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Tactics for small lakes

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Jonas Fredriksson
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Location: Järpen, Sweden

Tactics for small lakes

#1

Post by Jonas Fredriksson »

What are your typical approach when fishing small lakes? Lets say around 1 hectar...
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Jonas Fredriksson
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Location: Järpen, Sweden

Tactics for small lakes

#2

Post by Jonas Fredriksson »

I have a couple of small lakes back home with big trouts and char. I still haven't caught any of them... Last summer I was there and they were jumping like crazy. I suppose they were feeding but what makes a 2kg trout jump half a meter up in the air? There where no big insects on the surface... Anyway this lake is a challenge for me. It is shallow, around 1,5-2 meters deep. Casting without wading is difficult except for at a few spots. In my frustration I once tried wading out and wait for cruising fish to pass. This just made me look like a fool as no fish cruised by me. Any advice on how to fool these trouts?
t.z.
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Tactics for small lakes

#3

Post by t.z. »

The most efficient tactic is to invite a German fly fisher living in Oslo to fish together. If the fishing isn't so good the coffee and the lakeside food will be. :sorcerer: :yeahhh: :cool: :ninja:

I wait for the rises really. I mostly fish dries here in the lakes around Oslo and the rest of Norway. The activity tends to be pretty much in sync with the moon fase too. I know that many laughs about this, but it works in my experience.

Than sit down and think. Be there. Observe. What is the insect life like on the lake? Ants? Small or larger Mayflies, Caddis? I have been where you are and at some point understood that the catching starts with drinking coffee :ninja: . Study what is going on. Try to understand the pattern. Do not cast very much if at all. Let the flies / fly sit for as long as possible if necessary. Use scruffy, simple flies. Make sure to degrease your leader. Have a stealth approach. Bring coffee. Try to fish 15cm under the surface. Try Klink and dink. Fish three flies, or one. Change you patterns and approach. Trust your intuition. get a hammock and sleep by the lake. Live it.

....
t.z.
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Tactics for small lakes

#4

Post by t.z. »

I googled your place and seee that it is not so very far from my summer fishing area. Maybe we get something together. :pirate:
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Jonas Fredriksson
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Location: Järpen, Sweden

Tactics for small lakes

#5

Post by Jonas Fredriksson »

That sounds like a good idea! Ill be home in Jämtland in the summer, did you google that or Lund? I've become quite fascinated by these small lakes. They seem to hold mainly large fish and much fewer small fish than normal. A bit like in NZ. My guess is that there are limited reproduction opportunities in these lakes at the same time as the amount of food is high.

I've tried waiting for rising fish but the problem is getting the fly out to them. They are most of the time quite far out and when wading It feels like they become spooked, or at least aware of me... Maybe klink and dink would be something to try. I've also planned making a trip there at nighttime.. but it feels a bit like cheating :whistle:
t.z.
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Tactics for small lakes

#6

Post by t.z. »

I looked up Järpen, which is 7 swedish miles from Östersund, right?
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Paul Arden
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Tactics for small lakes

#7

Post by Paul Arden »

Can you sight fish for them Jonas? I'm surprised the fish are far off the bank. Do you ever see them cruising next to the edge?

Jumping fish are sometimes taking sedges or damsels on the wing.

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

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t.z.
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Tactics for small lakes

#8

Post by t.z. »

Paul Arden wrote:Can you sight fish for them Jonas? I'm surprised the fish are far off the bank. Do you ever see them cruising next to the edge?

Jumping fish are sometimes taking sedges or damsels on the wing.

Cheers, Paul
They are very shy in these small lakes as there are many predators around. I would ty to fish from a belly boat as well.
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Jonas Fredriksson
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Tactics for small lakes

#9

Post by Jonas Fredriksson »

t.z. wrote:I looked up Järpen, which is 7 swedish miles from Östersund, right?
Yes, Järpen is correct. There are lots of good waters around here :)
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Jonas Fredriksson
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Tactics for small lakes

#10

Post by Jonas Fredriksson »

Belly boats are not permitted :asleep: Sight fishing is near impossible since the bottom of the lake is dark/murky and there are lots of nymphaeaceae growing. It's maybe not the ideal fly fishing spot... I have seen trouts close to the bank a few times but most of the time they are far out. Maybe i should be more patient and spend some hours watching them to see if they get in closer.
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