Fly Fishing in Slovenia

For all of you fishing and nature enthusiast fly fishing in Slovenia is an experience you will never forget. This tiny country in the heart of Europe is rich in fresh water supplies – being crystal-clear rivers or glacial lakes – and therefore has a great variety of fish.

The Slovenian rivers are a treasure that invites fishermen from all over the world to enjoy the indigenous fauna and nature. Let’s have a look at some of the most amazing locations for fly fishing in Slovenia.

One of the most obvious choices for fly fishing in Slovenia is The Soča River Valley, also a popular active holiday destination as it offer numerous hiking, cycling or water sports opportunities. These are all activities that go great with fly fishing, don’t you think? Everyone falls in love with this emerald green river that cuts through the Julian Alps all the way to the Adriatic Sea and should deferentially be on your fly fishing bucket list. The area’s greatest trophy is the famous Soča Trout, autochthonous to Soča River and its tributaries. It’s has become somewhat a holy grail for fishermen, because the conditions under which Soča trout can be taken from the rivers are extremely strict.

The Soča River Valley, considered by many to be the Mecca of fly fishing in Slovenia, is also home to Tolminka River, known for its beautiful gorge and superb fishing options. When getting in contact with the karst rocks, Tolminka forms water pools where marble trout – one of fishermen favourite trophies – abound. It is not just just a magnet for fishermen, but also for seekers of gastronomy delights, and is offered as a speciality in some of the local restaurants.

Enjoy the unique experience of fly fishing in Slovenia

Another popular fly fishing location in the west part of the country is Idrijca River. This rather warm river forms small lagoons, giving the water opportunity to calm down and create a perfect habitat for white-legged crab, rainbow trout and marble trout.

Let’s have a look at some additional fly fishing options. Most of Slovenian fresh waters – including the three major rivers Sava, Drava and Mura – are full of chubs. These fresh-water fish which can be found travelling in groups are known as “an easy catch” because they are attracted to most types of bites. They are a great opportunity for even the less patient fisherman not to come home empty-handed. 😉

Those of you seeking a bigger challenge, might be interested in the great Danube salmon, commonly know by its Latin name hucho hucho. Considered to be the mightiest resident of the Slovenian rivers, this land-locked and not migrating type of salmon can reach the size of 150 centimes and has a life expectancy of 15 years. In the past, this fish was only accessible to the elite members of Slovenian fishing clubs and VIPs of the society, but since Slovenia joined the EU the regulations have been relaxed significantly and now you also have the opportunity to get this desirable fishing trophy.

_{RIVER OF SEVEN NAMES}

You will probably find it fascinating to learn that Ljubljanica River which flows peacefully through the old town centre of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, is already the seventh reincarnation of the same river. Confused? The sinking river is a natural phenomena very typical for karstic landscape where a river disappears into the ground and emerges again at another location. In the case of Ljubljanica this happens seven times! Its first source can be found beneath Mt. Snežnik in the southwestern part of Slovenia where it emerges as Trbuhovica and later reappears as Obrh, Stržen, Rak, Pivka (the river that carved out the famous Postojna Cave), Unica and finally Ljubljanica. Some of these rivers, especially Unica (known for its great fish diversity), are also good fly fishing locations and can easily be reached as a half-day excursion from the capital. Why not also include a brown bear safari while you are already there? The nearby Valley of Lož has a dense bear population that can be observed in its natural habitat.

Slovenia’s long border with Croatia partly runs along the Kolpa River (Kupa in Croatian), another great fly fishing area where you might catch grayling, brown trout or barbell. Upper part of Kolpa River has some blissful riffle waters with numerous deep pools that are home to already mentioned fish king – the hucho hucho. Further down its stream the river drops into more gradient section where technical nymphing, streamer and dry fly fishing should come in handy.

Additionally there are also two alpine lakes, Lake Bled and Bohinj, which can certainly be considered among the most beautiful places offering opportunities for fly fishing in Slovenia. Being two of the most important attractions in the country, they are also featured in more or less every itinerary of Slovenia, meaning fly fishing can easily be added as a half-day activity while visiting their cultural and natural points of interest.