Mell-Valsan

humic brown tarn · 61°N

Real lakereal shoreline12 species on recordsources & method →

clarity 1.1 mmax depth 2 mpH 5.9oligotrophic · humicstatus unsatisfactorygravel road

Character of the water

Mell-Valsan lies in central Sweden — a humic brown tarn. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length.

The surroundings

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

Shallow throughout (max 2 m), with reeds and vegetation over large areas — water that warms fast in spring.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Mell-Valsan FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 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.

Species in Mell-Valsan

perch predatory fish

typically ~22 cm · can reach 45 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps perch moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

bream coarse fish

typically ~38 cm · can reach 65 cm

Bream works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

elritsa fish

typically ~7 cm · can reach 12 cm

Elritsa grazes the rich water in schools — where there's one, there are more.

pike predatory fish

typically ~62 cm · can reach 120 cm

Pike hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

ruffe perch family

typically ~12 cm · can reach 22 cm

Ruffe works the bottom in the dark — smell and feel come before everything else.

burbot bottom fish

typically ~45 cm · can reach 90 cm

Down on the bottom burbot sifts the soft ground — patience beats speed here.

roach coarse fish

typically ~18 cm · can reach 32 cm

The nutrient-rich water keeps roach moving constantly between the feeding grounds.

trout salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

Trout hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

regnbåge fish

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

In the murky light, regnbåge shadows the baitfish and hits in short rushes.

Arctic char salmonids

typically ~35 cm · can reach 70 cm

Arctic char hunts by feel more than sight in the stained water — short, hard strikes close to the bait.

whitefish whitefish

typically ~30 cm · can reach 55 cm

Whitefish roams the open water after the feed — a moving target.

vendace whitefish

typically ~16 cm · can reach 28 cm

Vendace follows the schools through open water — here today, gone tomorrow.

Fishing Mell-Valsan

Mell-Valsan holds 12 species, with perch, pike and burbot at the top of the chain and bream, elritsa and ruffe schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Every session at Mell-Valsan 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.

The catch board

6 anglers · 12 catches

1Astrid Viklundpike52 cm
2Gustav Raskburbot38 cm
3Karin Nyströmregnbåge32 cm
4Tomas Brandtwhitefish24 cm
5Linnea Nieminenvendace13 cm
6Mats Sjöbergruffe10 cm

Species records here

pike52 cmAstrid Viklund

burbot38 cmGustav Rask

regnbåge32 cmKarin Nyström

whitefish24 cmTomas Brandt

vendace13 cmLinnea Nieminen

ruffe10 cmMats Sjöberg

The same water, for real

This water's real catch reports — and the logbook for your own.Fångstrapport.sein Swedish

The real bite table for this water — for your next real session.Huggtabell.sein Swedish