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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!

Flyfishing for Marble trout-Marmoratta

Flyfishing for the marble trout is one of most exciting and also most challenging flyfishing for trouts. Marble trout is an endemic species found in Slovenian rivers, like Idrijca and Soča river and all the tributary rivers which flow into Idrijca and Soča river. Those rivers are most famous, but there are some »hidden« rivers where mostly the local fishemen flyfish for marble trout. Those rivers are Vipava river, Reka river, Rižana river etc. However, marble trout is our biggest trout, because it grows to a much greater size than all other species of trout in Slovenia. Some largest individuals exceeding up to 125cm in lenght an 20kilo in weight. Besides marble trouts there are also hybrids(marble x brown), which can often be simmilar to marble trout, but they have ussualy body covered with red dots, and also the can be visiually very varied. Also the hybrid can reasch 1m in lenght and 10 kilo in weight.

Flyfishing for marble trout should bu adjust to flyfishing for big predators. It is not like nimph or dry fly fishing. Sometimes in spring and with much luck you can even catch them with nimph or dry fly. But most of the time you have to put time in streamer fishing. The whole techniq must be based on heavy streamers which can reach the river bottom fast, also when searcing marble trout in deep rapids, dams, cascades etc. Streamers should be 6-10cm in lenght. I use mostly 7cm and 10gram heavy weight jig streamer, imitating a muddler. 

Like for any other predator, the best conditions for marble trout are when river level is high, a little muddy,  when river level is rising up, when raining etc.  Best time for marble trout is in spring and also autumn. During the summer, chances for catching a marble trout are small, because in summer the river level is ussually low and when sun is up it can be very hot. So in summer you have chance only early in the morning. During the day you better try nimph or dry fly for grayling or rainbow trout.

Marble trout is a real predator. It also act more like pike than a trout. Ussually they stand still, almost not moving at all. But when they hunt, they move searcing for bigger prey. Marble trout is most of the time hidden between the rocks, under the fallen trees, on the river bottom…Smaller marble trout can be seen swimming in the current pickin the dry fly or nimph, but when marble reach sice about 50cm it gets more and more predator instinct.

Fly fishing for " WILD" fish in Slovenia

Fly fishing for WILD fish in Slovenia

As a  flyfisherman , I always search for wild(natural) fish.  I am talking about fish, which can reproduce and provide eggs by natural spawning in the river.

A lot of poeple come in Slovenia for flyfishing without a guide. But they can be disappointed, because they were catching »stocky« fish. Of course fishing for wild fish takes a real fishing knowledge, also knowing the river and best conditions for the fishing. So only the fishing guide will take you there where you can catch wild fish. I am glad, that we can offer all of this.

In this article i present you some photos and videos of different fish in different river wich are wild and inhibates wild fish.

Here is a link, wich present you natural spawning in river Sava Dolinka. In a video there are wild rainbow trout during the spawning »dance«.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKvwDoCwFik

Here is another link of spawning at Idrijca river. In a video you can notice male marble trout protecting spawning spot of the »intruders«.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXl5s7G18Tw

So my friends, there are rare and hidden places where fish are still wild, but those places are mostly known by local fishermen or best fishing guides. A real flyfishermen will easily recognize different between wild fish and stock fish. A difference is so huge as in color of the fish, thins and also its a big difference in a approach to the flyfishing in a different flyfishing tehnique. 

There is no doubt, flyfishing for wild trouts is a superior way of doing it, because of the challenge.

Tight lines,

Gašper Konkolič