In recent years, Slovenia has been put on the radar of every fly fisherman in Europe as well as many anglers “across the pond”. With such diverse fishing options, so many big fish and wonderful natural surroundings, the only surprising thing is that it hasn’t happened sooner.
Fly fishing in Slovenia really is a must-experience for any enthusiastic angler.
Unspoiled Nature
The first thing that attracts so many fishermen is the unspoiled nature that is synonymous with Slovenia. Forests, fields, and meadows surrounding the rivers are unfathomably beautiful and few fishing destinations in the world offer such pristine contact with the environment. What is more, Slovenia’s size may be small, but its landscape is incredibly diverse. There’s a wide variety of fishing locations in every part of the country with transfer times between them rarely exceeding 2 hours.
There’s a lush network of rivers in the heart of the Alps, while only an hour’s drive away the inland offers slow-flowing, wide rivers with a variety of fish. On the other hand, the Karst landscape has rivers with sinkholes where the rivers disappear for a few miles and then resurface.
Slovenian Fly fishing Circle of Rivers
The circle starts with two of the most popular fly-fishing rivers – the Soča and Idrijca. Surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys and with their clear, pristine properties and brimming with fish, these alpine beauties are the pride and joy of the Slovenian fishing community.
If traveling towards the center of the country, one will stumble upon the biggest river in Slovenia, the Sava. It’s home to trout specimens that can grow to over 5 kg in weight.
From there, the path goes upwards into the hills again and there flows the river Kokra, which holds some of the most beautiful Brown trout in Slovenia.
Proceeding towards the town of Celje, which is known for the Savinja River, a hidden gem among Slovenian fly fishing locations. The Savinja has seen its fish population grow exponentially over the past few years and is a perfect choice for experts and beginners alike.
Heading down to the border with Croatia, we get to the Kolpa River, which is interesting because it promises many other species besides Trout. A nice Barbel can surprise you and Chub are in their plenty.
Driving towards the coast, the Vipava River is another fantastic pit stop. Known for its big population of Rainbow trout and extraordinary Karst Landscape, the Vipava, a tributary of the Soča River, concludes the Slovenian Fly fishing circle.
Astonishing Fish
Besides rivers and the picturesque countryside, fish in Slovenia are something else. A warm climate, plenty of natural food, and strict regulations promoting the catch & release approach to fishing have led to an explosion in fish growth. There aren’t many rivers in the world where trout can reach sizes of over 100 cm and weigh over 10 kg.
The most wanted fish for fly fishermen visiting Slovenia is definitely the Marble trout. Being endemic to Slovenian rivers Soča and Idrijca it is the main target and a dream of every angler to catch a decent-sized Marble at least once in their lifetime. The record in Slovenia stands at an astonishing 120 cm and weighs more than 22 kg!
But it’s not only the trout that encourages so many tourists to visit Slovenia every year just to wet a line in some of its waters. Another specialty is Lake trout. This species can exceed the length of 1 meter and alpine lakes are home to some of the biggest lake trout. Just imagine standing on the shores of Lake Bled holding a trophy fish of that size!
These are the main reasons why thousands of anglers from all over the world come to Slovenia annually in search of a catch of their lifetime.
And if you still aren’t convinced, there’s plenty of other outdoor activities you can engage in while fishing that will help persuade you to visit Slovenia.
If you would like to experience fishing in Slovenia, we recommend visiting Fishing Guides Slovenia.
