In our third installment on fly fishing Austria, let’s take a a brief look at two things: stocking politics and fly patterns.
Austria’s rivers are stocked with fry and yearlings but also with adult fish. In some rivers, large fish are stocked. The reason for this is because of a problem we mentioned before: the cormorant invasion. Some rivers are besieged by cormorants in the winter, which is a problem in areas where the birds are protected, and therefore cannot be shot to protect the fish. So the fisheries will make sure they stock their waters with fish which are simply too big for cormorants to eat. The plus side of this is that you shouldn’t be in the least surprise when an absolutely monstrous trout takes your fly!
In terms of fly patterns, a lot of bead heads are used in Austria. This is because you have to get right down when fishing fast rivers. The common patterns will also catch fish, of course. However, dry fly fishing is not as successful as it was before, because the waters have become increasingly popular for other sports like kayaking, canoeing, canyoning, swimming. Sun bathing is also a major hobby around Austria’s waters. This being the case, a great many anglers fish nymph. Streamers can also be successful in bringing good fish to you. Zonker patterns fish well evenings early mornings.
If you’ve ever tried fly fishing in Austria – or indeed in any of the other locations we talk about in our travel blogs – we’d love to hear your stories, which you can post as comments below the relevant blog.
