Slide Show: Days of Trout and Mushrooms

 

Return to the Karst Stream

I just made this short video about a small karst stream in Serbia that I have fished since childhood. I was lucky to have excellent weather there this past week, along with equally good fishing for small wild brown trout on both dry flies and nymphs.

There were excellent caddis hatches (mostly Hydropsyche), some Sericostoma, and a healthy presence of various mayflies, especially during the evening spinner falls of E. danica, Ecdyonurus/Rhitrogena, and some Baetis. A few Isoperla stoneflies were also noted.

It is still a rather wild place, with a fragmented stream structure and remarkable biodiversity of aquatic insects. One pool may come alive with a caddis hatch, while the next may fish better with an E. danica spinner. Many stretches are overgrown with deadfalls, and the canyon section is truly epic.

The video mostly shows the gentler upstream reaches, which do not descend too steeply.

Deer Hair Ants

Hendrickson Emerger/Cripple

Woodcock and Doormouse Wet

Inspired by classic Invicta... European doormouse fur for the body, woodcock wings and hackle.

Soldier Palmer Wet Swing Fly

Blue Zulu Spey Wet

Red Bare Hook Soft Hackles

Trout Purple Spey

Hairwing Ecdyonurus Spinner

Happy New Year!

Hairwing Danica Spinner

Silver March Brown Wet

Tied after a long walk, on the lovely winter solstice day!

Leatherman Beetle

Soft Hackle Streamer

A local favorite!

Sooty Coot Soft Hackle Wet

Rough Olive Caddis Pupae

Thinking of spring...already!

JC March Brown Soft Hackle Wets

Winter Blue Spey Zonker

French Partridge Mayfly

Hen Pheasant and Ostrich Spiders

Hen pheasant hackle, olive ostrich and olive tinsel for the body...