Austria:

Fly Fishing the Alps and Beyond

Overall, Austria’s blend of history, culture, natural beauty, and culinary delights makes it a popular destination for travellers seeking diverse experiences. For the fly fisherman there’s equally diverse experiences to be had – from trout and grayling in high alpine lakes and streams to massive Danube salmon in roaring rivers.

By SAM STRAUSS

I grew up in a small town in the East Alps with good access to beautiful mountains and crystal-clear lakes. At the same time, the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas are not far. My father taught me snowboarding at the age of 4, but I never learned to ski, which is unusual in a place like Austria. We also spent a lot of time near the Adriatic Sea, and windsurfing was my passion for many years.

Later on, I traded the sail for waves and fell in love with surfing. With all that, I was able to pursue a career as a professional photographer, focusing mainly on sports, landscape, documentary, and advertisement photography. Since 2013, I have been making a living from my photography, and I’m very grateful that this endeavour has been successful. When I was a kid, my grandfather took me fishing a couple of times, but over the years, other things caught my attention. Some years ago, my good friend Dominik took me spin fishing on one of our nice lakes, and we went for pike. It didn’t take long before I caught my first one, and then the classic story continued. I was super hooked but lost in a new world of things to buy and techniques to try. Then, on April 16th, 2021, my other friends guided me to my first trout on a dry fly.

“Since 2013, I have been making a living from my photography, and I’m very grateful that this endeavour has been successful”

Another world opened up, but I was sure this would be my final step in fishing, and I would continue it as long as I could. From that moment on, I was lucky enough to have great mentors and got the chance to catch some proper grayling, rainbow, and brown trout, as well as barb, chub, and a small hucho while streamer fishing for trout in the middle of the summer.

Last spring, I began to tie my own flies and streamers as well. Most of them worked well on my local rivers, so I will continue making them on my own. On my last surf trip in the Mediterranean Sea, I took my fly rod and got addicted to fishing for mullet and seabass near the surf spots.

From the very beginning of my fly fishing journey, I took my camera with me and collected quite a big collection of photographs in a pretty short period of time. I have all the equipment for shooting underwater since I’ve done surf, wakeboard, and apnoea dive shootings. With that knowledge, I try to get a different view of things under the water surface. But I will always stick to classic photography, using both analogue and digital devices as tools, like a carpenter uses his hammer.

I only realized not long ago that fly fishing opened up a completely new view of the place I grew up in. In the last couple of years, I’ve explored our wild mountains in summer and winter. Now, I’m exploring all the rivers flowing down the mountains, and I’m slowly starting to understand how all these things work together.

Fly Fishing in Austria

Overall, fly fishing in Austria offers a rich and rewarding experience amidst stunning natural surroundings, making it a destination worth exploring for fly anglers around the world. Austria’s picturesque landscapes, including its mountainous regions and pristine rivers, provide stunning backdrops for fly fishing. The country boasts numerous alpine streams, rivers, and lakes that are home to a variety of fish species including brown trout, rainbow trout, grayling, Danube salmon (hucho hucho), and brook trout.

These fish inhabit the clear, cold waters of the Austrian Alps and other regions throughout the country. However, if you’re into chasing pike, perch, and zander with a fly rod, there are plenty of places to do that as well.

“Fly fishing in Austria can be enjoyed year-round, with different seasons offering unique opportunities.”

Among the most productive rivers in Austria are the Kimmler Ache, Salza, Gmundner Traun, Steyr, Stubach, Felberbach, Isel, and Amerbach Rivers. These rivers offer great grayling and trout fishing.

When targeting danube salmon during the winter months, the Mur, Drau, Enns, and Pielach rank among the best in all of Europe. Fly fishing in Austria can be enjoyed year-round, with different seasons offering unique opportunities. Spring and early summer are prime times for targeting trout and grayling, while autumn can be excellent for fishing as the fish prepare for the long and cold winters.

Regulations

Like many European countries, Austria has regulations governing fishing, including specific rules for fly fishing. Anglers typically need a fishing license or permit to fish in Austrian waters, and regulations may vary depending on the region and the type of water.

Licenses are typically quite inexpensive, ranging from 5 – 20 euros per day, and they can be bought at tackle stores and tourism agencies. Catch-and-release policies are often encouraged to preserve fish populations. More info can be found via the following link:

https://www.austria.info/en/thingsto-do/lakes-and-nature/fishing