Journey
The journey from Munich is very straightforward, after about 5 hours of driving you reach the Tolmin Valley. When taking a look out of the window, the beauty of Slovenia becomes more and more obvious. It is recommended to devote a day to shopping and acquiring fishing licenses. This can be easily done at the tourist information office in Tolmin. Thus, the next day you can hop into your waders and start with fishing. Our accommodation is located on a beautiful slope with a view over the whole Soča valley. A sight which awakens anticipation for the upcoming fishing.
An Introduction to Slovenian Waters
The Fishing Club Tolmin, which not only manages the beautiful Soča stretch, also boasts other remarkable waters. On the search for the marvelous marble trout we decided to start at the Soča. Through extensive research, which we have already made before our arrival, we know various locations of big fish. In order to pursue the big fish it is recommended to fish heavy sinking lines with natural colored streamers. You can also enjoy the excellent dry fly fishing in Slovenia. Here is the link to the Angling Club Tolmin: Angling Club Tolim
Fish abundance
The Soča has an excellent salmonid population. Mostly rainbow trout can be found, but occasionally there are also large grayling. In deeper pools you can find the flagship fish of Slovenia, the marble trout. In the tributaries of the Soča it is possible to find pure brown trout and also barbel.
Hospitality
The Soča Valley captivates not only with its outstanding fishing, but also with the physical well-being in the form of accommodation. Our accommodation was located, as already mentioned, with a great view over the Soča Valley and could impress with all the amenities. Thus, we had an infrared sauna available, which could put a fishermans stiff spine in ecstasy after a successful but also hard day of fishing. Also Slovenia is equipped with a wide range of shopping facilities. Which means you do not have to miss out on anything. The supermarkets are open around the clock and have a wide selection of food.
The way to success
Local fishermen we talked to on the riverbanks advised us to fish small nymphs size 16 – 18 on extremely thin leader, thickness 0.12mm. This is the way to success when presented with low surface activity. However, if you experience one of the famous Slovenian insect hatches, it is advisable to stick to the dry fly. This way you will enjoy some dream hours. However, if the water is murky from the frequent rain, we advise to use sinking lines and streamers.
The highlight of the trip happened on the penultimate day when two marbles were caught. These two especially beautiful specimens of the genus salmo marmoratus made our heartbeat race. We were able to outsmart them at high water level and light drizzle. They took a black and red unweighted streamer on sinking lines. A nice bycatch was a 65 centimeter rainbow trout.
Conclusion: Slovenia captivates our spirit with its unique river structures, untouched nature and enormous abundance of fish. We will definitely come again next year. Regarding the season, it should be said that the larger marbles are caught later in the year, when there is less fishing pressure. However, this did not bother us as we got a bang for our buck. Here is not one report from us about Slovenia: Slovenia – 2020 Tight Lines – Your Flyfishing Crew Bavaria.
