Håkatjärnen

Character of the water

Håkatjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.

Moderately deep (5 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

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

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

Fishing Håkatjärnen

perch sit at the top of the food chain in Håkatjärnen. The brown, humic water keeps visibility short — the fishing is more about vibration than sight.

Every session at Håkatjärnen is fished in whatever conditions hold right then — the same pressure, wind and light as over the real water. What bites today isn't what bit the day before, and those who return learn the water for real.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

• Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.