Fly fishing for big trout in Slovenia

I write this article to help people who still do not know very basic about common behavior of big brown trout and marble trout in Slovenia. There is a fact that big marble and big brownie gets more predator instinct, when reaching 50cm+ in lenght. So from that size they feed more on bigger prey, like bullheads, small fish. They can still take some insects, but it is rare. Espacialy the marble trout stay at one place, not moving at all. When it is feeding time they go searcing for prey. In that time they are pretty agressive. They take almost everythink (frogs, bullheads, fish…).

So when you flyfish for a big ones, you must adjust your tackle and technique for more likely predator fishing.  Very important is that you place a streamer on the river bottom as soon as possible( it is like: 1, 2, 3 and boom …streamer is on the bottom). I do it with heavy jig stremaers(7cm , 10g) and this is far best technique for catching big ones. If you do not like this technique, you can do it your own way, but always remember: the whole thing is to reach the river bottom fast.

Tržiška Bistrica river

This river has its name because of the clear water. The water is so clear that you can see to the river bottom . Sometimes you can have feeling that you are fishing salt water.   Tržiška Bistrica river flows through the Dovžan gorge where you can find big boulders along the river. In the canyon the river is fast but relatively narrow. In the city Tržič it gets a little more calmy. There are many dams along the river downstream where Tržiška Bistrica river joins into big Sava river. Tržiška Bistrica river is very playful river. There are mostly a rainbow  trout and a brown trout. Brown trouts are in average 30 cm in lenght, but with some perseverance, you can catch also 50-60cm in lenght.

Tight lines,

Gašper Konkolič

http://www.hidden-paths.com/

Difference between marble trout and a crossbreed

Marble trout has nativ range within the Adriatic basin. It is caracteriezed by particular marbled patters and colour. Originaly  the marble trout is result of destinct evolutionary lineage of brown trout. In that time, marble trouts were befaving as true species. Nowadays there is the same, there where fish are still wild. 

Crossbreed is result of mating brown trout and marble trout. Its color and pattern can be pretty much varied. Hybridization betweenn marble trout and brown trout has expend so far that typical marmoratus form is consider to be very rare and one of the endangered freshwater fish in Adriatic basin. How ever crossbreed can look sometimes similar to marble trout, but not to nativ marble trout.

In Slovenia we are very proud that we still have rivers where you can find nativ marble trout. For skilled flyfisherman the nativ fish ( the fish which was produced by mating native fish) is absolutely one of the top peek of flyfishing. 

Flyfishing Bača river

Bača river wends its 21,4 km long way trough the narrow Bača valley, called also Baška Grapa. River is constantlly accompanied by the road and the railroad. But because of the steep slopes of the valley in the upper part of Bača river, remains pretty much hidden. River is divided in two parts. Lower part is easy accessiable, while upper part of Bača river is more difficult to access, escpacialy in the canyon.  But if you do not have a problem with a little hiking in waders, the reward of purity and untouched pools shall be given to you. 

The upper part of Bača river is for fishermen who enjoy flyfishing alone. Upper part mostly inhibates marble trout and crossbreed. Their size is not as big as in Idrijca river, but still you can catch them in large numbers and in average from 30-50cm Also 1 meter marble trouts were caught there in the past, but they are rare. But..you never know!