Le Fisherman Slot (Hacksaw Gaming)

The Le Fisherman slot is played on a 6x5 grid with Cluster Pays: to form a winning combination, you need a cluster of 5 or more symbols appearing vertically or horizontally. With 30 grid positions, it’s possible to land multiple winning clusters.

With a 10p minimum bet a spin, the maximum bet is £5 per spin in the UK (or up to £2 if under 25). To change your bet, use the up and down arrows to the side of the main ‘Spin’ button. Players outside the UK can opt for Autoplay (10 to 1,000 auto spins) as well Turbo and Super Turbo modes.

The Le Fisherman RTP is 96.33%, which is higher than the 96% slots average. As always, Hacksaw Gaming has created 94.33% and 92.34% RTP alternative versions so check at your chosen slot site which rate you’re playing with. The Le Fisherman demo above uses the highest RTP setting.

Classed as low to medium volatility (2/5), a winning cluster will land every 2.38 spins as the hit frequency rate is 42%. Finally, Le Fisherman comes with 15,000 x bet max wins, which can be won in the base game and various bonus features.

With a fishing theme, you join Smokey on the water in the Le Fisherman slot. The 8^th game in the ‘Le’ slots series, you join Hacksaw’s infamous raccoon as he wades into deep waters.

The setting is an idyllic lake with lush green hills and cloud-filled skies in the backdrop. To the side of the 6x5 grid, you’ll see Smokey on his little boat. With a fishing rod in hand, he’s sporting a fisherman’s hat (with hooks and flies), arm bands and golden boots. The soundtrack is calm and relaxing.

On the grid, you’ll see green A, K, Q, J and 10 royals. The higher value symbols include yellow hats, floats, hooks with worms, anchors and fish: the fish symbol is the best paying, awarding 100 x your total bet for 12 or more in a cluster.

In terms of special symbols, there is a Clam Wild that substitutes for all paying symbols above. You’ll also come across Golden Squares, Rainbows, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond Coins, Green or Gold Clovers, Global Buckets and Epic Rainbows. Finally, there is a red and white life buoy which is the FS Scatter.

Le Fisherman Mobile

Hacksaw Gaming use HTML5 technology to create all slot games. This means Le Fisherman is available to play on mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Mobile player? It is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, which will serve you the Portrait Mode.

As expected, Smokey has plenty of surprises in the Le Fisherman slot. Winning clusters lead to Golden Squares which are activated by Rainbows. These reveal special symbols including coins worth up to 500 x bet, clovers that multiply coins by up to 20x and buckets that collect coin prizes. With 3 free spins features, you’ll experience more of the same with the addition of progressive Golden Squares and a Big Catch Car that progresses you through 4 levels for extra free spins and more lucrative special symbols.

Super Cascades

When a winning cluster appears (5 or more matching symbols connected either vertically or horizontally), you’ll trigger the Super Cascades feature. All winning symbols will be removed from the grid, with new ones dropping down to fill the empty positions. The process continues as long as you keep forming winning clusters.

Golden Squares

When a winning cluster is formed, the squares behind the winning symbols are highlighted as Golden Squares. If a Rainbow symbol lands on the grid, the Golden Squares will be activated.

Activated Golden Squares reveal special symbols such as Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond Coins as well as Green or Gold Clover symbols, and Bucket or Golden Bucket synbols. If an Epic Rainbow symbol lands, it reveal special symbols on all grid positions. The reveal and activation process is the same for both rainbow symbols. Below is what each of the special symbols offer:

• Bronze Coins: contain bet multiplier prizes of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 or 4 x bet
• Silver Coins: contain bet multiplier prizes of 5, 10, 15 or 20 x bet
• Gold Coins: contain bet multiplier prizes of 25, 50 or 100 x bet
• Diamond Coins: contain bet multiplier prizes of 150, 250 or 500 x bet

Once all Golden Squares have been revealed, Clover symbols will activate. Boosting the value of nearby coins, here is what they offer:

• Green Clovers: multiply all coins or existing Bucket and Global Bucket symbols on adjacent squares with a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x or 20x
• Gold Clovers: multiply all coins or existing Bucket and Global Bucket symbols on the grid with a multiplicative multipliers or 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x or 20x.

If no special symbols appear near the clover symbols, they will activate once there are special symbols on the grid to multiply.

Once all clover symbols have applied their multipliers, Bucket symbols then activate. Bucket symbols collect the values of all coins and other activated Bucket and Global Bucket symbols on adjacent 3x3 squares, storing their value. They activate top to bottom, left to right.

Golden Squares reveal new special symbols once they have been collected by the Bucket symbol, with the process repeating. Then Global Bucket symbols on the grid activate: Global Bucket symbols collect the values of all coins and other Buckets and Global Buckets, storing their value.

Activating top to bottom and left to right, Golden Squares reveal new special symbols once they’ve been collected by the Global Bucket, with process repeating. After all the reveals and activations, all coins and bucket symbols are added together and multiplied by your bet amount.

