Warta Cup fly fishing competition

This year I participated in Warta Cup - open fly fishing competition in friendly format (no strict FIPS rules), held on river Warta near town Kolonia Borek.

There was no draw and no dividing river to sectors. The whole river was open for fishing. You can start in any place, but respect other anglers who came first. Part of the river was freshly stocked with brown trout 35-50 cm size.

I was thinking that stocked trout is easy target, and everybody will have many fish on the hook.

But, reality was far from this. The river was very low, level 55 cm at Poraj and flor 1,5 m3/s.
It means, that many parts of the river became very shallow and not safe for fish to stay.
Fish was , probably, distributed very unevenly along the river, so it was not trivial task to locate them.

Another obstacle is that river is very hard for fly casting, surrounded with brushes and trees.
Careless approach to water, or wading, can spook the fish as well.

I started from the top of "no kill" part.  There was nice deep pool, but no any signs of fish in it.

I moved downstream along the river. There was 5 or 6 other fishermen I met. I asked everybody, did they have anything? But Every response was "No".

After hour or so, I reached the place unofficially called "Dęby" (The Oaks).
There's few fallen trees forming logjam, and deep pockets under the bank.

It looks like perspective place.

this place requires stalking approach, to avoid spooking fish. Also, casting is challenging due to many overhanging tree branches.

Below that place, there' s second logjam, and more faster water below it.

This run looked shallow, but there was deeper channel in the middle.
I swung streamer diagonally across this channel, and got a strike. Yes! Nice brown trout, 35-40cm.
I saw it rolled in the water and jumped, I pulled the line to bring fish to hand.... and tension weakened. Shit, I lost it!

I had a chance to go out of zero, but it didn't happen. In such hard river, every fish counts.


Below this site, there's pine forest growing very close to the banks. Fishing and casting is almost impossible there with fly rod, but I found one place, where I can stay in the water, and cast to the opposite bank.

There was another take. Yes, fish!  It is there, near undercut bank. Unfortunately, it didn't repeat that attempt.

I walked more downstream. There's couple of places with faster water. It looked "fishy", but there was nothing there.

I turned back, and continued fishing along the way. Also, met other fishermen and asked how's results.

Some of them already got one or two fish. Biggest trout caught was 50 cm or so.


When I returned to my car, it was 13:00, end of competition event.

Then there was a dinner, and prizes giving ceremony.

First three places got tis beautiful fish (of different sizes).

Also, every participant, who scored at least one fish, got a prize too.

There was some remained prizes from sponsors. So organizers made a draw, and gave them randomly.
I got a fly box, somebody got piece of fly tying material, or pike streamer.

I disappointed with my fishing results. It was really hard to catch something in such water.
But the whole event was very good and positive.  Thanks to organizers and sponsors.