Dunajec - lower special C&R section
Dunajec river is familiar to everybody who ever heard of fly fishing in Poland. Special part "OS Dunajec" near the city Krościenko nad Dunajcem is one of the top destinations, known outside of Poland.
Recently, second catch and release part opened. This is 5 km long section from bridge in town Gołkowice to the weir near Stary Sącz. Unlike first "OS Dunajec", which is fly fishing only, this section also allows spin fishing. Same regulations as for fly fishermen - artifical lures must have single barbless hooks, or hooks with crushed barbs.
PZW (Polish Angling Association ) in Nowy Sącz launched electronic shop for fishing licenses , where it's possible to buy day card, multi-day or other types of licenses.
Also, service available in English, which is a big step forward. Previously, it was almost impossible for foreigner to get fishing license in Poland, without assistance of Polish-speaking person.
http://zezwolenia.pzwns.info.pl/index.php?krok=zezwolenie&lang=EN
Also, PZW Nowy Sącz published in Google maps detailed map of this special section, with fishing locations, access points and parkings. Descriptions only in Polish.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=17hSoYBa2_9s_U9DtWdhYKj6nZ6g&ll=49.567664750622455%2C20.495098525000003&z=10
Today, I investigated this part of the river, using map as a guide.
I parked my car near the bridge in Gołkowice. Here you can go either by left or right bank.
There are rapids with big rocks and deep holes just under the bridge.
I descended to the river. The place under the bridge is quite dangerous. I believe there's big fish, but it's really hard to swim the fly without snagging. I lost my streamer on the first cast.
Straight under the rapids, there's long channel with fast water. Good to run heaviest nymph or streamer through.
Below the bridge rapids, there is a long, deep and calm run. It's good to use double hand rod there.
I lost two flies , snagged on the rocks. No fish takes detected.
After that, I drove to another location, named "Bania w Mostkach" (deepest pool in this river section).
It's tricky to get there, because there's dirt road not shown on navigational map. You should switch to Satellite view in Google maps, to see unpaved roads. First parking, near stream Słomka mouth ("Parking na ujściu Słomki"), is relatively easy for regular passenger car. But parking near "Bania" is reachable only on 4x4 vehicle.
I left my car on the first parking. It's 450-500 m to walk to the Bania.
Across the parking , there's mouth of small tributary of Dunajec, river Słomka.
Downstream from the mouth, there's island, which divides river to main flow, and side channel. Side channel is very shallow, and looks like still water. There's a lot of fish fry in it. When they grow up, they will migrate to the main river.
This river section contains cascade of rapids and deep holes. This is a typical rapid, they all look the same,
Under second rapid, there's "Bania" (bath in Polish), very deep pool. Looks not very impressive. But imagine, how many fish can hide in this depth. Interesting fact about such pools is that surface flow is fast, but speed of the flow near the bottom is much slower. Some pools even have reverse flow near the bottom, created by obstacles.
There's fish for sure, but it's hanging near the bottom. Probably the best way to catch it here is using very heavy Czech nymph.
Here I used Czech nymphing. There were no fish bites, as in other places too. Don't know why fish was ignoring me. Conditions were good - water temperature raised to 5,5 C . River level was 181 cm (Krościenko), flow 21 m3/s.
Despite lack of fish bite, I found that special section very promising. Especially for double hand rod.
On the way back, I stopped near small stream Obidza, another Dunajec tributary.
I never fished that part of the river, it looks nice.
Recently, second catch and release part opened. This is 5 km long section from bridge in town Gołkowice to the weir near Stary Sącz. Unlike first "OS Dunajec", which is fly fishing only, this section also allows spin fishing. Same regulations as for fly fishermen - artifical lures must have single barbless hooks, or hooks with crushed barbs.
PZW (Polish Angling Association ) in Nowy Sącz launched electronic shop for fishing licenses , where it's possible to buy day card, multi-day or other types of licenses.
Also, service available in English, which is a big step forward. Previously, it was almost impossible for foreigner to get fishing license in Poland, without assistance of Polish-speaking person.
Also, PZW Nowy Sącz published in Google maps detailed map of this special section, with fishing locations, access points and parkings. Descriptions only in Polish.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=17hSoYBa2_9s_U9DtWdhYKj6nZ6g&ll=49.567664750622455%2C20.495098525000003&z=10
Today, I investigated this part of the river, using map as a guide.
I parked my car near the bridge in Gołkowice. Here you can go either by left or right bank.
There are rapids with big rocks and deep holes just under the bridge.
I descended to the river. The place under the bridge is quite dangerous. I believe there's big fish, but it's really hard to swim the fly without snagging. I lost my streamer on the first cast.
Straight under the rapids, there's long channel with fast water. Good to run heaviest nymph or streamer through.
Below the bridge rapids, there is a long, deep and calm run. It's good to use double hand rod there.
I lost two flies , snagged on the rocks. No fish takes detected.
After that, I drove to another location, named "Bania w Mostkach" (deepest pool in this river section).
It's tricky to get there, because there's dirt road not shown on navigational map. You should switch to Satellite view in Google maps, to see unpaved roads. First parking, near stream Słomka mouth ("Parking na ujściu Słomki"), is relatively easy for regular passenger car. But parking near "Bania" is reachable only on 4x4 vehicle.
I left my car on the first parking. It's 450-500 m to walk to the Bania.
Across the parking , there's mouth of small tributary of Dunajec, river Słomka.
Downstream from the mouth, there's island, which divides river to main flow, and side channel. Side channel is very shallow, and looks like still water. There's a lot of fish fry in it. When they grow up, they will migrate to the main river.
This river section contains cascade of rapids and deep holes. This is a typical rapid, they all look the same,
Under second rapid, there's "Bania" (bath in Polish), very deep pool. Looks not very impressive. But imagine, how many fish can hide in this depth. Interesting fact about such pools is that surface flow is fast, but speed of the flow near the bottom is much slower. Some pools even have reverse flow near the bottom, created by obstacles.
There's fish for sure, but it's hanging near the bottom. Probably the best way to catch it here is using very heavy Czech nymph.
Here I used Czech nymphing. There were no fish bites, as in other places too. Don't know why fish was ignoring me. Conditions were good - water temperature raised to 5,5 C . River level was 181 cm (Krościenko), flow 21 m3/s.
Despite lack of fish bite, I found that special section very promising. Especially for double hand rod.
On the way back, I stopped near small stream Obidza, another Dunajec tributary.
I never fished that part of the river, it looks nice.
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