Slovenia Fly FisHING

The Krka is right outside the back door of our lodge. The river runs through lush water meadows in a part of Slovenia called Dolenjska. It’s a river of small waterfalls, fast runs and some deep pools, making it excellent habitat for large trout. The upper stretch of the Krka is a pure limestone (chalk) stream with both brown and rainbow trout prevailing. The medium sized trout of the Krka River are plentiful and not overly selective; however, the river also holds some excellent specimens of fish. The Krka River is a tributary of the Sava River, which eventually runs into the Black Sea. The upper section of the Krka River that holds trout is in Central Slovenia.  

The Krka River is famed for its prolific hatches of many species of sedge. Evening is the best time for catching the largest trout. The Krka is easily accessible along the entire length of the upper, trout-holding stretch. Wading here can be tricky due to nature of the limestone boulders in the river, but the effort is well worth it.      

Located in Western region, the Soča is a jewel and is a national treasure of Slovenia. It is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, and is protected by law. From its source to the small town of Tolmin, its wild character has been preserved. 

The Soča’s beautiful waters are full of marble trout, rainbow trout and the Soča grayling. The marble trout can grow to enormous sizes, with the record standing at 44 pounds! Each season, trophy-sized fish of several kilos are caught. The Soča overflows its banks occasionally in May in June from melting snow. The best periods for fishing are in April and in August and September. Some stretches of the Soča are not accessible because it flows through deep unfishable gorges. However, there are enough places along the Soča with easy wading and thus good fishing access. One great part of the Soča is its tributary - the Lepena – which is a smaller and more easily accessible stream this is also rich with marble trout, but without grayling.     

The Unica River is one of the most beautiful limestone (chalk) streams in continental Europe. Parts of the river are deep and full of mystery, while on other stretches the river flows briskly over gravel and pebbles, offering the angler easy access and comfortable wading. The Unica is justly famous for its prolific insect life, to include massive hatches of mayfly that occur at the end of May and continue throughout the summer. Sedges and stoneflies also hatch in very large numbers. This unique and rare river is very special, and Slovenia is ensuring that it will be well preserved it for future generations. 

      The Unica regularly floods the surrounding meadows, forming a shallow lake that affords plenty of food for all types of fish. Prior to the introduction of Slovenian Grayling, the Unica was famous throughout Europe for its abundance of large Brown Trout. Today, the Grayling prevails, but management efforts are bringing a better balance between trout and grayling. It's true to say that the trout of the Unica are among the most beautiful in Slovenia! The fishing season begins in May and ends in November.   

 The narrow Radovna valley is found in the center of Slovenia’s only National Park (Triglav National Park). In the wild upper part of the valley, there are no villages and just a few farms – but there's a good paved road with very little traffic alongside the upper part of the river. In lower part, the Radovna leaves the Triglav National Park for short time but then returns back to it in Bled Gorge. The Radovna River offers non-demanding fly fishing for those who are not obsessed with fish size and prefer solitude on water – it is a perfect alternative to the nearby, relatively more crowded Sava Bohinjka river. The Radovna River is a tributary of the Sava River, which eventually runs into the Black Sea. 

 The Radovna is a typical alpine stream with cold water throughout the year. In the upper reaches,  good brown trout are to be found, while lower down there are very large rainbows that test the skills of visiting anglers. Fly fishing on this river lasts over the entire season and can be also done at slightly higher water level, because stream never gets too cloudy. The fishing season begins in March and ends in October.     

 Located in northwest Slovenia, the Sava Bohinjka starts its journey at the outflow from Lake Bohinj.  The river drops significantly on its 32 kilometer journey to the Sava River, so it has plenty oxygen to sustain its large population of cold-water fish. As it descends to the Sava, the river bed transitions from fast and deep pools to rapids, and finally to being relatively wide and smooth – offering a variety of waters that will keep both beginner and expert fly fishermen entertained.  

The Sava Bohinjka is renowned as the river on which flyfishing lasts for the entire season and which has good success even with periodic higher water flow rates. The fishing season for trout for this river begins in April and ends in November.  Fly fishing for the Danube Salmon – special for this river - starts in December and lasts till the middle of February.     

Located in in the west-central part of Slovenia, the Idrijca is a tributary of Soča River, which flows through the western part of Slovenia into the Adriatic Sea. It is a river with shallow gravel stretches, small and big rocks, deep pools – this river has it all! The same is true for the fish species. This river has Brown Trout, Marble Trout, Rainbow Trout and Slovenian Grayling. The Idrijca River is known to hold the largest Marble Trout. The nature of the river is not purely alpine like Soča, but is a combination of alpine and limestone rivers. The river is quickly influenced by precipitation, but it also drops back to normal levels relatively quickly.   

 The Idrijca River is known among fly fishermen as one of the most difficult rivers for flyfishing in Slovenia. This is because of the general fishing pressure, as well as the fact that the elusive Marble Trout is not as easy to catch as the Slovenian Grayling or Rainbow Trout. Some say it is the river for a real fly fisherman or ‘a journey back to the roots of flyfishing.’ Dry fly action is usually the lifesaver throughout the season for many fishermen that visit the river. The later parts of the fishing season find the early season crowds replaced with fewer fishermen, who in the solitude find and concentrate on their ‘one on one’ battles with Marble Trout. Truly successful fishermen on the Idrijca must step up their game and be prepared to do what it takes to get onto wily fish.      

 Fly fishing is a sure thing in Slovenia! Slovenian streams are relatively low in nutrients, so the fish just have to eat all the time in order to get ready for the cold winter. Our guides know where the fish are biting and are ready to help you get your dream catch!  Marble Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Grayling, and Huchen are abundant in our destination waters.        

 Generally, the fishing gear needed is a usual trout setup, to include waders, rod, reel, vest, waterproof jacket, flies and normal accessories. Given the magnificent clarity of the alpine waters, it is good to have natural colored clothes and gear.

Many of our guests prefer to bring their own rod & reel. The rod weight and length is mainly a matter of personal preference, according your preferred technique. We will have recommendations for your specific trip itinerary. More rods for different occasions can be used, but is not really necessary. We suggest a four piece, medium action rod, 8 foot 6 inches long for a 4-weight line. Up or down one line weight doesn't make much difference and it's again a matter of individual's preference. Breathable waders are an excellent good choice as well.      

We can supply the full complement of gear needed for your expedition.