HUNTING HUCHO - HUCHO

Simon Hunter Bunn

Well, where do we start this story?

Maybe at the beginning, the first time I showed Warren Bradfield and Andrew Savs a hucho hucho on the Sava River in Slovenia while we were fishing for trout and grayling on their last trip here. At the time, you see, the season for hucho hucho was closed and would only open in the winter six months later. We never took a shot at one.

We were walking along the banks early one morning and were checking on fish activity so that we could fish accordingly for the day. Lo and behold there she was, a trophy fish of around 110 cm holding midway down a long run in about 2m of water next to a big boulder. We all just froze and, to be honest, I can't remember exactly what was said, but the look on the guys’ faces seemed to imprint itself in my mind. They were looks of a sort of disbelief, with their jaws dropping and them rubbing their eyes to make sure that they were not dreaming. The guys were impressed, that’s for sure! Knowing Warren's background in big game fishing I wondered how long it would take for him to come back for a hucho hucho hunt. He had a rather distant gaze in his eyes for the rest of the trip.

Fast-forward about twelve months and the call came. Warren was keen to get the ball rolling on planning a trip to hunt in the 2019 winter season, so that's what we did. Savs was tied up and couldn't make it so Warren and I were going to fish together.

We planned and planned. In my experience that’s all that one can do simply because there are two major factors that come into play after the planning: weather and feeding behaviour, and they go hand-inhand. The rest can be dealt with (fishing is fishing), but with no control over the weather even if one hunts as hard as possible it doesn't mean that the fish will be biting and that you'll be catching.

Hucho hucho are the kings of the river and they will do just as they please, when they please! We can only hope to be positioned in the right place at the right time. They can switch on and off in an instant. The big fish that we would be chasing are largely piscivorous and feed on other fish the likes of trout, grayling, sculpins and a wide variety of white fish. It is basically opportunistic and if something is vulnerable, it will be eaten. It will supplement its diet with a variety of dietary supplements such as ducks, rodents, squirrels and snakes if they present themselves. However, conditions have to suitable and because of the size of the prey items the fish will often just hold in its lurk to digest its food. This is a process that may take some time, even up to a few days.

So, our plan was to hunt for them for ten days, and it was just as well that we set so much time aside for it. We got hit by some really adverse weather on the tour and the rivers were turned upside down. Chasing hucho hucho is more widely referred to as a "hunt" in the Danube drainage system of the Balkan area that they inhabit. It's not a fish that gives itself away easily and it requires some hard work to even get a sniff at one. You also have to hunt for them in angling pairs due to the high danger involved in the pursuit of these monster predators.

Warren’s arrival was imminent and for me the pressure was mounting as I watched a weather forecast that wasn't looking good for the trip.

It looked however as though we would have a few days to have a go before the approaching storm of all storms hit and I wondered if he actually knew what he was in for. One good thing was that it was still in the beginning of the season and the ice cold hadn't arrived yet - but we can just put that down to global warming (ha ha).

The day arrived and there he was, in a teeshirt at 18:00 at a cold and wet Ljubljana Bus Station, but with the biggest smile on his face. Yeah, he was ready! He was looking buff from training sessions at the gym and was ready to make his trip all that more adventurous while covering km's of water over the next 10 days. As always Warren was full of banter and in good spirits - which helps when going hunting for hucho hucho.

Back at the house we quickly went through all the gear for the tour. Warren is a little OCD about gear, but that's a good thing as we lost nothing on the trip and always had what we needed. Prior to the trip and while I was back in SA for a while we made sure to go to see John and the guys at Xplorer to get to get all the gear we needed.

(At the end of the article is a list of tackle that we used for the trip). The guys at Xplorer were super helpful and even ordered in what we were looking for. So, with all the gear sorted and packed it was time to rest up for the next morning.

I could hardly sleep, as it is most nights before a tour. Warren was keen for a hucho hucho and I was keen to christen the T50 and to realise my goal of the last two seasons to be the first to take the Xplorer range through their paces hunting these big kings of the river.

Here's how it went down.......

Up at 05:00 in the cold and rain and off to the Sava River. This was to be the biggest river that we would fish and is known for big hucho hucho. We needed to fish her first as she carries the water of a great many tributaries out of Slovenia and she's normally the first to go when big rains arrive. Even though the fish were there she proved be hard to fish.

