Pike (Sw: Gädda)
The pike has a long slender body, a large head, and a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. Its dorsal fin is located towards the tail. The fish is yellowy-green in colour with a dark back and light spots along its sides.
The pike found in Swedish waters generally weigh between 1-4 kg, although pikes can weigh up to 34 kg and grow up to 1.5 metres long. The female of the species is significantly larger than the male.
The pike is a predatory fish and feeds exclusively on other fish, and occasionally other pike. They usually hide themselves and lie in wait until their prey passes sufficiently close for them to unleash a savage attack.
Pike can be found in nearly every lake and river in Sweden, and particularly like clumps of reeds and shallow waters near to the riverbank. The best seasons to fish for pike are autumn, winter and spring.

Perch (Sw: Abborre)
The perch is easy to recognise from the dark bands that decorate its sides and its characteristic red pelvic fins.
The colour of the perch varies from light green to almost black depending on the sort of water it lives in.
The female is larger than the male and perch have been knownto weighup to 4.7 kg and growup to 51 cm long. However, in our waters they rarely weigh more than 0.5 kg.
The perch is the most commonly occurring species in Sjuhärad.
It is a shoaling fish when young but as it grows older and becomes larger it is often found alone.
The best seasons to fish for perch are autumn and winter.
Perch taste best when they weigh under a kilo.

Pike-perch(Sw: Gös)
The pike-perch is recognisable by its elongated body and dark linear markings on its sides. Above these lines the pike-perch is grey coloured with tinges of brown and green. Its sides are silvery or grey and its abdomen white. Its light coloured dorsal fin has large black spots and sharp spines.
Pike perch can grow up to 130 cm long and weigh up to 15 kg, but fish weighing between 0,7–3 kg are commonest in our waters.
The pike-perch is a predatory fish which has adapted to hunting by use of its sharp senses.
The pike-perch can be found in a number of Sjuhärad’s lakes, and likes murky and nutrient rich waters best. It lives a solitary life and stays away from the water’s edge.
It is best to fish for pike- perch in autumn and winter, when it is cold and they go down into the deep water. The firm, lean meat of the pike-perch makes it one of the most delicious fresh water fish.
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Rainbow Trout
(Sw: Regnbåge)
The rainbow trout is a member of the salmon family originally from the west coast of America, but which has now spread over large parts of the world.
Its most recognisable feature is the broad red-violet rainbow band that runs along its side and from which it gets its name.
Rainbow trout can weigh up to 15 kg and grow up to 80 cm long, but ‘wild’ rainbow trout normally weigh under 1 kg (although farmed trout can weigh more). Rainbow trout are rarely over 5 kg in weight.
This species was introduced to Sweden in the 1890s and all the rainbow trout found in a wild state in Swedish waters have been reared in hatcheries for the purposes of sport fishing. There are hatcheries across Sweden, both in fresh and salt waters.
The rainbow trout tastes similar to salmon, and the colour of its meat can vary from light brown to pink, red or almost white.
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Trout (Sw: Öring)
The trout is generally silvery with a green or brownish back, black and red spots along the sides and often a yellowy underside.
Trout can vary greatly in appearance and size depending on their species but have been known to weigh up to 50 kg and grow to over a metre in length. In Swedish waters they generally reach a weight of around 15 kg.
Trout species are generally classified according to their habitat and can migrate to the sea or live in lakes, rivers or streams. Various species of trout can be found throughout Sweden including sea trout, lake trout and brown trout.
The trout is a good edible fish with light and tasty, often red, meat.
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Tench (Sw: Sutare)
The tench can be recognised by its bronze coloured, seasonally jet black, body with small fine scales. The tench’s greenish pectoral fins are located close to the head and small barbels protrude from the corners of its mouth.
Tench can weigh up to 9 kg, but in Swedish waters they normally reach around 70 cm in length and 4.8 kg in weight.
The tench is common in Sweden’s southern and central lakes, and is often found close to the bottom amongst the murky waters and vegetation in which it finds its nourishment.
It is best to fish for tench in autumn. It is a fine edible fish.
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Roach (Sw: Mört)
The roach is a brilliant silver colour with red fins and red eyes.
The species can vary in size but is commonly around 20 cm long and rarely weighs more than 0.5 kg.
It is one of the most common freshwater fish in Sweden and can be found in nearly every part of the country. Roach can be found swimming in shoals in various parts of the lake.
The roach is not considered an edible fish in Sweden but is widely used as bait or as hen or fish feed.
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Sea Trout (Sw: Havsöring)
The Sea trout has many similarities to the salmon in appearance. The difference between these species is the sea trout’s more spotted body.
In Swedish waters they generally reach a length of 110 cm and reach a weight of around 15 kg.
The sea trout can be found in both small and big rivers and particularly like shallow waters. A juvenile sea trout feeds on insects and molluscs, when running back to the sea they feed on other fish instead.
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Common bream
(Sw: Braxen)
Braxen har en samman- tryckt kropp och rygg- puckel. Munnen är liten men kan skjutas ut när fisken letar efter mat. Alla fenor är mörkgrå och stjärtfenan är djupt kluven. Färgen är gråsvart högst upp på ryggen men kan skifta till grönsvart. Sidorna är mässing- eller silverfärgade beroende på var den lever.
Braxen växer långsamt och det tar 7-8 år innan den väger ett kilo. Den kan nå en vikt av 11,5 kg och bli 75 cm. Vanligtvis ligger vikten på ca 1-2 kg i svenska vatten.
Braxen är vanlig i Sjuhärads sjöar och åar.
Fiskköttet anses gott men är rikt på ben. Bästa säsong är på hösten. Braxen är en uppskattad sportfisk.
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Burbot (Sw: Lake)
Laken är en sötvattens- fisk med skäggtöm under hakan. Den känns igen på sin långsträckta kropp och relativt breda huvud. Den har två ryggfenor, en främre kortare och en långsträckt bakre ryggfena. Färgen är grå- eller brunsvart på ryggen med ljusare, fläckiga sidor. Huden känns som läder men är täckt av små fjäll.
Laken kan bli upp till 1,2 m lång och väga 24 kg. Vanligtvis ligger vikten på 0,5-1,5 kg i våra vatten.
Laken är en kallvattenfisk som trivs i djupa, kalla och syrerika sjöar. Fisken äter mest under den kalla perioden av året och om sommaren är den aktiv under natten.
Laken har ett gott, välsmakande kött och rom. Bästa säsong att fånga fisken är på vintern.
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European Eel (Sw: Ål)
The eel has a snake-like body and its dorsal and anal fins are combined into a single fin that runs along the back of the body. The eel has no pelvic fin and its very fine scales are deeply imbedded in its skin. Its colour depends on its stage of development, but when fully grown it has a black back and yellow or white abdomen.
The female is the largest of the sexes and can weigh up to 5 kg and grow up to 1.5mlong. The male only ever reaches 30–50 cm in length.
The eel can be found in almost all of Sweden. It is best to fish for eel between April and December, but it is also farmed and can therefore be eaten all year round. It is considered a great delicacy.
Although the eel can be eaten and is present in many of Sjuhärad’s lakes, Marketplace 7-härad recommends that you think carefully before removing any eels from the water, as the global eel population currently lies below what many consider a biologically safe limit.
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Lake Whitefish
(Sw: Sik)
Siken tillhör laxfiskarna men påminner om sill. Det är en långsträckt fisk med silvriga sidor, ljus buk och mörk rygg. Siken har en ganska liten mun med överbett, stjärtfenan är djupt kluven. På bakre delen av ryggen har den laxfiskarnas karaktäristiska fettfena. I Sverige förekommer flera olika sikarter som kan vara svåra att skilja åt. De större sikarna, stor- och älvsik brukar väga 1-2 kg, men kan väga upp till 7-8 kg.
Siken förekommer i så gott som hela landet i sjöar, älvar och längs syd- och ostkusten. Sik är en stimfisk, föredrar kallt vatten och förekommer gärna i stora djupa sjöar. Småsikar äter bottendjur till att börja med och övergår senare med att äta annan fisk.
Sik är en delikatess och färgen är med några få undantag alltid vitt. Rommen används till kaviar. Den bästa fångstperioden är mars-september.
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Vendace (Sw: Siklöja)
Vendace is a small glossy fish, confusingly similar to the herring but with the fat fins characteristic of salmonids. It’s underbite separates it from the larger lake whitefish which has an overbite. Its back can be grey or shimmering green, whilst its belly is silver coloured.
Vendace can grow up to 45 cm long and weigh up to 1 kg, but in our waters they average around 20 cm and 100 g.
Vendace is both a fresh and saltwater fish and occurs in the clear waters of southern and central Sweden. Vendace is a typical shoaling fish and prefers colder waters.

