Adventures of fly angler in Poland

This year I visited river Łupawa in Pomorze, northern region of Poland, close to Baltic sea. It's not that different from similar rivers in the area, but it got some international recognition after European fly fishing championship in 2016. It was my second visit. First was not very successful from fishing standpoint, but I beloved in this area. It's kind of magic place, and I was happy just to be there. Łupawa is rather small stream, surrounded by forests and marshlands. Forest rivers like this usually challenging for fly fishing. Overhanging branches, fallen trees, abundant logjams, difficult wading.  Fortunately, Łupawa on C&R section is quite easy for wading. Riverbed covered by sand, gravel or cobblestones. Depth in many places is shallow, around knee level, which allows to cross river or navigate around obstacles with ease. Popular fly fishing stretch starts from the bridge in Osiedle rybackie (Fishermen's village), a small settlement near fish farm. Below th...

7-8 July there was fly fishing festival, organized by Polish fly fishing magazine "Sztuka łowenia na sztuczną muchę" (The art of fly fishing). Program of the festival for 7.08 included: -Introduction by Mirek Pieślak, chief editor of Sztuka Łowenia magazine. -Demonstration of fishing equipment and other goods from sponsors (Loop, Scierra, Traper, Orvis, Winston, Simms, Royal Wulff, Patagonia), by fly shops salar.pl , harius.pl , flyhouse.pl . Sorry, if I forgot to mention someone else. -Basic mechanics of fly casting, demo and detailed explanation by Igor Glinda, owner of www.tartaknadbobrem.com fly fishing center -Casting clinic , provided by certified instructor Marek Puczyński and Igor Glinda -Dry fly techniques and tactics, by fly fishing guide Mirek Wnuk -Spey casting with double handed rod, by Piotr Talma (certified THCI) -Single hand and switch rod casting demo with Skagit lines, by Robert Karlewski, organizer of "I Love DH" festivals -Fly tying m...

Last couple of days I spent on my home river. On Friday 22.06, I went fishing in the evening.  Water level was very low, 221 cm, flow 3,5 - 3,7 m3/s. It's not very good for fishing, when flow is low, cobblestone bottom got covered with unpleasant slimy algae. That stuff constantly clings to flies, and it requires to clean hooks on every second cast. Disgusting!   River was a bit crowded. There was 2 other fishermen in the pool. But they were more talking than fishing, so I got an advantage and occupied the best spot in the head of the pool, where's faster current.  Faster current means less algae, and less necessity to clean the flies.  I set up scud imitation as anchor fly, and pink head micronymph on the dropper. Big rainbow took fly fiercely, short fight, and fish gone.  I didn't mention, which nymph it took.  More attempts, and second fish took the fly. Also decent rainbow. Fish ran upstream, then downstream. I released reel to let it go....

Raba runs catastrophically low. 224 cm and 4,3 m3/s the whole week. That's a result of premature hot summer in April and May. But, water below dam is still very cold, +6,5 / +7 C. I fished early in the morning, and it was very slow.  My gear of choice was Ego Glass rod 7'8" 4wt with OPST Commando 175 skagit head, 7'5" floating tip and 7' tapered leader. I tried few streamers, black and purple wooly buggers, white zonker. Only one fish seduced on purple wooly bugger with pink head. There was a hatch of small insects, but I didn't see surface activity. Only one big trout jumped near the opposite bank with loud and spectacular splash. Later, I tried Czech nymph without success. Floating pieces of grass in the river made it harder, I need to clean my flies from the grass on every cast. Quite annoying. I fished until 8:30, and went home. Praying for the rain and higher level.

Surprisingly very warm weather in the end of March. +15 C , plenty of sun. When it concerns fishing, sun isn't best fisherman friend. Fish became spooky, and hides in the shadows, under cutbanks and obstacles. This time I discovered different part of Warta, from the bridge in town Jastrząb. Convenient access road starts from the bridge, and goes along right side of the river. There are few curves with steep cutbanks. The places look "fishy" , but there was no contact. 400 meters from the bridge there is S-shaped curve and two good pools in the corners. First is tricky, because of many snags. Second very suited for fly fishing. But it requires wading in shallow part of the river to make a cast. After S-curve. there's very shallow part of the river, mostly knee-deep and you can see waves of sand on the bottom. Another interesting pool, hidden between trees.  It requires wading to make a cast, but there's shallow water near right bank. There...