Fishing in Bavaria during Oktoberfest

[James Warren]

Greetings:

My wife and I are looking into planning a Bavaria "road-trip" during the Oktoberfest (end of Sept - early Oct) time period this fall.

Initial research on the web has provided little information as to recommended trout and grayling fishing. I know I need a German license and that everything is private and requires a rod fee from there...

Can anyone give me a shove in the right direction as to places/lodges/guest houses/rivers/lakes they have had a fun experience on in the past? Any advice would be quite appreciated.

The focus on the trip is food and beer but we would love to wet a line as often as possible.....

Additionally, I would love any information anyone may have on grouse hunting (hazel, black, capercaillie) in the area....I'm not sure if there is still a season for these birds in Germany but I am a grouse junkie so I have to ask.

[Gadfly]

When I was in the Army from '87-91, I and a friend used to fish the headwaters of the Sava River in Slovenia, very close to where you are going. Of course it was Yugoslvia until end of the 80's, and we used to drive down from Karlsruhe Germany on Friday nights to fish the upper Sava where it comes out of Lake Bled in the Bohinj Valley. This is just over the border from SE Germany, maybe less than 2 hours from Munich (which has mostly lake fishing in the area). We used to catch small browns.

This is a magnificent valley just southeast of SE Germany in the Lubiana area. The Sava River is crystal clear here at its birthplace. You can fish any popular very small dry or nymph but believe me, the fishing will quickly become secondary to the beauty of the area. When we started fishing there in '87, there was a beautiful old hotel that was, for the most part, undiscovered and at the time it was fun, because the younger staff had never seen Americans before. I recall that the Dinar at that time was inflating at 100% per day and the wines we bought for $5.00 were very fine and were so old the lables had molded away! It was our hidden secret.

The people are very nice. One time we arrived in the wee hours so we slept in the car. At the crack of dawn we were awakened by a little old lady who we finally figured out as she motioned to us that she had woken us because we'd had the engine running and she was worried about the possibility of Carbon Monoxide.

That part of the river was managed then and will still be managed. Try the web and if no places to stay available in Bled or Bohinj. By your fishing licesne locally. The valley is fabulous! The upper valley borders against Italy. On the south side (left side as one enters the valley) of the lake at the far end is a small, but striking, World War 1 cemetery worth visiting and at the far end on the north (right side) there is a short, but strenuous, hike up a series of waterfalls that are a magnificent ruby green, highly recommended. These waterfalls are similar to the larger-scale ones at famous Plitvice, which is south of Lubiyana. The Castle in Lake Bled is just beautiful. You will take many, many pictures.

As far as hunting, capercaille and really all hunting is regulated by government and forest managers and tags for taking them on public lands are applied for and drawn in early summer. Game can be taken on private reiveiers by purchasing a hunt which is uaually excpensive, but again, these type activities are generally booked well ahead of time. In the area you will be in I hunted Chamois twice, drawing permits by lottery. I have seen Capercaillle in the Black Forest and perhaps much of that hunting is done in the Black Forest region west of where you will be.

In the area of Munich, be sure to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle> perhaps also try to go to the Dachau Concentration Camp not too far away. Two other areas worth mentioning within the former Yugoslvia which are not far from Bled/Bohinj. Mostar, the University town where the famous where soldiers mortared the famous, ancient bridge until it fell has now been rebuilt, as has the bridge. It is more or less on the way to Sarajevo. I remember we used to watch the 20 Lb +/- brown trout under the bridge, which were protected, but it was a beautiful spot around that bridge to have lunch in a restaurant along that river. Also, on the West Coast of Croatia is Dubrovnik, which, after having been all throughout Eurpoe and many countries, I can say without hesitation, it is the most beautiful (and romantic if you are with your wife) old city I have ever seen. Should be a number of hotels available, should not be expensive off-season (about Sept-May). Good Luck.

[Tord]

James,

I have been myself four times in Slovenia, twice on fishing holiday. Last time was end of May this year.

The fishing conditions would be similar to trout and grayling fishing in Bavaria, with the difference that the waters are managed by the state or by fishing clubs and that licenses are readily available. Risk is that you need an invitation to get access to the (most likely privately owned) German streams.

Actually, quite many Germans do travel to Slovenia for fishing...

There are three or four main areas of interest that I know of.
- The Soca valley, close to the Italian border with the main Soca river itself and a handful of tributaries (Idrica, Baca, Tolminka...). A spectacular river of medium - large size. Tributaries are small - medium. Grayling, stocked Rainbow. No Brown trout but you will find Marble trout instead. 50 km+ (maybe as much as 100?) are fishable. Good places to stay are Tolmin, Most Na Soci and Bovec.
- The Sava Bohinjka (mentioned in the previous reply). Bled and Bohinjka Bistrica would be the natural places where to stay. There are many hotels and pensions, I could give you the address to where I stayed this year. Sava is not as spectacular as Soca, smaller, but it is a beautiful Alpine river with clear water and mountains all around. Grayling, brown trout and stocked rainbow. 25 km+ are fishable.
- The Savinja. Further east towards Austria. Smaller than the others, less exploited/commercialized. Grayling, brown trout and stocked rainbow. 10-15 km are fishable.
- The Unec (Unica) in southern Slovenia close to Postojna. A chalk stream with a fishing area 5 km or so. Packed with grayling and brown trout, some really large. Strictly no kill, barbless hook, dry fly only. Selective fish.
- The Krka. Possibly in Croatia, not sure. Have not been there (yet).

Expect license costs 30 EURO - 100 EURO /day.


Accomodation and food is cheap by our standards. People are very nice and very friendly. If you know German it is a plus (Slovenia was part of the Austrian Empire until 1918) but young people would often speak English.

Driving from Germany: 2, max 3 hours from Munich to the border. The roads in Slovenia are OK as the country is developing fast. Slovenia is part of the EU since May 2004, so paperwork at the border should be a non-issue.

EUROs are accepted at most places.



On my website: http://goto.glocalnet.net/skanskakustfiskeklubben are some pictures from Slovenia (Soca and Unec, year 2001), and some useful links. I could post some pics from this year's trip to Savinja and Sava if that is of interest. I'll be happy to answer more questions if you have.


HTH
Tord