Posted: Thu 06/16/11 12:11 pm Post subject: Flyfishing in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Although by living in Austria someone has access to some of the finest grayling waters in Europe (Salza Gschoeder river, Traun, Steyr, etc), the stories we here most are about capital grayling caught every year in Lappland. We have been planing a trip to Lappland and with our group we starter exploring the possibility to travel in June/July 2012. Austrian waters are rich with grayling, but you rarely catch capital species. Since last year, there are some stories circulating around about huge grayling caught in Bosnia and Herzegovina, more explicitly in 4 different rivers, Ribnik, Pliva, Sana and Sanica. Having heard all the stories and having seen photos and video clips, we decided to pay Bosnia a visit between 25th May and 3 June. Stories about mine fields left from the war which ended in 1995 proved to be NOT true, there were nowhere mine field nearby the rivers, or nearby the locations we fished. There are still ruins from the houses destroyed during the conflict, but the very beautiful landscape and excellent waters drop down the pictures of those ruins.
Since we wanted to be near all the waters, the accommodation option was the holiday resort called "Oaza Mira" in Sanica (see http://www.oazamirasanica.com.ba)
A beautiful holiday and camping complex built by Mr.Jadranko Zolak on the hills of Sanica offers very good rooms and excellent food for a very moderate price, 15 EUR for bed and breakfast. Moreover, lunches and even dinners can be organized and brought to the river Sanica should one decide to fish the Sanica river.
As we needed a guide with experience in all waters, we contacted Mr.Admir (Ado) Jeginovic from http://www.misija-ribolov.com.ba/ to book him as our fishing guide. This proved to be the smartest decision we made for our trip, will explain below why.
First day we decided to fish Sanica river, a beautiful small river with many deep pools and full of Grayling and Trout. In some deep pools you can spot also monster pikes and danube salmon (HUCHO HUCHO). Should you be interested in catching them, it doesn't take a lot of efforts to hook them on a big streamer from the guide's collection and choice.
As our aim was to catch a huge grayling, we were concentrated on them beside the trouts. It was an extremely warm day for fishing (around 31 degrees Celsius) and the fish were not so active, however, during some intervals they were raising and we could catch some on dry emergers (hook 22). After couple of hours we only had one grayling of 46cm while all others were between 25 and 35. As the evening was approaching, I noticed a huge one feeding on nymphs in a 2-3m deep pool. I quickly put a weighted rabbit ear nymph (size 1 and made the cast in front of the fish. I could spot the scene of the grayling speeding up towards the nymph and grabbing it. After a nice 10 min fight I landed the grayling. It was 51cm big.
Next days we spent fishing in Sana river. There are two stretches of this river managed by two different fishing associations, one by the association of Ribnik and the other one by the association of Kljuc. The day we fished in Kljuc I will not forget so easy. It was a cloudy day often followed by heavy rain and the Sana river is a very powerful river, big, with a lot of pools but also full of fast slippery sections. Not so easy to wade in so after two hours of fishing, one of my fishing buddies got taken by the water for couple of metres and got a bad injury on his leg. Despite of the injury, he managed to fish for a while and hook a 65 to 70cm Danube Salmon (Hucho Hucho) which after 20 min of fight he did not manage to land. The fish took is 12 size nymph which is not usually for this huge predator and went downstream. With a #5 rod and 14mm tippet was not easy to land it, therefore the fish won the battle after a long and tiring fight. A good thing about Sana river is that you never know what you're gonna hook. The river is populated by monster HUCHO, huge brown and rainbow trouts, chub, dace and barbel. You can basically catch them all on a fly. On this day, we had all the fishes except the barbel. Our guide Ado hooked a dace and a chub, I hooked a chub and our injured friend Claus hooked a huge chub on a dry fly. I lost couple of good trouts but also managed to hook few. It is important to note that when fishing in Ribnik and Sanica, a 50cm grayling or trout can be landed in maximum 5 min, while in Sana you need half an hour for this size of fish, of course, should you really wish to land it. Twice a lost my patience and tried to bring them in faster, and twice I lost the battle. You should play with the fish and release your line into backing if necessary, just until the fish gets tired and you get the chance to bring it close to the shore.
