I love winter fishing in Vltava 24 for rainbows. I usually fish with combination of a blob in the point and a nymph on the dropper, tipped 0,18 fluorocarbon Hanák Competition, 5 size rod. I tuned technique that I feel takes as a tap to the tip of the rod, which is amazing and similar to zander fishing on lures in Lipno Lake. If I have no takes, I not change setup, I only change colour of the blob

Winter was similar to previous years, mild in in lowlands but not to mild in highlands, so the Lipno Lake was frozen from Christmas till the end of February. However, we had almost no snow.

As usually, we met at the river with friends both during Christmas holiday and New Year’s Eve and we also opened new season on the New Year Day.

There are some pictures from the winter fishing, I´m already looking forward to spring.

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I visit our trophy water always during colder months when days are getting shorter, maynly during the week.  We could not stock trophy fish to 3 kg as usually this Autumn as our the supplier was drowned in a flood in September, so we stocked only fish from our own production in size 40-55 cm. But in the same price we can have more fish and more takes However, after the flood, the Lipno lake was full and released water whole Autumn, so fishing was difficult, but not impossible for people of my  height

If I return to the flood mentioned above, our region was also affected, but not as badly as Northern Moravia, where entire towns were destroyed. We also had a partially flooded hatchery, but the damage was not as severe. For your understanding, who knows the Malše River, where the standard discharge is usually around 2 m3/s , during the flood the discharge reached 220 m3/s ….

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This weekend was discharge in Vltava river again decreased for three periods, the water always went down in the afternoon, and although we attended two balls, I found time and power for two short visits of the river, such an offer can not be refused And it paid off, I caught a few nice fish including one barbell and few rainbows over 50 cm, the blobs did not work so well, but I have other flies in my box

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We usually open fly-fishing season in Vltava 24 on January 1st, but this year it was impossible due to flood. Discharge in the Vltava had been high since Christmas and it culminated at 160 m3/s, our flies are not heavy enough for this conditions But the discharge was purposefully decreased due to a verification of the flood damages in the town of Český Krumlov from last weekend for three days. Together with relatively nice weather this was the right impulse to start this fishing season and also to check the condition of the fish stock after the flood. Fishing was great, rainbows survived the flood without problems, the were exactly where I expected them to be, and they weren’t shy thanks to minimal fishing pressure during last weeks. I managed two visits, one with Honza and Tobi and the second one with Jakub from which are also the pictures. I caught over 20 rainbows together, 5 trouts had over 2 kg and the biggest one had 62 cm and 3,8 kg, all fish were in a great condition. My friends were also successful. I even saw one hatching big stonefly and Tobi and Honza saw few rising fish.

We have short rest just now as the water is high again, but we expect next decrease of flow in the end of February and this will be hopefully also start of the dry fly season due to the hatch of stonefly.

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Winter came without warning, it started with heavy snowfall, when it fell as much as 70 cm of snow per day, then came frosts over -15°C, and after a week it warmed up again, but we managed all the winter activities, so it can be spring again

First I had to go to save our floating island on Lipno Lake, which was apparently cut off by some poacher, it was quite fun in the snowfall, especially when our boat engine broke down in the middle of frozen Lipno. But we managed it, we disassembled it and stored it on the shore, where it will wait until spring.

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We also went to Lipno with Blanka and managed to skate, cross country ski and snow windsurf in one day, no one got hurt, so it was very successful trip

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I also found one afternoon for Vltava 24, it was not easy, water is low and clear and fishing pressure is high, I had not so many takes, but if you don’t blank, it’s not a bad day.

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After few visits of smaller streams, I was missing a bigger river and visited Vltava 24 and Vltava 28. One afternoon I met my friend Petr on Vltava 24. Water was low and clear, my aim was to try fishing for pike or zander with wobblers and I had not a single take in two hours while Peter caught over 10 rainbows on nymphs. My aim was also to try fishing in river with new egg flies, which we frequently use in still-waters nowadays, and which I call “The dark side of the fly fishing” And it works ….

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Next day I went to Vltava 28 to my favourite meander under Rožmberk, I caught about 30 fish on nymph or dry dropper, the most abundant was surprisingly roach, but I caught all riverine species including nice rainbow. The highlight of the day was the grass snake that passed me, some of my friends would probably go crazy. And “the dark side” works also for chub and roach ….