On Thin Ice

Triggered by landing 3 FS Scatters during a base game spin, you’ll begin with 10 free spins. You’ll benefit from the same mechanics as the base game but will all Golden Squares progressive and remaining on the grid until either Rainbow symbol activates them.

Additionally, there is a Big Catch Bar outside the grid: when a FS Scatter lands, it increases by 1 step. When a Rainbow symbol activates, it transforms into another special symbol (depending on your level). Beginning at 0, a new level is reach on the Big Catch Bar after collecting 5 FS Scatters:

• Level 1: When the Rainbow symbol activates, it transforms into a Green Clover
• Level 2: When the Rainbow symbol activates, it transforms into Global Bucket
• Level 3: When the Rainbow symbol activates, it transforms into Gold Clover
• Level 4: A Rainbow or Epic Rainbow symbol is guaranteed on every free spin and, after activating, transforms into a Gold Clover.

Finally, every level you reach on the Big Catch Bar will see you win 5 extra free spins.

Slippery When Wet

The Slippery When Wet feature is played by landing 4 FS Scatters in the base game. With 10 free spins, it works like the On Thin Ice feature. Additionally, all Golden Squares are progressive and remain on the grid throughout the feature, even after being activated by a Rainbow symbol.

When the Epic Rainbow activates, only the Golden Squares on the grid remain after the full grid activation is complete. With the minimum coin value at 1 x bet, every level you reach on the Big Catch Bar awards 5 extra free spins.

Smokey Under Water

The Smokey Under Water feature is activated by landing 5 FS Scatters during the base game. With 10 free spins, it works the same as the Slippery When Wet feature but with the Big Catch Bar starting at level 4. No extra free spins can be won in this round.

Bonus Buy

Players located outside the UK have 5 Bonus Buy options. Below is all the info you need:

Le Fisherman Slot

Rating: 4.2/5

Le Fisherman builds on previous ‘Le’ slots with similar mechanics but with the addition of the Big Catch Bar in the free spins features for extra free spins and more lucrative special symbols the more levels you reach.

With Smokey the Raccoon venturing to 1940s Paris, ancient Egypt, a Nordic battleground, Las Vegas, Mount Olympus, the Wild West and acting as Father Christmas, it was always going to be a case of where he would end up next. In the Le Fisherman slot, Hacksaw Gaming has tried their hand at the popular fishing-themed genre.

Graphically, Hacksaw has done a great job: I love how Smokey is wearing arm bands. In the On Thin Ice free spins, it’s a frosty setting whilst Smokey heads underwater as a mermaid in the Slippery When Wet free spins.

When it comes to the gameplay, the key is to build up cluster wins and mark the grid positions with Golden Squares. Activated by Rainbow or Epic Rainbow symbols, they reveal special symbols including coins, clovers or buckets.

Coins are worth up to 500 x your total bet whilst clovers multiply all coins or bucket symbols with multipliers up to 20x. Green Clovers apply to adjacent squares whilst Gold Clovers apply to all squares on the grid. I like the Bucket symbols as they collect the values of all coins with Global Buckets collected all values on the grid, as well as the values or other Buckets and Global Buckets.

Then you have the 3 free spins features: the On Thin Ice feature benefits from progressive Golden Squares. The new addition is the Big Catch Bar which collects FS Scatters: this awards extra free spins and increases the level for more special symbols and guaranteed rainbows if you reach level 4. In the Slippery When Wet feature, the coins are worth more too. With the Smokey Under Water free spins, you begin with the Big Catch Bar at level 4 meaning a Rainbow or Epic Rainbow is guaranteed to land on each free spin and then transforming into a Gold Clover.

With 15,000 x bet max wins, Le Fisherman is another great addition to the ‘Le’ slots series. The mechanics are similar to previous games with the Big Catch Bar a new addition that gives you more free spins and more valuable special symbols when reaching a new level.

It has some similarities to the Bullet Collector in Le Cowboy but Hacksaw has tweaked the formula so make this game unique enough to warrant playing. The Big Catch Bar also mimics the collection mechanic in Pragmatic’s Big Bass slots to some extent.

If you like fishing-themed slots, my guide reveals the top 10 games including Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Bonanza, Blueprint Gaming’s Fishin’ Frenzy and Nolimit City’s Ugliest Catch. Prefer Cluster Pays slots? My article highlights the top 10 choices, including Push Gaming’s Jammin’ Jars, Play ‘n GO’s Reactoonz and Hacksaw’s very own Hand of Anubis.

The Le Fisherman slot review was written by Chris Taylor from our OLBG Expert team who has written over 10,000 slot game reviews in an iGaming career spanning over 2 decades.

Chris Taylor

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Chris Taylor is an industry veteran originally from Gibraltar. Having worked in the online gambling industry since 2004, Chris loves slots and has reviewed over 10,000 online slot games. Running a slots-focused website for 13 years, Chris is the go-to guy for everything slots-related.