We’ve touched on a broad range of topics relating to fly fishing in Austria, and we’re closing the current series with a short primer on lake fishing and the state license and fishing exam.
Austria boasts many impressive lakes. Trout lakes are found in the higher regions, while cyprinid lakes are in lower areas. There are plenty of opportunities to catch good pike, carp and lake trout (salmo trutta f. lacustris), char (salvelinus alpinus) and coregons. Coregons are rather similar to mountain whitefish but are more acceptable to fisheries because of their economical value. Lake fishing is quite cheap and it’s rarely a problem to get permissions.
In some parts of Austria you need something else besides the fishing permit: a state license. Anglers who wish to fish for a few days are unlikely to have a problem in obtaining a license, though the Tyrol region could be a stumbling block. If you’re going the whole hog and applying for an annual license, you will need to take a fishing exam. The exam, required in some parts of Austria, involves up to 30 hours theory at evening class, plus the practical implementation. In this country, like some others, fly fishing for visitors is only possible for up to two consecutive weeks.
