We have been looking for interesting places to fish that are a little bit different, with the added bonus of stunning scenery. This month we lift the lid on Austria with Christof Menz, finding yet another place we really, really need to take a rod to!
In the south of Vienna, the capital of Austria, you will find the area of Mariazell/Styria. In this area time seems to run slow and some places look the same today as they did many years ago. Less people are living here, but you will find mountains, forest and rivers... and lots of trout & grayling!
There are two main rivers in this area running through two valleys which are only a couple of kilometers away from each other; the river Muerz and the river Salza. Both are crystal clear and offer great sight fishing for trout and grayling.
As the Muerz is more the "grayling-river", the Salza has a nice lake in the upper part where trout are growing well and you will find a great combination of river and stillwater fly fishing as fish are moving from lake to river and back.
One of the most beautiful parts of the river Muerz is the stretch of Neuberg, a small village where you will also find nice options of hotels and places to stay.
At a length of 12 km this river offers you everything you could wish for. Slow sections, made for dry fly fishing, switching to big holes where you can expect the occasional big fish. The number of grayling is very good and there's also the chance of catching a fish of almost 50cm or more.
The Salza is an awesome river and has been known for its qualities by fly fishers for decades.
The Salza Lake is one of my favourite places in the world! Half of the lake is no more than 2 meters deep with clear water offering great visibility. You can fish the shallow banks like "bone fishing" for trout or you take a belly boat and try some streamers. Buzzer fishing is a great option and will catch lots of fish as well.
But the really special thing about it is that you are spending time in an area which is covered in a bizarre mountain area, very few people are around and it's a perfect combination of good fishing and fantastic scenery - and all this in the heart of Europe; Austria...
All information and guiding services by Christof Menz/Pro-Guides Flyfishing www.pro-guides.com
Places to stay and fishing licences for river Muerz: www.hubertholzer.at a great place to be, food is excellent and people are giving you the feeling you are welcome.... river Muerz is 5 minutes by car, Salza can be reached in 45min.
Place and fishing licences at Salza: Gasthof Leitner in Weichselboden phone: 0043 3885 203 awesome little hotel, just 10 minutes drive by car to the fishing stretch
Fishing licences for Salza: Rudi Heger GmbH www.rudiheger.de
How to get here: take a flight to Vienna, get a rental car - aim for the highway south in the direction of Semmering, exit Muerzzuschlag then head for Neuberg an der Muerz... tackle up and get fishin'!