"VLTAVA" RIVER
FROM "POLKA" TO "LIPNO" LAKE

The small weir below the roofed bridge of "Lenora" makes a border between the "Vltava 34" preserve (MO CRS Lenora) and "Vltava 33" preserve (MO CRS Volary). "Vltava" flows along the border of "Šumava National Park" in this part of the mountains. The water runs fast in its shallow stony river-bed, which makes the river poor in fish. Although brown trout is very rare here, with a stroke of good luck you can meet graylings couple of meters downstream, near an old army shelter.

"Teplá Vltava" turns to the left below this army shelter and makes a small weir, followed by a small pool where small grayling use to reside. Running on, the river presents a long calm section. Especially its right side is also preferred by couple of grayling. One autumn, I nearly caught a very nice brown female here, she swallowed my dry Orange Dotterel size 18 completely and disappeared. Who was the lucky man that got her the following spring, I never knew.

In the middle of the pool, there is a relic of an old blind arm, that mainly dace like, especially at the point where the stony bottom switches to sand. Grayling also like this place, since spring waters rejuvenate the bottom pits each year and in these pits they like to stay. At the right side of the lower end of this pool, trout appear in the evening. We can also expect to surprise a pike standing along the left river bank.

Passing a railroad cross, "Vltava" flows on the territory of the "Šumava National Park" here. This area has "Zone I" status, which means it is not allowed to leave the tourist paths here. This zone of high protection goes on as far as to "Soumarský" bridge and ends at "Spálenka" opposite the tributary of "Olšinka". The middle pool, nearby the railroad cross, is divided into two parts by sand and bigger stones. The Christmas flood of 1993 made a number of huge pits loved by small and medium grown graylings. This flood was a very big intervention to the life of the river. Lot of fish could not get back to the river-bed after the water level fell down and died. Fortunately the next year was very rich in new born grayling and with a little help of human hands the river turned back to life.

I really used to like these places couple of years ago. It was right here, I put a beautiful grayling female back to the water and freed her from dead. Honestly I still remember the wonderful feeling! I even think that such a feeling is much more better than the feeling I could have enjoy having humiliated her. If you can hardly believe me, try it yourself. I use to do it everytime when catching a female. Although it is relatively easy to recognize a female from a grayling male here in "Šumava" rivers, sometime it happens that I make a mistake, what is really a source of my later big shame.

One my additional experience is connected with these places, and this one is rather aged, too. One summer, I hooked a great brown trout here using a wet Willow Fly size 14 during a sunset. The line was strong enough, but it was the hook what betrayed me. The fish was as big as to straighten it completely. That was the way I missed my biggest brown trout here. There were times when trout was more current in "Šumava" waters.

"Teplá Vltava", crossing the railroad, flows in a really wild scenery. It would be wiser not to write about it though, since there is a serious risk of popularizing these places among fishermen too much. Unfortunately there really are some among us who are frightening me permanently. Having gone a long way to the river, they can never get enough and the fish are disappearing. To be just I have to say that even some local fishermen do the same from time to time, being afraid that the tourists wont let them enough. It reminds me of a constantly spinning wheel.

"Šumava" meadows full of sharp grass surrounds the river here, that is why it is not easy to get to the river itself in many places. Big hurry can bring you an injury or break your equipment. You can meet a flock of deer or a wild pig. I also recommend you to be very careful and silent because even fish are extremely shy here. These places could be called a "university of dry fly-fishing". If you like this kind of fishing do not forget to check your skills.

It is not difficult to choose the right kind of fly here. You can relay on various kinds of small beetles, mainly Grey, Olive or Blue Dun, Red Quill or Apple Green Dun. As for the sizes I would recommend 18 - 22. Wings should be made of CDC-feather. The number of touches could be raised by making "parachute" kind of hackle which keeps the fly in a real-like position. If the day, when fish prefer duns with V-shaped wings comes, you will appreciate it. Last but not least: it is necessary to use the line of 0.10 mm in diameter.

During the spring, it is better to use wet patterns and nymphs. Nevertheless, they can attract big fish whole the year round. Various kinds of imitations of ferocious sedges similar to Hydropsyche also bring good results. Do remember that there is forbidden to wade the river as long as to May to secure quiet for grayling, reproducing in this period of the year. The measure for grayling is raised to 35 cm here, what is the second important thing to know. Such a regulations help protect the river and could be useful for other rivers too.

"Vltava" pools and curves present about 3 km long stripe of silent wild nature above the "Soumarský" bridge, where a chance of meeting big grayling, trout, burbot /Lota lota/, eel /Anguilla anguilla/, pike /Esox lucius/, perch /Perca fluviatilis/, dace and lamprey as well is very high. You can see even many otters (Lutra lutra) here.

The river leaves the forest and makes a pool full of trout and grayling above the "Soumarský" bridge, nearby "Olšinka". The river-bed is covered with sand and stones and in accordance with that, we can search for trout or grayling. This place was the most favourite place of our friend Ela. Besides nice fish, a magic fairy from a nearby weekend hat appeared on his sight from time to time, what made him stick to his place for hours. We do not visit his pool since he is watching us from fishermen-heaven.