The water levels were not at the best for flyfishing, making the day a challenge and difficult. The Sava was running at around thirty-five cubes a second but over the next fourteen days she would see in excess of a thousand cubes a second passing through. This was to be the last chance that Warren would have on the Sava because of the rising water levels and the current keeping us at a distance from the good spots. The flow was swift and the rocks were slippery.

After a tough but lekker day with no strikes we opted to go back, grab all of our gear and head up further to the north east the following morning. The absolutely stunning Savinja River, a tributary to the Sava River, is where we decided to stay for the next couple of days before the storm arrived. The Savinja River system is great for hunting hucho hucho as it has always produced the highest strike rate on fly. This is where I knew Warren was to get his introduction, although when exactly I wasn't sure, but I was sure hoping it would be soon. We got to the spot, not a secret spot, but a rather obvious weir next to the Sempeter Fishing Club that on a previous trip had produced a great 85cm hucho hucho for me. It’s just a great place to start the day off. Cast after cast we searched all the likely places, and even the unlikely ones, without any strikes - well at least not from the species that we were looking for.

Sensing that it was time to change spots I asked Warren if we should head to ‘100% Pool’. We had clocked about eleven kilometres of walking the previous day so we wanted to try all of my main waypoints in the vast area we were in by car. The rivers vary a lot throughout the season with the ever shifting free stone that moves through it course and you need to travel to find the best spots. Off we went 100% pool.

Arriving at 100% Pool we had a look around before each choosing a great position in the head of the water we were fishing. I had caught fish here before and felt that this was probably going to be a good spot. It couldn’t have been more than ten casts and a small hucho hucho had a go at my fly, but missed it. I told Warren and he gave me one of those great fishing buddy glares. The next cast I was on! What a great moment, it was a solid fish in unbelievable condition and was very fat. Although at around 80cm it wasn't the longest fish it was strong it really gave a good fight.

I've learned that with hucho hucho you have to break them in the first ten seconds of the fight. They are really, really strong, are super fast and if the fish gets the upper hand they love to run down stream and are easily lost. The way they make your line cut through the water at such speed is something to see.

Man, my adrenalin was pumping and the fight was on but I kept the pressure on and was soon to be rewarded with an awesome fish. One of the tricks in fighting them is to keep the line as short as possible and when she ran downstream I walked my way down, keeping good contact. If you let too much line out they will snag you up in something.

Warren filmed the fight and it was pretty short but with the fish in the net it was time to get a few pics for the memory banks. What a moment! My smile was back and it always feels great to release them back into the river for another day. I had to have a laugh, as now my dilemma was looking at Warren for the rest of the day. I was hoping that he would have got the first fish so now the pressure was really on. We went to a few spots within walking distance and spotted one fish that had a go at his fly but soon disappeared after spitting it.

With no more strikes for the hard session in cold, wet weather we went to check into our accommodation and went out for supper at the Mozirje Fishing Club.

We stayed close to the Mozirje Fishing Club waters at and sun-up we soon noticed that we wouldn't be the only ones one the water that day. With the river running super clear and all the fisherman around it became obvious that this was going to be a difficult day. It was the opening week on the club waters that we had planned to fish on. A small front had also passed through during the night and the fish were on edge. The day was pretty drab with a cold wind blowing and we ended up scratching around looking for place to flyfish among a lot of spin guys. We had no luck and although we saw some fish they were extremely spooky and vanished soon after being spotted. We fished ourselves stupid into the cold and dark before we retreated to base to plan the next day.

We had planned go back downstream to the Sempeter Fishing club where we were the previous day. We hadn't seen another angler around, so we knew we would be left to hunt in peace and quiet… and the cold... and the rain. The anglers that we had met on the river the day before were great guys but it’s always better to hunt away from the crowds. The pressure was now on for sure as there was a massive front hitting us in the afternoon and there had already been some flooding in the west. We had seen, had strikes from and had already caught fish so it was time to get it all together. Practice time was over and we knew what we had to do.

