An exploration of Polish chalk streams
Kielce district is a white spot on my fishing map of Poland. There's few small rivers and streams, originating in the area near cities Małogoszcz and Jędrzejów. Common traits of these streams - sandy bottom with patches of cobblestones and grass, very clear water, moderate current, and a lot of logjams. All these streams belong to Nida river basin (left tributary of Wisła)
Mierzawa is a right tributary to Nida. Very small stream, with average width 3 to 6 m. The river is gin-clear, and you can see every detail on the bottom from the bridges. You can see fish too, when they moving. Water level was 91 cm, flow 1,8 m3/s at Michałów station (very low).
I started my exploration from the village Mierzawa. You can observe river from the first bridge.
When I walked near the bank, I spotted 30 cm trout, which escaped from it's holding area. There was few smaller fish too. Water temperature was +8 C, which is good. Trout should start feeding actively at such temp.
I didn't try fishing there. Instead, I drove one kilometre downstream, to the forest. The road goes through the village to the south-east, along the river. Where the village ends, a dirt road turns right.
The river is winding there, between pine forest from left side, and meadows from the right.
I walked down, to investigate some fishy places. There's a lot of small fish. But they are very spooky. Even when you walk to the river, they starting to escape , until they find deep hole. Fish feels insecure in shallow water, where they have no protection from predatory birds.
There's a spot, where one can park a car, and walk along the river.
Believe me, there's a lot of fish in this run. You don't see them, but if you start moving, you will see them escaping.
I tried to cast wet fly upstream and downstream, with no success. These fish so spooky, so even false casts over the head scares them off.
I don't know how to fish this stream effectively. Probably, using some "guerilla war" tactic. Hide, crawl, and then cast straight to the target spot. Doing many casts to the same spot is pointless - either fish will take it, or you scared fish off.
I decided to find another place, with deeper water, where fish feels more secure, and more responsive to fly. I drove few kilometers downstream, to the small bridge.
There's warning signs, mounted by local fishing association, stating that water upstream from bridge is a trout spawning ground. Wading is prohibited year-around, because it can destroy redds.
And here's spawning ground, just near the bridge. These patches of gravel. Trout cannot spawn on the sand, they need fine gravel to dig the redds.
Water is so skinny, I decided not to fish here. Wading will spook all fish around.
Another stretch - a little stretch of fast water. Here I tried small streamer, running it down across. Then I returned back and fished the same stretch upstream. No results.
The last place I tried - near Niegosławice. This is the end of "Catch and release" section of the river.
The river here is more deep and narrow. Looks like a channel in some parts.
Here I tried with Czech nymph, with no luck. But' I've seen a fish , moving after my fly.
At this point, I decided to drive to another river. Mierzawa a bit disappointed me. Fish is there, but it's very hard to get it. A challenge for invisible fisherman.
I drove another 40 km to the river Wierna, a tributary to Biała Nida.
Wierna meanders between hills and pine forests. It is bigger river than Mierzawa, and a much more suitable for wading. Water level was 269 cm, flow 2,3 m3/s at Bocheniec. Temperature 8 C.
The first inviting place I found, is a deep hole (chest deep in some parts), with back eddies.
Here I used SA ultralights Skagit line with sink tips and small wooly bugger.
Fish can be hiding near cut banks and logjams
There's 3 or 4 holes, which look like holding water. I moved gradually downstream, and probed all places which look like holding water.
Water in this river has tint of tea, or amber, which looks awesome in my opinion. There's a believe, that in such water it's better to use orange fly. But I had only black wooly buggers.
Nice pocketwater. But where is trout?
Further downstream, there is a big cliff. The river is littered with fallen trees. How to cast into this water? I have no idea :-(
But wide and calm runs are quite fly-friendly.
In the forest, there's first spring flowers - snowdrop, or Galanthus.
Despite my attempts, I didn't get any bite on this river. Is there fish at all? I want to believe that it is there, just wrong time of year.
My next river was Biała Nida. Wierna flows into Biała Nida, and Biała Nida flows to Nida. It's so simple to remember.
I found forest road, not shown on the map. This road brought me directly to the junction of Wierna and Biała Nida. Water level was 129 cm, flow 14,9 m3/s at Nida/Brziegi station (medium). Water temperature 8 C.
When I overlooked the river, I spotted quite big fish splashed.
I excited so much. I assembled my rod with SA ultralight Skagit, light tip and small woolybugger.
This river is bigger than Wierna, because it has twice more water. The bottom is mostly sand, but there's also some cobblestones. I fished my fly downstream, with no effect.
Then I changed setup to wet fly, particularly Mallard and Claret. This fly proven to be successful for trout in such small streams. Fish didn't bite. I don't know what it was , brown trout or chub. There's more chubs than trout in the lower part of the river.
