Fishing seasons
Fly Fishing seasons in Slovenia
When should I come to Fly Fish in Slovenia!? has become one of the most common questions that we are receiving in our Fauna fly shop centre.. Unfortunately there is not such thing as an easy answer to this question.. The weather in the last decade has become very unpredictable and the rivers followed to that behaviour.. Slovenia is a high mountain country at least on the area that offers the fly fishing rivers. As such, the weather can go from the strong sun into a heavy storm in an hour time! What use to be a gin-clear emerald river, the next morning can turn into a roaring monster, only suitable for the most brave raft drivers!
Well, reading this made you feel a bit unsure and in doubts yes? Surely with a reason, since your free time is precious and Slovenia maybe not just behind the corner to reach it with one hour drive time. BUT HERE IS WHERE Fauna Flyfishing Bled steps in!
Slovenia is a variety of the rivers that one can fly fish on – knowing them in precision we can almost always find a fishable stream regarding the major weather situation ruling the country during the time of your visit! In all this time of operation, we had established a good connection with the different fish patrolers on the different rivers, always informing Fauna fly shop what is going on at their rivers and streams. And yes, that information is forwarded to you – a visitor of the Fauna fly shop!
On this page, we will try to describe you characteristics of certain parts of the main Fly fishing season in Slovenia. Excluding the talk about winter Hucho-hucho fishing to which we dedicated another chapter on the main menu of this page (Huchen angeln).
Early spring, March – mid April
The most impatient Fly fisherman should be using March month much more seriously than they do it by now! Hardly anybody is thinking about the fly fishing yet, since Winter can still be present on the river banks, hatch is short and week, only few hours of the sun during the day time etc.. But behold – fishing is good! March can see spawning of several fish species and the eggs are flying around the river full time – some to hatch other to become a protein-full fish food! Since major Fly fishing crowds are still at home, rivers that are already open for the fly fishing (not all the rivers) are desolated from the anglers and one can find a very nice solo moments on them, hardly meeting any one else – except us, locals maybe who know how good month March can be to land some good size Trout!
April 1st opens the main Fly fishing season with almost all the rivers becoming open for the fly fishing (except the Unica river) which opens with May 1st. Early April is still pretty fresh but the day time sun becoming longer and the hatches of various flies more intense but staying on a modest pace. Leeches are still present on the fish (a totally natural thing on the snow melt rivers) that is why small black woollybuggers are a good weapon to use! If the sun goes stronger, river might see some snow melt. But that does not mean that the color of the river is dark or opaque.. NO – SNOW MELT RIVERS OF SLOVENIA are always CLEAR but have stronger currents and colder water temperature. Be aware of that, because there is a lot of undeserved fear amongst the fly fishing public regarding the snow melt waters of Slovenia.
Spring, Mid April – mid May
During this time of the season, all the rivers open for Trout and Grayling fly fishing, options to choose the fishing ares are numerous! The latest monitoring of the fly fishing seasons, that we run in the last few years, prove that this fly fishing period is one of the most unreliable in all the year! Yes, it can be nice and great with the weather but at the same time we have had also snow till the low lands and almost winter conditions lasting for weeks! This is the time that the Fauna fly shop Logistic needs to work hard, to provide constantly changing data to the fly fisherman, finding rivers with less wind or less water etc, or – if the weather is nice – advise which dry fly pattern should meet best the variety of the hatches exploding on the rivers daily!
Spring late, mid May – mid June
Proverbially the very peak weeks of the major Fly Fishing season in Slovenia. Why? In the good old days, when the weather was let us say, more easy to understand and follow, this period offered truly the strongest hatches in all the season.. when the conditions were ok, the rivers were every afternoon and evening boiling literary from the various fish feeding from the surface.
This ecstatic fly fishing moments remain in the heads of hundreds of the fly fisherman and the effect is still echoing – most of the Fly fisherman still push into this period regardless the weather prognosis.. This can be in some comfort to you – if I get wet, at least I will not be alone (haha).. Bottom line – this period is not so much reliable as it was in the past decades.. Yes, it can be a peak week you pinch-point or it can also be just as good or bad as the period before or after.. But surely if visiting in this time of the season – you will be meeting the most anglers along the rivers – what ever they might be.
