Hidden gem

We arrived Osilnica where we bought licenses to river from small hotel. These ones were cheap, 30e/person. Kolpa is river border river between Slovenia and Croatia, in Slovenia its called Kolpa and in Croatia Kupa. River starts from Croatia, from national park and flows then as border river.

Our first spot looked promising and we set up rods. I started to change waders when I realized that I forgot something to our accommodation.  I didn't have long johns and fishing socks with me. I forgot those as loading stuff as I also take care Satu's gears when packing car. It is our habit and this is first time when something crucial comes.

For me biggest issue was long johns, merino wool long pants with some extra holes, my fishing pants. I'm little suspicious about socks also yet not so much than with pants. And water is cold, well I don't have any other option than go without them just with shorties and hope that wading won't be required a lot. Sock problem solved as I always has wool socks and "crocks" when going fishing so I used those socks, that I would be totally naked under waders. 

We fished agsin first spot little bit too long, as I found some rising fish downstream. Then rain came and ruined the whole thing. I was struggling with knots and also everything felt little difficult, it has to be because missing pants and wrong socks. 

We started drive downstream and see how river looks. Rain was luckily upstream from our first spot and sun was shining less than 1 km downstream. We found nice place to have lunch and watch river if it would become alive with rising fish. After lunch we drove on spot which Bruno told to check, we found good spot to park and went to river, short 200 meter walk over field to river. 

Area looked really nice and dead, so we started to walk slowly downstream to spot activity or fish. After 50 meter Satu saw some fish and and I started to fish those, tricky place as there were under branch which was laying in water. I tried few times with those 6 graylings and had to give up as they started cruising and didn't show any activity for feeding. 

Satu had spotted another fish while I was fishing those and she had already moved downstream to find something for her also. Our bank was difficult to fish with trees and deep drop to water, perfect place for fishes. I followed Satu and saw fish she mentioned ealier, that grayling was worth to give some effort. 

Spot was tricky, yet fish was eating something and rising now and then. So I will figure something out. Spot was about 6 meter wide, up there was branch going about 2 meters in water and down there was tree laying just over river with some branches touching water, that one was about 4 meters long. Spot looked deep and drop to water was also like 60 cm. And fish was just underneath on tip of big tree. No back casting space as birches growing beautifully around, not thick forest, just beautifully on the way. 

I placed myself on bank quite close to upper tree and made kind of roll cast yet horizontally. Fly didn't go far enough, new try and now fish came to see fly and rejected, it didn't like ant. So time to change, tippet was okay as it was 0.09 mm, turn for small emergent now. I saw that I can do back cast horizontally yet have to be super tight loop, first few attemps were not good, first too short and then too long, fish was still relaxed. I was thinking bow and arrow and tried yet line got stuck grass and I realize that's the cast I need practise more, yet not now. 

I got fly on good line and grayling came to pick something next to my fly, so emergent is not right. Okay let's try small cdc stonefly, I dropped fly on ground and couldn't find it, so this must be right fly, universe is speaking. I had one more in box so I put that one on. Few casts, not on right feeding line. I knew that I would have some issues to land fish from there, yet that will be something to figure out later. 

Now I did it, it is exactly on feeding line, fish had came one meter upstream under tree. Watching fly, checking what fish is doing, watching fly, yes it is going nicely, now it should rise, please rise, why you are not rising, please rise. 

Then it happened slow majestically decision and rise on fly, now I had to keep my nerve, wait, wait, open mouth, fly goes in and hook. Fish went back to bottom, it is hooked yet fish doesn't know it. Rod has bent and I hold just tight line. No pressure, now I have to figure how to land, I can't start fight here because trees, it would go as first thing downstream under big tree and came over. I have to go in water, it still looks deep. So I leave my waist bag on shore, I have passport on neck pocket so I drop that next to waist bag. Then I slide carefully in river, oops, it is more than 1 meter deep. Fish still doesn't know that it's hooked.

Now I can give pressure yet before that I have to get it in open water away from trees, so I wade little downstream and "spook" fish away from bigger tree. River is wide, almost 30 meters so we have room to play as long as I keep fish away from tree. Fish takes run, I stop it and same time I'm going around that big tree as after that it is clear area. Water stays about 1 meter deep, luckily not getting deeper as I realize that car keys are in non waterproof pocket outside on waders, electric keys. 

We have fight, fish makes jump and I know that it is nice fish better than I though when it was in water. I play carefully as I have broke line earlier with big fish in Unica. I try to land fish yet it's not ready, one more run and jump, then landing. It is good fish, I try to see where Satu is yet she is not around. I wade next to bank, took hook off, it is tightly on upper jaw. I leave rod on bank and leave keys also next to reel, those are still dry. 

Few photos and measure, 46 cm grayling, absolutely beauty. It is time to release, I take video underwater. What a great moment, too bad there is no-one to share with, I climb back to shore, fish lays on bottom.

 Thank you Kolpa, you are gem. 

I met Satu as she is walking back to car, I check little downstream and see few smaller fish. Satu did not have success. We drove on first spot, I wade to Croatia, no active fish. It start to be late and we have drive back to Ljublana. 

It was difficult day for fishing yet I did it. It was absolutely great day at river with Satu and drive and views, wow. 

Nowadays with social media everything is hidden gem.  Hidden gem is like public secret, everyone knows it. I like how they call Kolpa as hidden jewellery, it sounds better at least.  River is absolutely beautiful and not so crowded than some others, little difficult to reach and not so famous maybe. It has brown trout, grayling and hucho. It really steals your heart.  You find more info https://www.flyfishingalpeadria.com/fly-fishing-kolpa-river-slovenia-wild-trout-grayling/

Have a nice weekend and go fishing

Mika the Legend