Slovenia, hucho, flyfishing and Englishman
Well nothing is new on this world and i was just reading through a book called Sulec, slovenski sulcarji in sulcja lov do 2. svetovne vojne, or in translation, Hucho, slovene hucho fishermen and hucho fishing till 2nd world war. The book was written or better collected by Stane Omerzu and it is a collection of old fishing articles from old fishing magazines. Here is one, you might find interesting. The language used is an arhaic slovene, which adds a bit of a special tone to the text, with some words, we no longer use, but unfortunately my english is not good enough, to translate that.
Lovec, year 1911, page 178, O sulčji lovi /About hucho fishing
For Binkosti hollidays in year 1884 (1) two foreign sportsmen came fishing to Kranj. Older one, a frenchman named Eternant wanted to fish with a fish, but Englishman Shwan younger, only wanted to fish with a fly. Schwan had a rod, which was hollow in the middle, only 2m long. Through the rod a steel wire was pulled and with it and a screw he could compress and tension the rod, so that although it was just 6mm thick on the end, it still still was swinging in finest manner and could throw a fly as far as 20m or more (2).Me and E. went to get our baits as i was always keeping some live fish for hucho fishing (3). While we were walking towards Drulovka i saw him standing in water in latex trousers, throwing a fly. Sava was rather white and big. Me and E. went through all pools down to Prebacevo, but without success, but in the eveing he cought a nice fish. Englishman was waiting for us at old post office, weighted the hucho (4kg), measured it and remained quiet. E. was talking to me about pikes and salmon he has cought and showing me his tackle. I particulary liked his one hand rod, elegant and flexible, made of greenheart and a covered line, although it was running through 8 rings, he could throw up to 30m with it, but he used to collect a line on special wooden dish, whose leg he would stick in the ground. On the next day, Sava was even higher and murkier, we only managed to lift a few small cats with E. As there was no success i sent both foreigners to Poljane. A few days later, they both came back to Kranj, very much pleased. E. has cough 7 hucho and Sh. has cought one as well after all. There was no more success on fly, although Sh. had a small arsenal of them.
There are true originals among englishmen. A few years before my guests came, an englishman who was a guest of Malnar in Bled was claiming, that hucho would grab a silver spoon. He was making his case with the following logic: pike does grab a silver spoon, pike is a predator, so is hucho, it says so in his book, so! Pikes were at the time truly fished for with a piece of tin and spoon, this bait was pulled behind a boat on a long line so it was reflecting and shinning in water. The englishmen wanted to prove his claim, so he was fishing Bohinjska Sava and across Gorenjska. Other guests were leaving, he was fishing every day. Guests left, he didn't mind-he was fishing. In the fifth week, a small hucho did grab his spoon. The water has been slightly colored said the escorting fisherman. Englishmen has made his case in front of witneses and traveled away on the same day. The honor of Old England was saved!
1 ... (BlueOne: we celebrate the arrival of holy spirit among apostols on that day, don't know the english expression)
2... (BlueOne: i assume a streamer, the expression used is an arhaic word for fly, marking all flies so one can not be absolutely sure)
3 ... (BlueOne: During fishing, a dead fish was used, mounted on hooks and casted like modern artificial baits, much depending on skill of fisherman, how good he was in bringing a dead fish to life)
4 ... (BlueOne: Gorenjska is the region in Slovenia)
PS: The part of Sava, where Shawn was fishing, can no longer be fished for hucho. It has bee flooded some 20+ years ago to make a lake for power plant. However there is still some 2km of water below the Kranj itself and huchos are still there, fish over 120cm was cough during last years season.
Hope you liked it.
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