Ever thought about the crystal clear rivers that run through Austria? Sue Durrell has and did something about it too.
We have been skiing in the Alps for many years, but hadn’t given Alpine fishing any real thought until I read about Ernest Hemingway’s enthusiasm for fly fishing in the rivers around Lake Geneva.
Last Christmas we were based in the quiet Austrian village of Filzmoos (1,000m), which sits beneath the mighty Dachstein Glacier (2,700m). On one of our trips into town we picked up a brochure for a nice hotel and stuffed it into the suitcase ‘for future reference’. On unpacking the brochure at home, we were surprised to notice a very enticing summer fly fishing package.
We decided to head back to Filzmoos and spend two days hiking around the Gosaukamm, followed by three days of fishing, eating and relaxation.
Above Filzmoos is the picturesque Almsee, overlooked by the granite towers of the Bischofsmütze. This small lake is quite a popular tourist attraction, but we had been told that there was plenty of trout if we could get up there early enough.
At the far end of the lake is a small promontory - which would have made an ideal fort for children to play on. The shade cast by its trees provided the perfect conditions for several fish to hide. Although I soon spotted one of about two pounds coming towards me, it was tricky casting without getting the line caught in the overhanging trees.
For some inexplicable reason, we had left our nets behind, but thankfully there was an easy beach to pull the trout onto in order to remove the fly and release him.
Another bigger fish came along and was soon on the hook, and putting up a stronger fight. In order to get him to the beach required another precarious manoeuvre to get the rod passed underneath a low-hanging tree. Fortunately we managed this, as he was a beauty. We caught a few more and then we decided to move on as the tourists started to arrive.
There is a choice of two bars at the Almsee (complete with musicians in lederhosen and waitresses in dirndls) so we stopped at the Unterseehof for a Stiegl beer before wending our way down the river.
The Almsee is at about 1200m, and from this the Warme Mandling river descends steeply at first down 200m over a couple of kilometres into Filzmoos.
We had been advised by Herr Maier that there was a fish in every pool. Although it was sometimes hard to believe this at first sight, patience paid dividends and we had plenty of sport.
Andy found the first fish close to the near side bank and was able to land him on a gravel beach. Further on I spotted a trout beneath a branch in a pool on the far side - he followed the fly over a small fall and careered around before I could coax it back to our side of the river.
It was an energetic scramble down the river, through a few rocky gorges and with lots of fallen trees and obstacles.
The sky was bright blue and cloudless, with temperatures over 30 degrees out of the shade. We were in the best place mooching down the river peering into every pool hopefully, and often fruitfully.
Carrie Bradshaw may love her Jimmy Choos, but I adore my Simms wading boots. I bought them last year for a trip to the Pyrenees when I barely had a chance to use them. This time, I was scampering from one side of the river to the other without a care in the world. It was delightful to be in the cool shade with our feet in the glacial water.
As we reached the Hinterwinkl above the town, the river widens and descends less rapidly, and you can fish from grassy banks before the Warm Mandling cuts through the centre of Filzmoos.
We decided to end our three days with a drink at the Kirchgasshutte at Aualm, with a view across a valley of a thousand shades of green to the ski slopes. We soaked up the sun, feeling rather pleased with ourselves as we tallied up our catch of 27 trout between us. Everything about this trip had exceeded our expectations.
In addition to the excellent fishing, we had been surprised to learn that the hotel restaurant had two Michelin stars, and the owners were the equivalent of culinary royalty.
From Wednesday to Sunday, they serve a gourmet tasting menu which attracts gourmet diners from far and wide.
However, the Maier family take a break from the kitchen on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the hotel offers a 3-day or 4-day fly fishing package that must include these days. Operating on a ‘first come first served’ basis, we took the package for three days half-board which was excellent value at Euro 450 (£330 approx). The food was delicious.
We only managed to fish a small fraction of the 40km of rivers and lakes that is available to guests.
The Hubertus Hotel website and details of the fly fishing package are only available in German. Some of the staff spoke good English, but we found it easier to correspond by email.
http://www.johannamaier.at/de/fliegenfischparadies/fliegenfischen.html
Filzmoos is less than an hour from Salzburg. At the time of our visit (July 2015) there was no public transport between Salzburg and Filzmoos.