing centre in Finland that has such a vast range of fishing services: they are able to take their clients to a nearby river, or to the sea, which is just five minutes away, or to a lake that can be reached in fifteen minutes. All year round.
“We can offer activities for every day of the year. If it were a traditional winter in Satakunta and the sea weren’t frozen, we would be fishing on the open sea. If the ice is too thin, we could try floating in the water in immersion suits, for example.
There are many recreational activity options for business groups to choose from,” says Jaakko Ojamo.
“The end result is always the same, though: the clients leave with a more relaxed state of mind.”
This certainly seems to be true.
When the ice fishing begins, the happy chatter among the Brand ID staff dies down. They stare at the holes on the ice, and take swift looks at the sonar screen that has been placed by each hole.
Since we are in the 2020s, fishermen can use sonar to reveal the secrets at the bottom of the sea. When the fishing begins, a screen is placed on the ice and its sensor is lowered into the ice hole, where the float keeps it near the surface of the water. If a fish comes close to the hole, the sonar detects its movement and shows it on the screen. That is when the fisherman should be ready to take action.
The god of the sea has been generous on this beautiful day in early spring. The sonar shows a hungry shoal of smelt circulating approximately seven metres below the surface.
Cheers of joy start to fill the air as constant streams of smelt are reeled in from every hole.
“It has been a successful day for a fishing guide when the first fish is reeled in,” chuckles Olli Ojamo, who still gets excited about every catch.
However, sometimes luck is not in the fishermen’s favour.
But even then, the excursion has not been a failure. According to Ojamo, the day is a success whenever a group of people has decided to spend their day in nature.
Research supports his statement: nature has been proven to alleviate stress and recharge the mind, improving the ability to focus, and in some cases even lowering the heart rate and blood pressure. Spending time in nature with others is also good for social well-being and sense of community.
The effect on the staff of Brand ID is visible at the end of the day: after hours of ice fishing, eating a hearty barbequed meal and enjoying a snowmobile safari on the sea ice, the day has been a roaring success.
“It was extremely relaxing. I feel calm and ready for everyday life again,” concludes Brand ID’s Project Manager Erik Mykrä.