Some of my friends asked me last week where I would going at the opening day of the season. April 16th is the opening day in our trout waters. My answer was, that I opened this season on January 1st as Vltava 24 offers great fishing whole year around. I don´t like the rush along our trout waters during the first weekend of the season. On Saturday the 16th morning, I looked out of the window, it was cloudy and 5°C, I made breakfast for my wife and returned to bed. Next we were watching a ladies tennis match between Czech rep. and UK which we won . At the lunchtime, the weather improved a little so I decided to visit Vltava 24, discharge in the river was low, maybe it could show up a hatch of something.
When I arrived at the river, my friend Honza, owner of the local restaurant, had just finished grilling of chickens, so I started my fishing trip with half of the chicken, coffee and small Pilsner, not a bad start. During the lunch, I talked with other fishermen who came to the pub to warm up after the morning session, all of them caught something, and they told me, that morning was very cold and very busy, they estimated at least 20 people fishing in the stretch in the town.
I decided to visit lower part of the fishery, maybe there could be still some fish from last Autumn. I was welcomed by a massive hatch of the spring olives and by Sun which had just broken through the clouds. I was fishing for about an hour and a half, and I caught 5 nice overwintered fish in size 45 – 60 cm, all of them were in the great condition, but all of them had some injuries from predators, probably from otter.
Rest of the weekend we spent at our cottage at the Lipno Lake with whole family, I prepared windsurfing gear for incoming season, we also underwent some Easter customs (painting of eggs, making of whip, carolling, drinking, overeating …) and I also tried carp fishing and I made some pictures of yachtsmen and of the spring nature.