One day we also fished the upper part of Sana and there we also hooked some huge grayling and trout, mostly on dry flies. Trouts were active all the time on sedge flies while graylings would only take small emergers. Just after lunch, weather turned really bad and heavy rain followed by a thunderstorm started. The river started getting muddy and high so we had to stop fishing at around 14:00. Sana in the upper part is a bit smaller but still as powerful as in the area of Kljuc.
It is worth mentioning that it is almost impossible to pass by the river (Kljuc part) and not see huge HUCHO. Knowing this, the association decided to open for the first time the season for HUCHO (danube salmon). As of this year, you can fish for them from June until the end of January. I believe this is one of the best places to fish for the biggest salmonid in Europe. Simply because the terrain allows them to grow to enormous size and also since its population has been protected for many years. Our guide demonstrated his skills by hooking a huge one but not landing it on a hand made heavy streamer which he proudly named Giovanni:)
The rest of our fishing days with exception to the last day when we fished Sanica river again, we spent fishing the river Ribnik. Ribnik and another pearl of Bosnia and Herzegovina called PLIVA, are the two rivers managed by the company LTG. This company was founded couple of years ago and since then is managing these two waters. We decided not to visit Pliva this time so we had three wonderful, unforgettable fishing days. The length of the river is 5.5km and can fit up to 50 fishermen daily. Why? For a very simple reason, it is a slow flowing river full of fish. Someone would thing that this is stocked fish, but in reality they are all wild. The C&R regime and strictly controlled river had made a real attraction to all fly fishermen. I did not believe that someone can fish there when there are 50 other fishermen in the water. I said, I didn't believe until I saw it and experienced it myself. The river consists of 500m trophy part with a small lake while the rest is regular fly fishing section. Our guide took as to the upper part of the river and asked us all to get into water. I was really disappointed since just 50m above us and maybe 30-40m below us were other fishermen. Ado just smiled and asked us to make our casts. My friends went for the secret weapon, an emerger on a 20 hook while I went for a Bosnian green goldhead nymph size 18. All of us were catching fish one after another, and all in a 10m distance from each other. As the fishermen below us were walking downstream, we also started moving towards them and covering every cm of the river with our flies. For three days we had a lot of grayling and trout. I had a 50, a 51 and a 53cm grayling while our guide Ado had a 56cm one. All my friends from the group had big grayling and trouts as well. I am looking forward to my next trip there. Although I have travelled a lot and have fished very well known trout and grayling waters in Europe, it is very difficult for me to compare any waters with the above mentioned Bosnian ones. I believe many fishermen share the same opinion since the place was full of Italians, French, Swedes, Germans, English and even Americans. In Ribnik you have accommodation possibilities at LTG, they owe beautiful villas at reasonable price and basically all you have to do is just walk 10 steps to the river from your terrace. LTG company has a reception and a small fishing shop where you can buy all fly fishing equipment and obtain your license as well. Home made food at the restaurant "Kod Djure" accompanied by a local beer can be an additional reason why you should visit this place. It is on the shore of Ribnik so you can watch all monster fish there while having your meal. During one of our lunches there, I saw a 65cm brown trout just 5 metres far from the shore which sounded as a provocation to our guide Ado who then took the rod and hooked it basically from our table. This technique was then named by our friend Wolfgang "Table Fly fishing"
Here are some useful info should you decide to visit the area.
- In case you wanna fly there the easiest is if you fly to Croatia (Zagreb Airport) and then rent a car there. It will take you 2.5 - 3 hrs drive direction Banja Luka to reach the destination
- Green insurance card for the car is mandatory. Should you not have it, you will have to purchase a local one which costs 60 EUR for a week.
