Prästsätertjärnen

Character of the water

Prästsätertjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified forest lake. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light. In summer a thermocline settles around 7 m and splits the lake into two worlds. 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.

A small but surprisingly deep pocket (13 m) with steep drops straight down from shore — the bottom falls away fast.

Permits & rules

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

• Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Prästsätertjärnen

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

Every session at Prästsätertjärnen 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.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.