Lilla Ustjärn

Character of the water

Lilla Ustjärn lies in the south — a southern acidified forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. Acidification has thinned life down to the hardiest few.

The surroundings

The lake lies remote, ringed by forest and bog far from any road. Few find their way here — the water is untouched and the stock undisturbed.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (26 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Lilla Ustjärn FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.

• Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
• Trout & Arctic char: protected during the autumn spawn · catch-and-release on certain stretches.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Lilla Ustjärn

Lilla Ustjärn holds 4 species, with perch, pike and Arctic char at the top of the chain and roach schooling beneath them. The depth gives the water two storeys — and the fish move between them with the season.

Every session at Lilla Ustjärn 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

• Clear water makes fish light-shy — dawn, dusk and night are usually best.
• In deep, oxygenated lakes the predators seek cool depth in summer, shallower in spring and autumn.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.