- some police officers might ask you for your international driving license. Although it is not foreseen by law, it is advisable to obtain it in your country rather than arguing with police
- Accommodation - you have various possibilities. In Sanica, Oaza Mira is the most convenient one where bed a breakfast including swimming pool, parking space and where you can by the licenses for Sanica and Sana Kljuc. Here the price is 15 EUR per day
In Kljuc, the very well known place is the small hotel Crvena Jabuka which is located 50m from Sana river. Here the price for bed & breakfast is 30 EUR. Should you book the guide Ado, you might get a discount for your stay there. In Ribnik you can stay at almost every house there:). Many private houses there rent rooms to local and international fishermen with a price between 8 to 15 EUR. However, the most convenient accommodations are the villas from LTG company where the kitchen is included and you can cook your food yourself. Depending on the size of villa, you can have them between 70 to 140 EUR per day. The price is for the whole group and not per person and you have villas for 2,3 4 and up to 10 people. These villas are luxury ones and are ranked if I am not mistaken as 4 star ones.
The second recommended place to stay is the house of the owner of restaurant "Kod Djure". The house is just above the restaurant and has a very good price, 10 EUR per person including breakfast.
- Food and beverages - a descent meal would cost you maximum 6 EUR and the very best beers would cost between 1 and 1.5 EUR for 0.5l
- Fishing licenses - daily license for Sanica and Sana Kljuc is 24 EUR, for Sana in Ribnik is 15 EUR while for Ribnik and Pliva is 30 EUR
I will attach some photos from the last fishing trip
Tight lines
I' ve reading all your post. It's very good report from Bosnia.
I plan go there in june 2012, and stay in Ribnik motel named Motel Acqua. Do you know this motel? You mentioned Kod Djure, but I don't find it on the net. Do you know if there are a web site?
Then I plan to fish: Sana (upper part),Sanica, Ribnik, Pliva (maybe, but I rode many critics about this river, that fish are very difficults to catch), Unac and Una.
for a 8/9 days fishing trip. Other river you recomand me?
I know it's a lot of questions..... Thanx Valentin !!
sorry for the late reply, I was on holidays until this weekend. Yes, Motel Acqua is basically "Kod Djure". Locals call it Kod Djure but it is the same place. I have no idea how the rooms are, but I can tell you that the food is excellent. Ok, here is the info you need about the rivers:
Sana (upper part) - it is a very powerful river full of fish. The river looks easy to wade but you have to be very careful since the current is really bad. There are huge grayling and trout there while sometimes the "Danube Salmon (HUCHO HUCHO)" is also caught.
Sana (Zmajevac in Kljuc) - do not miss the opportunity to fish this river. Just drop an e-mail to ado_flyfish@hotmail.com who knows all these rivers very well and in particular Sana Zmajevac. You never know what you hook here, it might be a brown trout, rainbow, grauling, chub or a dace. Moreover, it is full of Danube Salmon and you can easily catch them on streamers. We managed to catch all kind of fish. It is a bit biger that the upper part but easy to wade everywhere and full of monster fish
Sanica - well, here I caught my biggest grayling. The river is excellent, but until you hook a nice fish be sure that you will first have 10 small ones. I fished twice at sanica and I like the river a lot, it just gets annoying sometimes when you have 10 small 10-15cm) grayling and trout before hooking a good one. Should you fish with streamer, you have good chance to catch wild pikes as well.
Ribnik - to me the best river i have ever seen in my life. Very slow flow and easy to wade its entire length. Here you fish differently, you step in the middle of the river and fish the left & right shore. Fishing with small emergers (#20) can bring you a lot of huge grayling. Fishing with sedge (#1 can bring you monster brownies. Now, nypmhing is a bit more difficult but still doable. You just need the right nymphs and the information you can get at motel Acqua.
Pliva - well, difficult to fish since the water is very clear and often deep. You need to fish with long tippet (about 4m long) should you wish to catch a fish there (while nymphing). Sometimes they are active on dries as well and then you should not have any problems.
