Aino Hynnä & Anna Virolainen-Hynnä
A fishing-mad angling couple
Aino Hynnä and Anna Virolainen-Hynnä are a couple who have made Inari their home, and for them fishing is a way of life. They are members of the Finnish women’s national fly fishing team, and their trophy cabinet holds World Championship medals and numerous Finnish Championship medals. Aino is the reigning Finnish women’s fly fishing champion and Anna a Finnish Championship silver medallist. The 2026 World Championships in the summer added a team bronze. Competition fishing is just one side of their passion, though. Below, they explain in their own words how it all began and how they dress for fishing all year round – in waders in summer and on the ice in winter.
Freebird
Two paths to the same passion
We came to fishing in different ways. Aino has fished since she was a little girl, and even then her father struggled to keep up with her. Aino would have spent all her time fishing. It was her aunt who got her into fly fishing by buying the family’s first fly rod. Anna, on the other hand, only took up fishing as an adult after meeting Aino. It wasn’t long before Anna started landing the biggest fish.
Today we fish all year round with flies, ice jigs and spinning rods, and we eat fish we have caught ourselves every week.
Inari masochist trips
We spend pretty much all our spare time in nature, and Inari’s magnificent landscapes are the perfect setting for it. We also head to northern Norway, and competitions take us abroad. As well as fishing, we go running, and Aino plays floorball.
In Inari, the ice fishing season lasts until May. Over that time, the weather ranges from extreme conditions to sunny spring days on the ice, so clothing makes a big difference.
The big fish are often found far out in the wilderness, and that is when our perseverance is put to the test. Our followers already know our Inari masochist trips: fishing madness sometimes takes extreme effort to reach the spot we want, by snowmobile or on foot, depending on the season.
“We believe true happiness comes through suffering – with a twinkle in our eye.”
We have had an awful lot of great trips. The ones that stick in our minds most are the long fishing hikes, which are at the heart of the Inari masochist trips: kit that is far too heavy, not quite enough food, amazing fishing spots once you find them, and that feeling when a fine fish takes the fly and you know you’ll be feasting by the campfire. The World Championships trips have also been unforgettable. We have held our own against the delegations of big countries with our own small team of women and no support staff. That is teamwork at its best.
One fish away from gold
We love throwing ourselves into things and really putting in the effort. The effort doesn’t always pay off, but sometimes it does. The reward might come as stunning scenery or a fine fish. The best thing is spending a long weekend in the best company, doing what you love: going over the day’s fishing stories around the evening campfire and planning the next day’s trips, with any luck while flame-grilling fish. The same goes for competition fishing and for fishing trips.
“You really feel alive when you’ve slogged away first and then achieved something great!”
We dream that one day Finland’s women will win the fly fishing world championship. In summer 2026, the team came within one fish of that goal. The growing number of women anglers matters to us too, because fishing is for everyone. Most important of all, though, is staying fit and able, so that we can enjoy our wilderness trips for a long time to come.
The best kit under your waders
What is the best Svala product and why?
Aino & Anna: “The ones we use most are our Airbase layers. Absolutely brilliant, summer and winter. We don’t go anywhere without our mesh! It does make us laugh a bit, pulling on our mesh layers almost every day whatever the season. At competitions, our Airbase layers catch the eye of our fellow women anglers, and the interest is worldwide. Finland’s women undeniably have the best kit under their waders.”
What has been your worst clothing mistake?
Aino & Anna: “Choosing the wrong socks backfired one perch fishing weekend, when we didn’t put liner socks under our merino socks and were wearing stiff hiking boots. After a kilometre there was a nasty blister on a heel, and the perch competition was in jeopardy. Generally speaking, you run into problems if your clothes don’t breathe: in summer you get horribly sweaty, and in winter you sweat first and then freeze. You really have to avoid that, especially up here in the north.”
Why have you chosen Svala as part of your kit?
Aino & Anna: “From our experience, Svala kit is very high quality and durable, and it’s great to support a Finnish product. It makes sense to invest in your outdoor kit, because poor gear can easily ruin a whole trip.”
Aino and Anna’s favourites from Svala
Aino and Anna are Freebirds who share their best tips with the Svala community on dressing for fishing all year round.
Follow Perhomimmit
Follow Aino and Anna’s adventures on these Instagram accounts:
@aiskahynde, @virolainenhynna, @womensflyfishingteamfinland
Svala For freebirds.
Svala Freebird collaboration
We have a commercial partnership with Aino Hynnä and Anna Virolainen-Hynnä. They test Svala products and share their experiences in their own words.
