Smalsjön

Character of the water

Smalsjön lies in central Sweden — a humic brown tarn. The water is crystal-clear and the fish skittish in the sharp light.

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 — Smalsjön FVOF. Day permit ~60 kr · annual permit ~300 kr.

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

Fishing Smalsjön

The species list of Smalsjön runs to 4. The predators — perch and pike — hunt where the baitfish gather, and on a water this size you soon learn where it holds its fish.

Every session at Smalsjön 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.
• Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.