Jugoslovenski Rotar

Zdravko Taler

TROUT FISHING IN YUGOSLAVIA

Among the countries famous for fishing Yougoslavia has not been so far noted in spite of the fact that it is really one of the most interesting for European anglers. Apart from the big low country rivers like the Danube, Sava and Drava, which are rich in all kind of fish, there are also numerous mountain rivers, torrents and brooks, full of salmonidae of which in the rivers and lakes in Yugoslavia there are nine native and two imported varieties. In this respect owing to a strange coincidence Yougoslavia has a sort of record among the countries of Europe. Specially interesting are the particular kinds of salmonidae such as Trutta genivittata, Trutta ohridana, Trutta obtusirostris, Trutta dentex and some others.

The number of other fish (over 100 varieties) is also bigger than in the neighbouring countries, chiefly owing to the fact that the rivers of Yougoslavia flow into three different seas, the Black Sea, the Adriatic and the Aegean and each of these systems has some peculiar varieties.

The Adriatic Sea also contains a considerable number of fish varieties which offer to anglers first class fishing opportunities. There are altogether about 360 varieties of fish in the Adriatic. However, neither on the sea nor on the large low-land rivers is angling so prized as on the mountain rivers rich in salmonidae.

Many of these mountain rivers are noted for their swift course, their waterfalls and their rapids, passing through beautiful and romantic surroundings. The crystal green or blue water and fine fish which they contain represented an attraction for anglers from times immemorial, while the angling with artificial fly was known since the third century A. D. according to Claudius Aelianus. The development of angling is today in full swing while the abundance of fish in some waters is simply legendary. However, the fish is sometime capricious and the angler can only see in the green depth large numbers of trout without catching any, while at other times the fish seems to enjoy being hooked. This is a fact known to anglers all over the world.

Both from natural conditions and from the point of view. of communications the waters of Yugoslavia can be divided (from the angling point of view) into several sections grouping round single centers of communication. These are the following: Ljubljana, Zagreb, Ogulin, Osijek, Beograd, Banjaluka, Jajce, Travnik, Split, Sarajevo, Foéa, Mostar, Podgorica, Peé and Ohrid. Osijek and Belgrade have no trout fishing waters in their immediate neighbourhood while all the other centers are situated more or less in the proximity or in the midst of mountains and mountain waters rich with trout or salmonidae. It is characteristic for these rivers that some of them disappear and flow into the sea under ground, or they reappear as rivers. These rivers also abound in trout which in times of draught find a shelter in the underground waters.