Väsadammen

Character of the water

Väsadammen lies in central Sweden — a acidified brown forest lake. The tea-stained, humic water hides the bottom within an arm's length. In summer a thermocline settles around 8 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.

Moderately deep (13 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Väsadammen FVOF. Day permit ~140 kr · annual permit ~700 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 Väsadammen

Väsadammen holds 9 species, with perch, pike and grayling at the top of the chain and roach, regnbåge and whitefish schooling beneath them. The modest depth keeps most of the fishing within reach of the bank.

Whoever fishes Väsadammen 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

• Brown, humic water dampens the light — fishing can be good even in the middle of the day.
• Acidified water yields few, hardy species.