I hope there will be better time on this river during April or May, and I will return there.
Mierzawa is a right tributary to Nida. Very small stream, with average width 3 to 6 m. The river is gin-clear, and you can see every detail on the bottom from the bridges. You can see fish too, when they moving. Water level was 91 cm, flow 1,8 m3/s at Michałów station (very low).
I started my exploration from the village Mierzawa. You can observe river from the first bridge.
When I walked near the bank, I spotted 30 cm trout, which escaped from it's holding area. There was few smaller fish too. Water temperature was +8 C, which is good. Trout should start feeding actively at such temp.
I didn't try fishing there. Instead, I drove one kilometre downstream, to the forest. The road goes through the village to the south-east, along the river. Where the village ends, a dirt road turns right.
The river is winding there, between pine forest from left side, and meadows from the right.
I walked down, to investigate some fishy places. There's a lot of small fish. But they are very spooky. Even when you walk to the river, they starting to escape , until they find deep hole. Fish feels insecure in shallow water, where they have no protection from predatory birds.
There's a spot, where one can park a car, and walk along the river.
Believe me, there's a lot of fish in this run. You don't see them, but if you start moving, you will see them escaping.
I tried to cast wet fly upstream and downstream, with no success. These fish so spooky, so even false casts over the head scares them off.
I don't know how to fish this stream effectively. Probably, using some "guerilla war" tactic. Hide, crawl, and then cast straight to the target spot. Doing many casts to the same spot is pointless - either fish will take it, or you scared fish off.
I decided to find another place, with deeper water, where fish feels more secure, and more responsive to fly. I drove few kilometers downstream, to the small bridge.
There's warning signs, mounted by local fishing association, stating that water upstream from bridge is a trout spawning ground. Wading is prohibited year-around, because it can destroy redds.
And here's spawning ground, just near the bridge. These patches of gravel. Trout cannot spawn on the sand, they need fine gravel to dig the redds.
Water is so skinny, I decided not to fish here. Wading will spook all fish around.
Another stretch - a little stretch of fast water. Here I tried small streamer, running it down across. Then I returned back and fished the same stretch upstream. No results.
The last place I tried - near Niegosławice. This is the end of "Catch and release" section of the river.
The river here is more deep and narrow. Looks like a channel in some parts.
Here I tried with Czech nymph, with no luck. But' I've seen a fish , moving after my fly.
At this point, I decided to drive to another river. Mierzawa a bit disappointed me. Fish is there, but it's very hard to get it. A challenge for invisible fisherman.
I drove another 40 km to the river Wierna, a tributary to Biała Nida.
Wierna meanders between hills and pine forests. It is bigger river than Mierzawa, and a much more suitable for wading. Water level was 269 cm, flow 2,3 m3/s at Bocheniec. Temperature 8 C.
The first inviting place I found, is a deep hole (chest deep in some parts), with back eddies.
Here I used SA ultralights Skagit line with sink tips and small wooly bugger.
Fish can be hiding near cut banks and logjams
There's 3 or 4 holes, which look like holding water. I moved gradually downstream, and probed all places which look like holding water.
Water in this river has tint of tea, or amber, which looks awesome in my opinion. There's a believe, that in such water it's better to use orange fly. But I had only black wooly buggers.
Nice pocketwater. But where is trout?
Further downstream, there is a big cliff. The river is littered with fallen trees. How to cast into this water? I have no idea :-(
But wide and calm runs are quite fly-friendly.
In the forest, there's first spring flowers - snowdrop, or Galanthus.
Despite my attempts, I didn't get any bite on this river. Is there fish at all? I want to believe that it is there, just wrong time of year.
My next river was Biała Nida. Wierna flows into Biała Nida, and Biała Nida flows to Nida. It's so simple to remember.
I found forest road, not shown on the map. This road brought me directly to the junction of Wierna and Biała Nida. Water level was 129 cm, flow 14,9 m3/s at Nida/Brziegi station (medium). Water temperature 8 C.
When I overlooked the river, I spotted quite big fish splashed.
I excited so much. I assembled my rod with SA ultralight Skagit, light tip and small woolybugger.
This river is bigger than Wierna, because it has twice more water. The bottom is mostly sand, but there's also some cobblestones. I fished my fly downstream, with no effect.
Then I changed setup to wet fly, particularly Mallard and Claret. This fly proven to be successful for trout in such small streams. Fish didn't bite. I don't know what it was , brown trout or chub. There's more chubs than trout in the lower part of the river.
I hope there will be better time on this river during April or May, and I will return there.
Comments
Post a Comment