Although "Soumarský" (the translation is - "beast of burden") in the name of the bridge sounds rather romantic, the bigger the expectations were the bigger the disappointment faced its visitors during the last decades. "Soumarský" bridge was not much a real bridge, it used to look more like a bigger foot-bridge. Although it is much more majestic today, it truly less fits to the countryside.

It is right "Soumarský" bridge, where I was discovering the secrets of a very fine kind of fly-fishing - the wet one, which brings big success all the day-light here. If you cannot use nymphs, do not know which fly to use, or where to stand, this classical way of fly-fishing is the best one. March Brown under Blue Dun and Red Tag above bound on a flouting line, it used to be my favourite set. One step upstream after each fly has flown over, another step nearly as far as to the opposite bank and waiting for a touch, it used to be my all day long dance here in the past. You can let the flies to float nearly below you, "hold" them shortly, make a throw over and again. Grayling, trout and even dace used to like my flies. When evening set down I used to take two wet Coachmen with red and orange tags.

Although the river was full of big grayling that time we did not know how to catch them and those who did, kept their secrets very well. Once I decided to check my skills and went to the place under a tall spruce, where wonderful pieces of grayling lived. Since everyone used to stand on the left bank there, I decided to make a new strategy. I put my first wading trousers on, which were not as waterproof as they should have been by the way, and went for it. Suddenly a grayling appeared about 4 m upstream from me and next one in a moment. Two fish and so near!!! Hidden in a bush, I was taking one of my flies after another but without a success. Having used all of my supply I decided to try a beetle called Little Chap - just two or three spins of a peacock feather fibre as a body, thin light hackle on a hook 18 and all that on the line with guaranteed tights just of 0.6 kg. Even with such a fine fly the result was the same as before.

The fly flew four times near the fish and - nothing. Trying it for the fifth time I suddenly noticed a huge violet body jumping above the surface with a mouth widely open and swallowing my snare. Being shocked I jerked too much with my bamboo rod and the fish was caught. I lost the opportunity to have a good fight with the fish but I felt great though. My shaking hands prepared another Little Chap immediately. Being encouraged I went for another try. The fly was passing the fish four times, it must have seen it but made no reaction. Fifth try - and another, about half a meter long, grayling was picking my fly. What do you think I did… Right! Crash, boom, bang and it was all over. Such a fishing it used to be.

These days when even the most thin lines are supertight and all the kinds of flies are nearly perfect, and when we have the opportunity to use weighted nymphs with a strong line - none of the fish can grow up to the sizes of Moby Dick. Uncontrolled taking of all the fish exceeding allowed measure is as dangerous as fish's natural enemies -otters. Fishing with heart without an ambition to get a catch everytime can only change it a little bit.

I used to prefer catching with big or small palmeras called "brushes" or "rise brushes" about ten years ago. I made them on a hook of 14 or a smaller one, its body was made of peacock feather, back turned hackles were red and as long as the body itself. A tip of some shiny colour was the last necessity. The best of them were made of orange coloured wool, but red, yellow, or brick-red were valid too in some places at some moments. "Brushes" used to bring me excellent results dry as well as wet. Once - it was during September - Zdenek - a friend of mine was carrying tree "mobydicks" during a period of half an hour using a 14 size "brush" with a yellow tip. Just one of them lose the duel with Zdenek though. The other broke the hooks damaged by the vice before.

There have always been a fame of Olive Duns but I did not like to use them. I used to have some in my box, but I used to take them only in the last case. I did not need to use them in 95% of all the situations. Another fashion-era was the era of Orange Dotterels. It was the time of my most beautiful experience concerning the "Soumarský" bridge as well. I have caught nearly all my biggest "Šumava" grayling thanks to Orange Dotterel 18. Just a couple of peacock feather spins, thin hackle made of dark-gravy grizzly and a small orange tip, it was all the secret. It is necessary to use the finest fibre for dry fishing flies. If we achieve to put the fly so well that the line makes a small hut-shaped loop straight before it in the air, our Dotterel is irresistible. This model is suitable mainly for summer days though. When the time of cold autumn rains comes, it is better to use a hook of 20 and couple spins of peacock completed with just one thin spin of white hackles - that is my advise for the end of the season.

In couple of last years, I have advanced as far as to duns in my dry fly-fishing. It is necessary to have some in your box and not just 16 but also 18 - 22. When warm summer evenings come - small, light, green, yellow or grey models are excellent. The nearer the autumn is the earlier in the afternoon can we get grayling. Later at the end of September they start to pick early than 1 p.m. comes, and do not stop before the allowed - fishing - time does not pass. After 3 PM we should not expect to get some though.

Although the situation was rather opposite in the last couple of years, Olive Duns, Grey Duns and Red Tags are probably the best we can imagine as suitable for such a case. All of these patterns are possible to be made of canards, which is CDC-feather and "para" hackle bound above the body. This kind of a fly is the most effective one at the moment when graylings desire to see "V-shaped" wings. In such a moment just "parachute" will drive the fly sitting naturally on the surface in 90% of all the cases.

