Smaltjärnen

Character of the water

Smaltjärnen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown 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 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 — Smaltjärnen 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 Smaltjärnen

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

Whoever fishes Smaltjärnen regularly builds something of their own: a log of what took, where and when. That's how the water gives up its patterns — cast by cast, never all at once.

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.