Which fish are there at Hökensås?

Mainly rainbow trout and brown trout, with the weight on rainbow trout. In Sänksjön there is also Arctic char. The split in the area sits around 80 percent rainbow trout and 20 percent brown trout.

Hökensås’s stream-fishing area in Tidan, a pure fly-fishing water that stretches about three kilometres with varying current and slack water. It is divided into four zones, where wading is allowed in zones 1 and 3 but forbidden in zones 2 and 4.

Hökensås Sportfiske – put and take in Västergötland

Q: How do the fishing permits work in Tiveden?

Tiveden’s lakes are split into rainbow waters (yellow permit) and natural waters (white permit). A yellow permit is also valid in the white lakes, but a white permit is not valid in the yellow ones. A yellow permit therefore gives most flexibility.

Q: Where is Hökensås and how do I buy a fishing permit?

The area sits on Hökensåsen in Västergötland, south-east of Tidaholm. You buy the fishing permit per part of the area on Hökensås’s own site or via iFiske. Always check current rules and prices there.

Hökensås Sportfiske is one of the country’s classic put-and-take areas, with roots back to the 1950s. On Hökensåsen in Västergötland, south-east of Tidaholm, around thirty lakes plus stream fishing in the river Tidan are gathered, all within a fine nature reserve. Here you can fish both easy rainbow lakes and more demanding water, and the area is large enough to fill a whole fishing weekend.

Three parts

Hökensås is divided into three areas with their own fishing permits: Baltak, Hökensås and Tiveden. That means you can choose fishing by mood, from running fly water to still forest lakes.

Baltak – stream fishing in Tidan

Baltak is the area’s fly-fishing jewel, a stream stretch in Tidan of about three kilometres with mixed rapids, runs and slack water. Rainbow trout and brown trout of fine quality are stocked here, and the water is clean with a varied bottom. The stretch is divided into four zones: in zones 1 and 3 you may wade, while wading is forbidden in zones 2 and 4 to spare sensitive stretches. It is fly fishing that applies, and nymphing with for example a gold-head Hare’s Ear is a proven tactic for rainbow trout.

Hökensås – the lakes in the reserve

The Hökensås area itself holds most of the many lakes, with put and take for rainbow trout and brown trout. The split in the area sits around 80 percent rainbow trout and 20 percent brown trout, and in Sänksjön there is also Arctic char, which is unusual this far south. The lakes suit fly, spinning and bait fishing.

Tiveden – yellow and white permit

Tiveden consists of eight lakes, split into rainbow waters and natural waters. The three rainbow lakes Hanesjön, Djäknasjön and Kroksjön you buy on a yellow permit, while the natural waters Sörängs Bergsjö, Nödre Fisklösen, Mellre Fisklösen, Kvarnsjön and Bergsjön go on a white permit. A smart arrangement is worth knowing: a yellow permit is also valid in the white lakes, but not the other way around. With a yellow permit you can therefore switch freely between lake types the same day.

Species and methods

Rainbow trout is the main species over the whole area, with brown trout as a fine complement and Arctic char in Sänksjön. On the stream stretch at Baltak it is fly fishing that applies, while the lakes take both fly, spinning and bait fishing. If you want to prepare the fly choice, see flies for put and take; if you are spinning, check best lures for rainbow trout.

Practical

You buy the fishing permit per part of the area on Hökensås’s own site or via iFiske, and that is where you find current prices, bag limits and rules, which can change between seasons. The area sits in fine country and has good signage and parking close to the waters. Spring and autumn are as usual the best times for rainbow trout, see season and take times. If you want to combine with another area, see Harasjömåla Fiskecamp in Blekinge.

Hökensås Sportfiske