Early summer, mid June – mid July
If all good, temperatures go up during the day, touching already 28 Celsius (more or less) so the days on the rivers are nice, evenings are very long, last casts ending around 21:00 hours! In our point – this period is becoming a peak season in the last few years.. Our statistic saying that the weather is kind-a steady during this 30 days time.. surely can be also rainy – but if so, rain comes steadily and the rivers usually don`t jump up over the night and than drop back fast due to a strong sun returning after the rainy day.
Summer, Mid July – mid August
Hot part of the Fly fishing season and a popular family vacation month. why would that be of some Fly fishing interest? well – families do not stay just on the seaside, lake, mountains – they also like to be on the rivers, creating a bit more boat, kayak, canoe, raft, balloon etc traffic on the river. ESPECIALLY this goes for the famous Soca river.
Avoid to visit her in this period. Every single flat rock along the river will be having a towel on. YES, some times the towel owner will surely be worth throwing an eye on. but hey- you came for the fly fishing, remember? In case you choose to come anyway – not a problem really.. but you will have to wake up early to catch the morning fresh moments on the river which lasts till 11:00-ish, than a pause and hit the river again at 1700is when the average Joe`s are returning back to their app-s for dinner etc.. you might stay on the river till 2100 is, so make sure the place you stay at serves the dinner late!
Late Summer, mid August – mid September
The last two weeks of August can be busy and hot – early morning will give you some hours to fly fish in peace and later afternoon evening.. during the day – either staying in some rocky parts of the river with a bottle of water with, or in some shadow with a cold beer along.. well, a fly fishing vacations you have so what`s wrong with that? Than into Early SEPTEMBER – very interesting time to be here! Kids moms, paps went back home, school is calling – rivers become desolated again – heat is down, day time dries working well – in fact, Early September is some times called also a second spring!
Early Autumn, Mid September – mid October
From 2016 – 2018 this was a jackpot period to come on the Dry fly fishing in Slovenia! Surely it does not mean that it would happen again in 2019,2020 but if it will – be here! Late mornings till early evening is the time you should be spending on the rivers.. hatches becoming week, but regardless fish still actively feeds from the surface. Trees along the rivers is still green and the leafs are not yet falling down and catching your fly. Levels usually low and easy to handle. Grayling becoming less selective when feeding from the surface than Trout! No more boats on the rivers, no more BBQ seeking folks on the gravels – in short word – fly fishing goodies behind every curve of the rivers!
Autumn, mid October – mid November
If all goes well still very nice to fly fish, but the mornings becoming colder and the evenings will cast some fog on the river, reducing the time of the hatch.. midst of the day time is the best to be out there on the river so forget the lunch.. fly fish during the day and choose an early dinner instead.. Few rivers closing down the fly fishing with the end of October (the Radovna river, Krka river etc.) so the choice of the rivers to fly fish at shrinks a bit. But all the major Fly fishing rivers are still open to fish them.
This time of the year requires a bit more patience since the fish might be already a bit picky in the feeding mode… a 7X tippet material is a must have and flies down to 22 size hook as well.. this time of the season is the best if one targets a trophy size Grayling! The big Grayling will be feeding more than the other species, gathering the fat for the poor food winter month.
Halloween October 31st is in my own calendar always booked to go for the Grayling fishing. if possible on the Sava Dolinka river, which is a home of the master Graylings, coming up the stream from the big Sava river to seek their last years of the life time.. a proven fact amongst the local fly fisherman!
The Fly Fishing FINALE, last two weeks of November
Can be still very pleasant during the day, but the day means up to 5h of the sun time.. the rest is shadow time or fog time. Yes, fly fisherman still roaming the rivers, since they can be alone and not disturbed by almost nobody.. some rivers are already closing down for the Trout fishing and opening for the Huch-hucho fishing season, if well tailored trip you can do both in one round – fly fish for trout in one day and on the other fly fish for the Hucho-hucho! this two can not be fished at the same time during the rest of the season.
ONLY in this period the two fishing can be done one along the other.. surely different rules governing and also different fly fishing tackle required but we believe you got the point of this description – Fly fishing ending – hucho-hucho fishing warming up. Get the best out of the two if it happens you are here in Slovenia during this two weeks.
WINTER, December early – February mid
Winter fishing and fly fishing in Slovenia is entirely dedicated to Hucho-Hucho (Salmon Danube). Trout and Grayling can not be fished during this period. For more details regarding this exciting and rewarding Hucho fishing – check the link on the header!
Check out our HUCHO FISHING page