Arctic char

Salvelinus alpinus

The arctic char is a fresh-water fish that lives and breed in our sub-arctic region up north. The Arctic char is closely related to both salmon and trout, and has many characteristics of both. For example, the arctic char has red belly and white stripes on the fens. The official Swedish record is 10,830kg (not 100% salvelinus alpinus). We have caught arctic chars over 4 kg, during night fishing in our secret lakes.

The char is often called the garbo of the mountains, for its unpredictability and its beauty. Few other fish can frustrate you like a big char. One moment it is there,
the next it has completely vanished. But that challenge makes it such fun to catch.

There are several classic char streams in Lapland, Sweden. The beauty of the fish in the stream is matched by the surroundings. You can take nothing for granted in char fishing. One moment it is flies the size of a pinhead that work, and the next moment colourful streamers or spinners.

You can find char in calm waters too, on tranquil evenings when they are silently gliding around lapping up midges. When the flatwater seems to have raindrops on
it, it can be the sign of a 3-kilo fish. In lakes, the char can take spinners, wobblers, flies and long lines. You can angle from the boat and land.

Fishing for arctic char is still something of “blind spot”. Something waiting to be discovered.