And later - comes the day when the big grayling like to pick emerges of that small duns under the surface and double-winged flies are ignored. In such a cases you have to take your dry duns, cut their wonderful wings off and try your luck with such a poor flies. This is the only way to outwit an experienced fish.

October is the most beautiful month in "Šumava" mountains. Raising grayling and hooting stags are just a part of the genuine atmosphere I use to come for here. Light fogs are crawling in the valleys and mornings are decorated with laces of spider webs when the summer breaks to autumn. In such a days everybody recognizes - the right time is here!

Straight below the "Soumarský" bridge there is a pool with deeper water at the right side. The river-bed becomes wide here and the bottom is covered with stones and couple of lonely rocks. Grayling, brown trout and dace are to be seen here. "Vltava" flows on over an artificial ford made of concrete desks. The ford was installed in the times of wood-transport here, but none have move it away since the time it lost its sense. Big trout coming from the lower deep pool use to flock at the left side of the stream. Below the ford, there is a place of grayling which like especially nymphs.

The "Vltava" river-bed curves right rapidly, and the river flows on to the tourist camp. It is possible to meet really big grayling here, to catch them is a big problem though. Because this place is popular with exclusively experienced fish that are familiar with most of our tricks and snares. Also pike of "Lipno" stay here, perch, eel, and big asp (Aspius aspius) moving to their favourite places of spawning each spring. Burbot are also very common here. The river is very vivid here through all the summer, but the fishermen rush is also huge, the result is that fish ignore the snares mostly.

Below the camp, the river deepens and makes very famous pools nearby the army shelter. Later "Vltava" runs from the forest and its long shallow stream hides good grayling and even some trout. "Dobrá" lea is full of sharp grass fields which are difficult to go through. Once I met a friend of mine going from "Volary" these places and he was wet and dirty completely after having fallen into one of the lagoon . It did not take a minute and I lay in one too.

It is possible to observe the mystic "Vltava" water from "Dobrá" foot-bridge. Last autumn Louise and Ota told me they had seen extraordinary big grayling there and I guessed they wanted me to go for him. Since the weather was sunny and the sky was clean I did not even try it. Usually I use to go there when the weather is cloudy. It is also better if the water level is falling down slightly to catch a big fish. When the weather is sunny and warm you would catch a big fish rather in the forest above "Soumarský" bridge.

Nearby "Dobrá" foot-bridge there is a number of nice pools and it is not too rare to find some grayling here, too. Bigger fish prefer the left side of the river-bed and deeper water. Good grayling pick mainly by the stone gangway built on the beginning of our century. You can notice them by their bubbles appearing on the surface. Slight sandy banks are another typical places to find a big fish, we should use nymphs there. The biggest grayling do not show themselves too willingly. They are standing near the bottom in the deepest sections mainly. We can discover them picking by the huge circles on the surface.

Grayling behave rather strange here. Neither than in other submountain rivers they are very wary here. Usually as soon as they notice a line or a leader they hide themselves in more safe shelters. That is why I recommend to choose 0.10 mm end of the leader, you also do not forget to clean it from fat. Thanks to many a peat-field the "Vltava" water has brownish or reddish colour here, that is why I prefer Platil lines made in Germany.

When a bigger grayling flows in a carpet of duns it seems like four fish more are raising here besides him. Grayling eats also so that he picks here and there slowly crossing the pool and than he moves to another place. Surprisingly grayling is not just a "one-place" fish. Very good conditions for fishing come after the previously raised level of water fell down, because the river-bed gets clean. Amelioration of "Šumava" fields and meadows have completely changed the water life regime so the level of water changes rapidly in accordance to the sum of falls. Hopefully, one day there will be enough money for revitalization of the brooks damaged by amelioration to secure enough water in the river-beds.

Below "Dobrá" lea, "Vltava" runs on in south-east direction, deeper clay pool alternates with more or less shallow sections. Not many a man can notice that the river-bad is fastened in an old traditional way here. This traditional type of fastening the river shows that people used to respect the natural river-bed shape in the past. They used to cover the bottom with big stones, which is something completely different from straightening the river as was usually done during the last decades in our country. From the "Jedlový" brook running left from "Stögrova Hut" it is forbidden to enter the river bank. The area here is also declared as "National Park Šumava" Zone 1 which goes on over "Brezinka" brook to an unnamed left-side tributary. From this place to the railroad-bridge of "Volary" - "Cerný Kríz" the border of the National Park moves to the right side of the river so to walk on the left side is allowed.

Another excellent place for fishing is the place by the end of village "Dobrá" nearby a corner of the forest called "Brezinka". The tall spruce that used to stay here was broken by one of the strong gale commonly running around the "Stozec" mountain towards Bohemia. The gales are also the reason why you can hardly find an old tree here while ruins of trees are not rare. In this section of "Vltava", there begins a chain of very nice pools and small streams full of grayling, while trout are more or less rare. It is more possible to catch a trout that came from "Lipno" lake to this places. Dace are also common here. The preserve ends under the railroad bridge of "Cerný kríz".

Dr. Karel Krivanec