Mayfly hatch on Dunajec
During Easter holidays I decided to visit OS Dunajec again, with intention to meet mayfly hatch.
Also, I got new Guideline PT Compact scandi sinking head for my double hand rod, and wanted to test in on the water.
The night before the trip was, cold, up to -1.5 C in the mountains. I came to Wojtek Kudłacz's guest house "Fly fishing in Poland" at 6.45. I bought a license and few excellent CDC mayflies in the fly shop.
It was too cold for fishing early in the morning. I dressed up like in winter (fleece jacket and rain coat, wool cap), and went to the "first wall" spot to try sinking line with streamers.
Water dropped down a bit, and Guideline PT compact I/S5/S6 was too much - I had many snags and lost few streamers. No fish bites.
After air warmed up a bit, I moved to next spot, Ksiądzowe pole . There is fast flowing stretch, the most picturesque on upper part of OS Dunajec. No fish bites also. But, my main goal here was to test my double hand rod. This stretch looks like typical salmon river somewhere in Scandinavia or Canada, and I found no better place to practice a spey casting.
I moved to the next deep spot suitable for streamers, 2 kilometers downstream near Tylmanowa first foot bridge. But I noticed trout splashing few times on the far site. and I've found few big brown mayflies on the surface. It looks like hatch is starting, and it's time for dry fly.
I packed my things, and drove to second wall. This is the best dry fly spot. Flat stretch of the river with calm flow and abundant boulders covered with grass on the bottom is a primary feeding area for trout and grayling. During the hatches, fish concentrates in huge numbers on these flats. Fishermen know about it, so place is always crowded. During good hatch, it's important to came earlier and "book" a spot. Fortunately, river is knee to waist deep in this area, and wading is not a big challenge during low to mid water level. Water was 197 cm, quite comfortable. Temperature 5.4 C at 6:00.
Fish was splashing everywhere, not very actively, but quite often. I found a nice spot between boulders and started with brownish CDC mayfly. First fish took my fly with anger and ran downstream. What a strong fish, it can tear off my 0.12 tippet easily. I hold the rod steadily and prepared the net, but unfortunately fish rolled in the water and came off the hook. Moments like that always imprinted in my memory as biggest disappointments, if it was decent size fish and hard fighter. But, we do catch and release anyway, let's call it "water release" or long line release.
Next fish I managed to land in my net. It was beautiful golden-colored brown trout with many red spots. Kind of a rare specimen. Brown trout usually very diverce in coloration. Some fish have few red spots or only black spot, but I've rarely seen such colorful trout here on Dunajec.
My knees started to freezing in cold water, and I moved to shallow spot on the other side. Fish is everywhere, so it's not a big difference where to stay, if you can cover feeding area with few casts in all possible directions.
The place became quite crowded, there was 5 or 6 anglers around me. Here and there was bent rods and happy faces. It was almost constant action. But, as always with dry fly, many false bites, when fish attacks the fly but not hooked. Best fish activity was from 11:00 to 13:00. Then splashes became rare, it looks like fish took a break.
I took a break too, and drove to the restaurant. First restaurant near the bridge in Krościenko, Karczma Dunajec, was closed due to holidays. I drove to the next one, "U Walusia", it was open.
I'm proponent of C&R, but I like to eat fish. So I ordered fried rainbow trout (cultivated in the lake, not from Dunajec river indeed).
After lunch I drove back. All fishermen gone, and the spot was free. There was only one angler beside me.
But fish activity was very low in second half of day. I had only 2 bites, and one eagerly torn my fly off. I countinued fishing to 17:00 , and after that drove to my home.
Due to holidays, road was suprisingly empty. So it took 1 hr 40 min instead of 2 hours in busy time.
Also, I got new Guideline PT Compact scandi sinking head for my double hand rod, and wanted to test in on the water.
The night before the trip was, cold, up to -1.5 C in the mountains. I came to Wojtek Kudłacz's guest house "Fly fishing in Poland" at 6.45. I bought a license and few excellent CDC mayflies in the fly shop.
It was too cold for fishing early in the morning. I dressed up like in winter (fleece jacket and rain coat, wool cap), and went to the "first wall" spot to try sinking line with streamers.
Water dropped down a bit, and Guideline PT compact I/S5/S6 was too much - I had many snags and lost few streamers. No fish bites.
After air warmed up a bit, I moved to next spot, Ksiądzowe pole . There is fast flowing stretch, the most picturesque on upper part of OS Dunajec. No fish bites also. But, my main goal here was to test my double hand rod. This stretch looks like typical salmon river somewhere in Scandinavia or Canada, and I found no better place to practice a spey casting.
I moved to the next deep spot suitable for streamers, 2 kilometers downstream near Tylmanowa first foot bridge. But I noticed trout splashing few times on the far site. and I've found few big brown mayflies on the surface. It looks like hatch is starting, and it's time for dry fly.
Fish was splashing everywhere, not very actively, but quite often. I found a nice spot between boulders and started with brownish CDC mayfly. First fish took my fly with anger and ran downstream. What a strong fish, it can tear off my 0.12 tippet easily. I hold the rod steadily and prepared the net, but unfortunately fish rolled in the water and came off the hook. Moments like that always imprinted in my memory as biggest disappointments, if it was decent size fish and hard fighter. But, we do catch and release anyway, let's call it "water release" or long line release.
Next fish I managed to land in my net. It was beautiful golden-colored brown trout with many red spots. Kind of a rare specimen. Brown trout usually very diverce in coloration. Some fish have few red spots or only black spot, but I've rarely seen such colorful trout here on Dunajec.
My knees started to freezing in cold water, and I moved to shallow spot on the other side. Fish is everywhere, so it's not a big difference where to stay, if you can cover feeding area with few casts in all possible directions.
The place became quite crowded, there was 5 or 6 anglers around me. Here and there was bent rods and happy faces. It was almost constant action. But, as always with dry fly, many false bites, when fish attacks the fly but not hooked. Best fish activity was from 11:00 to 13:00. Then splashes became rare, it looks like fish took a break.
I took a break too, and drove to the restaurant. First restaurant near the bridge in Krościenko, Karczma Dunajec, was closed due to holidays. I drove to the next one, "U Walusia", it was open.
I'm proponent of C&R, but I like to eat fish. So I ordered fried rainbow trout (cultivated in the lake, not from Dunajec river indeed).
After lunch I drove back. All fishermen gone, and the spot was free. There was only one angler beside me.
But fish activity was very low in second half of day. I had only 2 bites, and one eagerly torn my fly off. I countinued fishing to 17:00 , and after that drove to my home.
Due to holidays, road was suprisingly empty. So it took 1 hr 40 min instead of 2 hours in busy time.
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