We went straight back to the spots where we had luck before and although the weather was tough on us our spirits were way stronger. We started off in a downpour. The first stop brought nothing and we moved to the second. Action! It wasn't long before we both saw and lost fish as they were hitting and spitting the flies just as quickly. The heavens opened up again and it started to pour down but as there was no lightning we pushed through after a break and a big lunch. We decided to finish off the day at 100% Pool.

We went our respective ways as we did on our last visit but as entering the water I remember commenting about the smell of fish and that the water was rising. These are perfect conditions for big fish to come out.

Warren was in position and was casting away as I was starting to get my line out. A short flick and I sent the streamer down some fast water close by. Nothing.

A flick a little further and there they were. A big shape appeared from the depths and rose at the fly but the water was going at pace and it just missed it. I was trying to get Warren's attention, flicked the fly again and this time I saw a massive tail splash out of the water.

When Warren finally looked at me he gave me that look - not such a cool look, I must say, but it quickly changed to a big grin when he realised that I was hooking up on my streamer and was gesturing for him to come and stand next to me. I explained to him what had just happened and the game was on.

First cast and he was on, but the hook didn’t set and the fish came off. Next cast, again the same thing! The fish were thick in that spot they were all holding and were smashing bait fish as they flushed down stream. A few more casts saw no action until another fish hit and again came off. It went quiet for the next few casts but adrenaline was now pumping. I said to Warren that he should change his fly as the fish had all had a go and were now rejecting it.

While changing we had a very quick pep talk and I told him to hold the line tight in right hand trigger finger and strip strike the next fish like he would GT cruising the shoreline. The fly hit the water and was straight-away engulfed by a monster.

The hookset was perfect and Warren was on. His rod bent in a beautiful arc as a bus of a hucho hucho turned and powered its way s t r a i g h t t h r o u g h t h e m a i n c u r r e n t downstream, around a rock and under a log jam. With the light fading and the river rising I opted to make the dash back to the bank to put my gear down as I would need to help Warren land this big fish.

I lost my footing, took a fall straight into the icy water and noticed that I didn't get wet at all inside with all of the layers of gear that I was wearing. This was a good thing as I had soon realised that the only way to land the fish was to wade out into the current, head down to the snag and try to free the line. Warren at this time was just holding pressure on the fish and getting into position because as soon as the line was free the battle would be back on.

In I went and with the current at my back I sort of treaded and floated to the big rock, released the log and then the line, hoping that all would still hold. When I was done the fish was still on and I made my way back while Warren was getting stuck into the second half of the fight.

When I got see the fish in full I realised that Warren was battling a fish of a lifetime! She was still green and went off on another run. Line screamed off the reel but the drag eased the initial charge and stopped the fish getting back into the current. When they do this all one can do is to hold on. It was as if time started to freeze and the fish headed straight towards me and again we could see how big she was. Splash! She turned again and went on another small run but her runs were getting slower and slower, so on the next chance Warren led her straight to the net. She filled the net with half of her great bulk still sticking out - but that was of no concern as we only needed to keep her under control.

He had done it! Not only was it on his first trip, but he had entered the world of the One Metre Club on fly. She was a trophy fish and measured in at 105cm. Lots of shouts of joy and a few pics later she was released for another day. From that moment on Warren became known as One-Metre-Warrie!

Here's the thing though, the fish seemed familiar as when I netted her I noticed a small scar on her tail. Back at base and so super stoked to have got a great hucho hucho the pics were brought out for inspection. What a fish! An absolute beaut of a fish, but still, it looked very familiar. I quickly went onto Instagram to check out a fish I caught last year. We compared pics, got some ID markings and soon confirmed that it was a fish that I had caught the previous season. When I caught her she had measured in at 101cm but now came in at 105cm and a few kilograms heavier. She was in stunning condition and she had grown.

Last season some guys had laughed at me when they saw my barbless flies, but it just goes to show that they work and how they have almost no impact on the fish when released. I am an ambassador for catch and release. Hucho hucho are under major threat in the Balkans due to the number of hydroelectric projects proposed in their habitats and commercial exploitation. The Sempeters Fishing Club's outlook on the safeguarding of their waters is fantastic and be easily seen when on the water. The monitoring of the fish and the environs in which they live lead to a fantastic fish quality, which in my opinion all result in great flyfishing memories.

