The lake Lauchert is located at Trochtelfingen, a pleasant village close to the ancient monastery
of Krätzenberg in countryside of Baden Württemberg.
The valley is crossed by the river Lauchert, beautiful chalk stream which is almost exclusively in hands of private
concessions. In the area there are excellent restaurants offering traditional dishes and great beer. A great place
to spend a few days relaxing.
The lake looks like a british reservoir, surrounded by lawns and with wooden benches on the
shore. A kiosk offers drinks, beers and hot dogs, very handy during the hottest hours if the fish is not eating.
The Lauchert river enters the basin in the north side of the lake.
The Lauchert river flows through the lake and it is its inlet and outlet. The lake,
that is the middle some meters deep,
keeps the character of a chalk stream, with clear water and widespread aquatic vegetation.
The area is also a point of rest and spawn for different species of birds that
find here respect for nature, clean water and abundant nourishment.
The insect population thrives in the abundant aquatic and bank vegetation. Hatches of sedge, mayflies, stoneflies,
sialidi, but also terrestrial falling into water from the surrounding grass, provide the trout with abundant food.
In the image on the upper right corner a Siphlonurus armatus, a mayfly that along with Serratella and small olive Baetidi has offered the most interesting hatches during our
visit in early June.
On the first day we arrive on the shore in the late afternoon. There are trout rising
along with some smaller grayling. In the evening, during of a hatches of
large mayflies (Siphlonurus armatus), we catch a couple of nice brown trout. The
Siphlonurus
is a large mayfly that in flight can be mistaken for a real mayfly (E.danica).
The next day we arrive early morning at the lake. We decide to focus on the north west side,
generally quieter and with less people walking nearby.
Big trout patrol the shore in search of prey. The biggest ones are very suspicious and spooky, it takes
casts from the distance
and very thin leaders to near them with the fly.
In mid-afternoon, after countless attempts with the dry-fly, a tiny Serratella nymph pattern
on a 18 hook on a 0.12mm leader
eventually hooks
this 52 cm brown trout. A fierce and healthy fish that puts up a hard fight.
The eastern bank is quite popular anf frequented, given its proximity to the kiosk and the access road.
Nonetheless, large groups of water-weeds in front of this bank often provide unexpected surprises and
nice fish hide beneath them.
In the absence of surface activity the fly angler can rover cautiously along the bank,
looking for shadows between algae or signs of movement. After having
detected a trout it is not always easy to convince her.
I spotted the nice brown trout in the picture
while it was rising, but I caught by stripping a
a small dark nymph.
There is a large grill structure available on the south bank of the lake.
And right in front of it, while the sun sets, we end up fishing on a mixed hatch of mayfly and caddis.
Large fish feed about 20m off-shore and rise rythmically.
The day ends around a fantastic BBQ.
