A few photos from yesterdays fishing on river Krka, Slovenia.

Great pictures - looks like a highly succesful trip.

Those follows really get the adrenalin pumping. Good size of fish. It'd be good to see the flies you used too.

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Dave Wiltshire

River Fly Box

Fly is a big secret then???

Yes and no. I've been pike fishing for a long time and when it comes to pike flyfishing one of the most important things is streamer. At least on ours heavily fished waters. I don't think it is ok to just give everything into ones hands. I like this sentence...you must work (actually in slovene original it is suffer) to get your fish, so that it means something to you... If somebody puts a bit of effort into catching a pike, he will also start to appreciate and value it much more, as if he woud just get a cookbook, go out and cought a few. Perheaps i am strange but that's how i feel.

I can tell you thou, that all were cought on big stuff with two single hooks.

It would have been nice to see an unhookingmat!

Don't use it, don't intend to use it and i release pikes in water exept those, which are in bigger sizes if i wanna take pic. Or those, that i keep. Not to mention i would like to see a hero which would carry unhooking mat for kilometers through bushes and similar stuff. And antiseptic and similar nonsense as well right? Just don't sell me this "political correct" C&R related higly commercial ****. At least not as long as wou will not be able to tell me why soft wet grass is in any case worse than unkooging mat. Exept that you do not pay for it to same industry, that creates the angling opinion by "independent" fishing press and "independent" authors and TV hosts etc., which of course never forget to say that they fished with X mark Y type lure.

BlueOne

how can you be sure ther's no twigs or small sharp stones amongst the grass. i always carry an unhooking mat regardless of distasnce. I bait fish for pike as well as fly fish for them and moaning about having to carry a small light weight mat while flyfishing just doesnt wash, try walking 7 miles toa swim with 9 stone of gear on you, then complain about a mat. no need for antiseptic, thats just nonsense. show your quarry soem kind of respect and carry a mat it not hard or heavy and costs about as muchas aspool of good leader.
marty

Twigs and small stones? LOL!!!! Someone always has something to cry about! I have hooked a lot of pike with big deep scars, obviously from being attacked from other pike and they were still feeding/like mad! So i don't think a few twigs or small stones will do much harm fella.


He obviously shows his quarry great respect as he puts them back instead of knocking them on the head!

Mate, what sort of pike fishing are you doing? I think you would be better joining the SAS

Well we have a pretty long discussion about such stuff on one of slovene forums. This picture here is actually a good reason against unhooking mat. Look at first pike. What do you see. Fin infection. And i would put this fish on unhooking mat and another and another.....

Putting fish on same spot is asking for disease transfer. What if infection would not be so visible. I belive i do less harm by unhooking fish in water and taking it out only where this is not possible or for occasional photo. And even those are made in water, if possible, as you can see above. Of all pikes cought that day, only the first one was taken out of water. If i would put the first one on the mat, all the others which i would put there, could get infected. Sorry, still haven't changed my mind about the mat. If you put a fish on teh grass, surely, there can be a stone. If you put it on a matt, it can get a disease from the previus fish from the day, or even before, if you do not disinfect your mat after fishing. I will continue going on withouth the mat.

And if by bait fishing for pike you mean stuff like live fish etc. that is something i would question way before anything else. I think that is allowed in Uk, but in my part of the world that is considered barbaric and unfair and has been banned for decades. From my point of view, if you would like to show some respect to pike and to the fish on hook, stop doing that.


BlueOne

Originally posted by Blue One,
And if by bait fishing for pike you mean stuff like live fish etc. that is something i would question way before anything else. I think that is allowed in Uk, but in my part of the world that is considered barbaric and unfair and has been banned for decades. From my point of view, if you would like to show some respect to pike and to the fish on hook, stop doing that.

I am with you on this one Blue one, there is nothing wrong with the way you are handling your fish, however.....If you consider it barbaric and unfair to stick a live fish on a hook and tether it as a meal for a hungry pike, is it any less barbaric and unfair to stick a live fish with a hook simply for the pleasure of catching it ? Perhaps if you want to show respect to the fish, you should stop fishing for them?
See what a can of worms a statement like that can open Blue one, anti anglers love things like that..........
Andy.

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The trout in yonder wimpling burn
That glides, a silver dart,
And, safe beneath the shady thorn,
Defies the anglers art

R.Burns