Hästigeltjärnen

Character of the water

Hästigeltjärnen lies in the cold north — a northern acidified forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 6 m and splits the lake into two worlds. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake sits close to town with a road right up to it — easy to reach, but hard-fished and exposed to nutrient runoff from the buildings and fields all around.

Moderately deep (10 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Hästigeltjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 kr.

• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Hästigeltjärnen

perch sit at the top of the food chain in Hästigeltjärnen. The clearer water makes the fish wary — and rewards a careful presentation.

The fishing here follows the water's own rhythm: dawn and dusk have their windows, fronts close and open them, and the season moves the fish. No two sessions at Hästigeltjärnen are alike.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

• Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.