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After two weeks of discharge over 50 m3/s, the gate in the Lipno II dam was closed a little on Friday morning and we had under 30 m3/s on Vltava 24 in Boršov from Saturday, more over weather forecast promised nice sunny spring days. Although the best discharge is 15-20 m3/s, for tall and heavy men is 30 m3/s no problem, mainly under withdrawal symptoms and nice warm weather I had to work at our cottage on Saturday, so I only visited river during the way and water looked a little muddy, but Tobi caught 4 fish in the afternoon at the bridge. I called David and we met in the camp on Sunday afternoon, we tried both streamer and nymphs, sometimes I had water level 5 cm under edge of my waders, but we caught over 10 fish, we even saw a few fish rising for hatching stonefly. What a great day.

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January didn’t start quite as I had expected. On the New Year’s morning I bent down for my bag to go fishing to Vltava 24 (it was 18°C) and my back hurt and I’ve been treating it all the January. I finally ventured out to fish with Tobi last Sunday Feb 5th. The water was a little higher and a bit murky due to the melting snow, but it was fishable and fish took, we caught 10 fish in total and we had some more takes, we caught some nice rainbows and I caught also two brook trouts, my best fly was a black streamer, chasing after orange blob, of course . Now it’s finally winter, just now is -10°C, so we’ll skate and ski for a while, and in three weeks we can expect first hatch of large stonefly

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Weather is extremely warm this year in November, however, when I checked posts from last year, it was not too different. We had bank holiday last Thursday November 17th, we celebrate this day “Day of fight for freedom and democracy”, this day in 1939 were closed Czech universities by Nazis and after 50 years in 1989, students protest started main part of “Velvet revolution” which resulted in the fall of the communism in the Eastern Europe.

The weather had been rainy from night, but the best way to celebrate this important day was of course fishing and in the late afternoon when the rain stopped I went to Vltava for a short visit.  I caught 6 rainbows within one hour and the last one was invited for dinner, I made three-course menu, as a starter we had touts with meat from tail marinated in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard and herbs, next we had fish soup and the main meal was grilled fillet served on mashed potatoes with Swiss chard.

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Another cold front came on Friday and we got our first frost and snowfall, about 10 cm of snow fell during Saturday.  I didn’t even count on fishing this weekend, but on Sunday afternoon an unexpected window appeared in my busy schedule and the weather also improved, so I packed my things and went to Vltava 24. I met David who was just finishing, he caught 5 rainbows on nymphs, so I started where David left off and he made me a few pictures. The low sun and nearby shower even conjured up a rainbow in the sky, so I thought I’d hope to see some rainbows too.

David was successful with black nymphs, so I used similar patterns, but water started to get a little muddy from the melting snow and nymphs did not working and it was necessary to use something more distinctive … in a fluorescent orange colour . I caught three more rainbows in the end of the pool after David, then I continued downstream and I caught one trout in every nice spot ending up with number seven. Not a bad day in November

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In Autumn, when the days are shorter, I usually more focus on Vltava 24, which I have about 12 minutes from my office and 14 minutes from home Discharge in the river has been suitable during last weeks, but extremely high air and water temperatures still has not persuaded olives to hatch yet. Next weekend looks colder, so we will see. But I have managed a few visits and never blanked, I also caught a few small pike.

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I would like to point one nice day, I took holiday from work as weather forecast promised maybe last good windsurfing day on the Lipno Lake. I made a proper breakfast, on the way to Lipno I helped my father with tyres, next I enjoyed the windsurfing,  great stabile warm wind and autumnal low sun changed surface of the lake to gold, it was really nice end of the season. I finished at about 3 p.m., so it was still enough time for quick coffee with keen windsurfer Luděk and for visit of Vltava 24 to catch a trout for dinner. I caught first fish by very first cast, so it was lucky fish as I did not want to finish so quickly. Second fish was also lucky as I lost it at the net, but the third fish had not lucky day and it was invited for romantic dinner. Finally I managed also one quick beer in the pub in the front of our house before my wife returned from fitness training   My friend says “after fifty we can no longer save on yourself” :-)

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