Una - it is a huge river, I've heard many stories about their danube Salmon but for the last couple of years I've heard more critics about its habitation by the salmonides. Not sure, but before engaging myself in fishing that huge river I would rather ask the locals there.
- Unac - well, most of the brown trouts disappeared but still it is possible to catch some huge species. There are big rainbows as well and the nature is incredible, so it is worth of paying a visit.
Other rivers which you could consider would be Klokot, Vrbas and Krusnica. They are not of Ribnik's, Sana's level but still worth trying.
Just a small hint, you better leave Ribnik at the bottom of your list since I am certainly sure that if you fish that river first then the number of other rivers in your list would get very small
First, I plan to fish Klokot (just for big rainbows) and maybe Una in Kulen Vakuf.
Then, go to Ribnik, Pliva and Sana.
I found a lot of info of the Sana (Zmajevac Kljuc), and videos. But nothing about the Upper Sana (Ribnik association). Is it LTG who manage this part of river?
Also a last question. Do you think that fish density is better on No Kill sections of the rivers ? or out of Nokill sections ? (because on the No kill sections, there are a lot of fishermen, and I prefer fishing without 2 fishermen upstream and 2 downstream...every 10 meters of the river, one fisherman ) I say that, because I saw in Google earth part of the Pliva, and Sana, which look very good for fishing, but I don't think it's a Fly fishing only section.
actually Ribnik, Pliva, both sections of Sana and Sanica are no kill rivers. It is all catch & release in there. Ribnik has a small additional section which is called the Trophy part.
The upper part of Sana is currently managed by a local fishing association but LTG will take it over as of 1 Jan 2012. The local association is not really happy about it and it wouldn't surprise me if they will empty it before they surrend it to LTG
Well, Ribnik is the most crowded water but sometimes can be empty too. For instance, I just spoke to the guide today and he told me that yesterday there were very few fishermen at Ribnik and today even less.
let me know if you have additional questions
Anyway, thank again for infos, it will be a shame if they empty the Sana.... It look a very beautiful stream.
Do you know if it's difficult to buy daily tickets for fishing? (I know Ribnik in the Motel you can buy.) But fot Kljuc Sana, Pliva ?
For the moment, I have all info I need. If you can suggest me a place to go (fishing or non fishing) like waterfalls, natural park, hotel or restaurant, and a flying companie (like Luftansa) for Zagreb airport.
I replied to your private message yesterday, please check your inbox and let me know if you got it. I am not sure about the national parks in the area but you might wish to explore the area around Sanica (where the river starts) and also Sana and Ribnik. License for Pliva you can get on the spot since the LTG company has the same reception there as in Ribnik. For the other licenses you can contact Ado at the e-mail address I sent you. There are few very good restaurants, let me know your e-mail address and will send you the list.
As for the airline, it all depends where are you flying from. I suggest you check at www.checkfelix.com since this is the search engine which never lets me down
I heard that in Bosnian rivers, the best way to fih is in the "revir" like fishing private sections. In free section also they're good fishing? I heard that fishing is very poor (fishing by locals people and keeping also small fishs) for exemple on the Sana between Ribnik and Kljuc.
I heard that in Bosnian rivers, the best way to fih is in the "revir" like fishing private sections. In free section also they're good fishing? I heard that fishing is very poor (fishing by locals people and keeping also small fishs) for exemple on the Sana between Ribnik and Kljuc.
Dear Ben,
sorry for the late reply but I haven't been around. Yes, "Revir" is the word for river sectors governed by Associations and/or Companies. Fishing the public sectors can be a big disappointment since they are not guarded well, or better to say, not guarded at all.
You are right about that sector of Sana which is 5 EUR a day and every kind of fishing is allowed. You should really focus on Revir only and fly only parts
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and made the cast in front of the fish. I could spot the scene of the grayling speeding up towards the nymph and grabbing it. After a nice 10 min fight I landed the grayling. It was 51cm big.
It look a very beautiful stream.