Marknadsplats 7-Härad and Sassis Resor 7-Härad recommends against fishing for Vendace as the species is internationally classified as acutely threatened and is on both the Swedish Board of Fisheries list, and the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) red list, as a threatened species.
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Common Carp (Sw: Karp)
The carp has a high, short and somewhat compressed body shape. The dorsal fin is elon-
gated, the tail-end powerful. On its upper lip it has two barbels as well as one in each corner of the mouth. Its normal colour is either green-grey or brass. The carp, which is considered to be very tasty, was brought to Sweden by the monks in the 16th century. It can weigh up to 30 kg and grows to 100 cm in length. Its normal weight in Swedish waters is around 3 kg.
The carp, which is the world’s most farmed fish, lives in the south and midland areas of Sweden in calm rivers and warm reservoirs (preferably 15 to 25° C) with rich underwater vegetation. It is a tenacious fish, and is able to live in water with a low level of oxygen. The carp feeds on both vegetation and animals, which means it eats seeds and algae, but also insects, molluscs, mussels and shellfish. The fish is shy and usually gathers its food at night.
Commercial fishing of carp does not take place in Sweden since it is a farmed fish and an angling fish, which has been planted into the water. The carp is good all year round.
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The above text is from the organisation Svensk Fisk, a trade organisation that promotes fish and seafood products. Homepage, also in English: www.svenskfisk.se.
The text has been amended by Marknadsplats
7-Härad and Sassis Resor 7-Härad to reflect local conditions in the Sjuhärad region.

Fish drawings: Calle Bergil.

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