The trips that remain seared into your memory until you lose your marbles are the ones that provide challenging yet hugely rewarding fishing and quality vibes with your mates. That’s what Rob Scott and his friends experienced as they went fly fishing in Eastern Europe. From The Mission Issue 45 (May/Jun 2024).

What gives a mission that special flavour? What produces that uniquely foreign taste of adventure and exhilaration that leaves you sublimely sated, but with a little room for just one more bite? 

Like a delicious meal, it’s probably more than any one single thing. 

For me fly fishing is the key base ingredient. Mix in a few exotic fish species, ideally in a beautiful far-off place with lovely locals and equally lovely weather. Spice it up with a wide variety of waters to target, and make it just difficult enough to fish or to access. Naturally, a good crew of tight mates is crucial. Then, sugar-coat the whole thing with a favourable exchange rate and good local beer, and the dish has prepared itself. Garnish with banter. 

“It was mesmerising standing knee-deep in the middle of a 60m-wide misty moving mass of water filled with hundreds of rising grayling.”

Good friends Nick, Cloete, Dean and I got to sample the sweet and varied spread laid out by fly fishing in Eastern Europe – specifically Slovenia, Bosnia and Croatia – and gorged our way through a magnificent two-week menu that any fly fisher would do well to savour at some point. 

Table for four 

The months leading up to the trip were spent sorting out bookings, tying hundreds of flies, checking and rechecking gear, poring over maps, and just generally getting restless. Everyone met up at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, quickly checked in bags, and hurried along to the Slow Lounge, eager to catch up over a few free whiskeys courtesy of FNB. Okes were excited, and the banter kicked off pretty much instantaneously.

A cramped seat and a long flight were unpleasant, but the promise of big, beautiful rivers kept our spirits high. In our largely sleep-deprived state, touchdown in Slovenia and the process of going through arrivals was a blur. A quick coffee helped, but the real wake-up was getting our rental car. This fancy flippin thing was, simply put, from the future. It barely required a driver. When the car slowed down it braked automatically, violently jerked the seatbelt if you removed your hands from the wheel and, with unsettling regularity, just took over the steering. It didn’t kill us but was, among other things, the reason I was pulled over by the local constabulary 80m up a one-way street.

Starters in the capital

Before we set off to explore the rivers, we decided to spend a day in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This historic and beautiful city is overlooked by a 500-year-old castle, and we slowly took in the sights while quickly climbing into the extensive selection of local beers. Under a little peer pressure, Cloete ordered Bear Goulash from the seasonal menu, but to his bearly concealed relief they were all sold out. Fishing should probably remain the priority when visiting the area but, if you have the time, it’s absolutely worth making the effort to explore Ljubljana. As was the case for the rest of our trip, we opted for the comfort and convenience of Airbnb. It’s usually the cheapest option and allows for some engagement with the locals and the vibe. 

Tolmin treats 

With bags and hangovers packed into the FutureMobile® the following morning, we eagerly headed to the quaint town of Tolmin, our base for the next five days. The town is perfectly situated close to five amazing local rivers, including the legendary Soča, which was to be our first stop. Headaches were forgotten as we dumped our luggage and headed to the water’s edge. The sight of the aquamarine blue water running over a white chalk-stone riverbed entranced us to the point of just standing and staring. The spell was broken by the sound of Cloete running to the car to grab his rod. Arguably one of the prettiest rivers in the world, the Soča is home to an impressive variety of fish. Our target species included chub, grayling, brown and rainbow trout, and the mystical marble trout. 

“A big marble requires dedication – you have to put in the time and avoid the distractions of big rising rainbows and smaller marbles.”

Venturing down to a wide laminar section with a narrow channel running along the forest edge, we spotted huge rainbows rising under the tree cover. Eventually cracking the code using #20 dries with tight casts and perfect drifts, we landed several fish around the 60cm mark. It definitely wasn’t easy pickings and, only a few hours in, it was already apparent that the next two weeks would involve some very technical fishing. 

The following morning, we parked at Camp Gabrje, a huge campsite on the banks of the Soča. It offers access to a beautiful piece of river strewn with big boulders, deep pools and some lovely, long rapids. Nick and I walked downstream leaving for Cloete and Dean the section upstream of the campsite. It was tough fishing, but Nick and I managed a few good rainbows and a marble of about 45cm.

Regrouping for lunch, we recounted tales of our morning efforts. Dean reported an exciting moment when a huge marble had come out from under the boulder he was standing on to try to eat the rainbow he was trying to land. Cloete had an odd grin on his face and was keeping suspiciously quiet. Upon prompting he admitted that he had blanked the session, struggling to concentrate on the fishing with several topless women swimming and sun tanning in his spot. Apparently moving to a different spot hadn’t occurred to him. 

Idrijca entrees 

Our next taste of Eastern Europe was the Idrijca. This is a mysterious river obscured by the cover of mountainous Balkan mixed forest. The Idrijca is crystal clear. But, unlike the white chalk of the Soča, the river bed here is decorated with a mix of stones in shades of dark green and orange. That makes it difficult to read and contributing to its mystical atmosphere. The fast-moving water rushes through large boulders, creating the perfect habitat for ambush hunters like marble trout. One of the largest and quite possibly the smartest trout species in the world, these fish are serious adversaries. They’re like chameleons in the water. Capable of changing their colour and patterns within minutes (much like cephalopods), essentially vanishing into their environment.  

We were beyond determined to land one of these elusive creatures.  

More fly fishing in Eastern Europe continues…

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