I have to admit to getting a little excited when an article from Christof comes in for a couple of reasons. Firstly it shows the mouthwatering fishing that is available in Austria but secondly if I never get the chance to get there the photos he takes make me feel like I am.
This month I will give you a view of the central Alps in the middle of the country. I will show you four different rivers to give a view of the variety in this area.
The River Alm
This river runs off a little lake on the northern side of the central Alps and the water has a unique colour because of its bright bottom. It is a medium-sized river and has a good stock of brown trout as well as rainbows. This stretch is a part of 4km and is for fly fishing only. Licenses are limited per day and therefore fishing pressure is controlled.
You can get licenses in the town Vorchdorf at the Hoftaverne Ziegelboeck, where you also can get bed & breakfast. From there you can reach the river in 5 minutes by car.
The River Laudach
The Laudach is a tributary of the river Alm. But its character is very different. The Laudach is a small creek, copper coloured bottom and rocks on both sides. A lot of trees give you often the feeling of being in a nature tunnel, you can see a lot of wildlife, watching deers and foxes close to the water.
Sight fishing for shy brownies is the game on the Laudach. Fishing dries and small unweighted nymphs presented with careful casts is a must! If there is lot of rain and you can’t fish the Alm there is always a good chance to take a 5 minute drive to fish this beautiful small river.
The River Goiserer Traun
It is said to be one of the very best rivers to fish for grayling in Austria, which I can agree with. There is an unbelievable amount of grayling in the river, but they are also hard to catch sometimes. Average size is 45 cm, but 50 cms+ fish are caught constantly. There are also very nice natural brown trout which are a great fly fishing challenge on many days.
The River Torrener Ache
This river is "made" for fish with a fly. It is wide and shallow, sometimes running into deep pools. You will definitely enjoy the fantastic scenery and the beauty of this river. To sit at the restaurant Steegwirt, which is about 15 meters from the beginning of the stretch, drinking a beer and waiting for the hatch is something very special.
Maybe it is one of the most beautiful and most natural rivers of the whole country, I think so. The valley called Bluntautal encloses this awesome little spring creek. Fast and shallow parts are changing in deeper pools, big rocks change the direction of the river often. The water is very cold all year and fish are slow growing. Because of the very bright bottom of the river the fish seem to be almost white in colour. The little orange spots on their fins and sides show their origin as a original Torrener Ache brown trout.
This river is just 20 minutes drive from Salzburg city and easy accessible. Licenses are limited to protect the fish and the river, catch & release is a must!
INFO
Licenses for the Alm and Laudach can be arranged by Pro-Guides Flyfishing www.pro-guides.com
Alm river is 65,-Euro/day and Laudach 40,-Euro/day – you will also need the yearly license for upper-Austria which is 13,-Euro
Licenses for the Goiserer Traun and the Torrener Ache engaged and arranged by the fly shop Hurch Fly Fishing in Salzburg www.hurch.com
Goiserer Traun is 87,-Euro/day (yearly license for upper-austria needed) and the Torrener Ache is 51,-Euro/day
Pro-Guides Flyfishing will offer guiding services on all of these rivers and some more www.pro-guides.com