That night the heavens opened up into deluges of rain and by the next morning the water volume had doubled and the river was just a roaring torrent of toffee-coloured water. The storm had covered most of Slovenia and the alpine rivers were in no shape to fish. We quickly packed up and headed south to the Krka River, which is a chalk stream. Chalk streams tend to take longer to fill up so we hoped that there was a chance that we would be able to fish it. It was also blown out and we went to meet a friend, Gregor, at his fishing shop where we spent a long time planning what to do over the next few days.

Pike fishing was on the cards in a contained lake that doesn’t get affected too badly by storms.

We got more gear, the necessary tickets and leased a stable boat. The next day we got to the lake just glad to be able to chase one metre fish again. Lake fishing with 9wt rods can be tiresome so we kept the banter going and just after lunch One-Metre-Warrie had a big pike charge his fly close to the edge of the boat. It was the only pike that we encountered and the next day looked bleak, to say the least.

The next day was pretty much the same and banter again set in with the boredom. The rivers were now out of control and we were getting boat fever. We switched rods to check out each other’s gear, chirping about the performance until my line went tight and a monster pike charged for the

surface with the fly deep in its mouth. Time again seemed to freeze as the fish broke the surface while I was trying to set the hook. It must have hurt him to watch this with me on his rod. Ten or so big head shakes and the fly came whizzing past my head as the beast spat it out. We both fished a little harder after that but our pickings were zero and we called it quits when the rain came back.

We spent the next day resting and while we were soon ready to hit the rivers the problem was where to fish. The big rivers were very full and only a few of the smaller rivers were fishable. We tried calling a few clubs to book water but had no luck and everything except for their ridiculous prices seemed to get lost in translation. Tired of wasting time we left behind the politics and went back up to the Savinja River, even though the waters were still high and there was more rain on the way.

We had been subdued by the weather for so long that, no matter what, we both just wanted to get one last fish each. The rivers had subsided to the point of being only just fishable . We left 100% Pool for last and found it fishable from only one side. Warren was up first with a small hucho hucho of 60cm, but it was a catch to be happy about as the rain was coming again and conditions had worsened through the day. Shortly after that I was gifted with a surprise fish on my first swing of the fly, a perfect little 70 cm Hucho Hucho to end the tour. We had been tested to the max throughout the trip. It is no easy feat to hunt hucho hucho but we managed our patience, pushed our endurance and kept our emotions in check to be rewarded with memories that will last a lifetime.

Well done One-Metre-Warrie on your never-give-up and chase-them-hard attitude. You achieved your goal but now I fear that the hucho hucho have dragged you into the thrill of the hunt which is whole new world to dwell in.

The rain had arrived again and we headed back to headquarters to get Warren packed up for his return to a sunny, dry South Africa and to reflect on what was an awesome tour.

HUCHO HUCHO FACTSHEET

So good luck listening to those stories of small stream fish from back home, I know you'll have a distant gaze in your eyes while thinking about hunting monsters.

The huchen, Danube salmon, sulec (pronounced suletz ) and King of the River are some of the more common names for this freshwater fish of the salmon family.

Order - Salmoniformes Family - Salmoninae Genus - Hucho Speicies - H.Hucho

Its not anadromous, meaning that it only lives in fresh, cold waters and doesn't run to sea. It is a cousin to the Siberian taimen (hucho taimen) as well as Japanese taimen ( hucho perryi ).

Huchen can grow up to 1.5m in length and can exceed 50kg in weight, although their more common average catch lengths vary between 60cm and 120cm.

The vast majority of fish are caught spinning gear as it is much easier to target them that way. Only true die-hard fly fishers chase them on fly. Big flies are used for big fish and unweighted streamers between 15cm and 20cm long are coupled with a variety of lines, normally an intermediate line.

TACKLE USED

All of the gear listed below is available at Xplorer Fly Fishing Concept Store or online at www.xplorerflyfishing.co.za

Simon Bunn used a Xplorer T50 nine foot, nine weight rod, a Redington Behemoth 9-10 supertorque reel and matched this with a Rio Coastal QuickShooter XP Coldwater WF9I intermediate fly line.