There are two species of fish found in the lake: Trout and Char, of which we have Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Arctic Char and Lake Trout (which despite the name is also from the Char family).  The fish live a wild life in this lake and no artificial food is provided.  They hunt for their prey which keeps them very fit and healthy and they also reproduce naturally.  The cold, well-oxygenated water produces beautiful pure wild fish, and when caught these “homegrown” fish are recognisable from their amazing colours and smaller size.

During the season I restock the lake, ensuring that the introduction of the new fish doesn’t upset the eco system and that the balance is just right to keep the fish happy and the fishing exciting. Below is an introduction to the fish:

Rainbow Trout were originally stocked in the 1960’s as a food source for the nearby mountain hut, Fluhalp (now also a restaurant). I have ensured that hey have the largest population in the lake due to them being very willing to take a dry fly (seen by most anglers to be the purest form of fly fishing.) They are great fun to catch as they like to bounce across the water when you fight to land them.

Brown Trout I started to introduce to the lake in 2012.  This type of Trout is well known to disappear once placed in a lake as they are very cautious feeders making it rare for them to take a surface fly.  However in 2015 they started to reappear in good sizes, many being caught at around 1.5 kg.  I believe that now they have grown they are feeling more comfortable to attack our lures.

Arctic Char’s presence was at first quite a surprise and somewhat of a mystery as I had never stocked them before and they would rarely appear.  Since 2011 I started to stock this fish however they are still not that frequently caught and provide a great challenge for any keen angler.

Lake Trout are a very predatory fish and have been recorded to grow up to 80cm in a similar sized lake (the largest recorded size was 46 kg in Canada).  This powerful fish makes for a very exciting catch. Shown in the image above is the first Lake Trout caught over 2kg, it was taken on dry fly and took more than a 15 minute fight to land it.

The exact number of fish held in the lake is not known, I have added over 50 fish per year since 2010 and estimate around 150 or more are over 500g / 1 lb to date. Every year I have been catching all sorts of variations and sizes, the biggest of which are over 2 kg (+50cm long).  I am still sure that there are bigger fish yet to be caught as all these relatively wild fish have lived in the lake for years and I still get a few surprises every season.