Fishing in Slovenia


More about fly fishing in Slovenia: FLYFISHING IN SLOVENIA | More about carp fishing in Slovenia: CARP FISHING IN SLOVENIA

Slovenia is one of the countries of middle Europe that is very rich in fishing waters due to the fact it is intersected by big or smalll rivers and lakes, some of which are still unspoilt. The majority of these waters is owned by state and the state entrusts the management of the fish life in these waters to fishing families and they all do it wisely. Fly fishing in Slovenia has a tradition over 100 years old, but lately we notice an increase in fishing for carps Catch and Release style. If you decide to fly fish for marble trout or huchen in Slovenia, it may turn out to be an unforgettable experience.


Some interesting facts about fishing in Slovenia:
The heaviest carp was caught and released in 2013, on the lake Šmartinsko jezero; it weighed 34,6 kg.
The biggest marble trout was caught in the river Soča, it was 120cm long and weighed 22,5kg.
The largest huchen was caught in the river Sava, it was 135cm long and weighed 26,9kg.

The fishing families sell the licences for recreational fishing for their fishing districts. The recreational fishing can be performed by the rules that are -on the state level- defined by the rule book on fishing regime in fishing waters.

The main rules of this rule book are:

Anybody with valid (daily) fishing licence can fish in these fishing districts in Slovenia. The fishermen are divided into two cathegories; the tourist fishermen and the fishermen that are members of an individual fishing family. The first ones must buy valid daily fishing licence, the other ones posses annual fishing licence, valid for certain districts and with certain number of fishing days allowed. When you decide to become a member of a fishing family, you have to pass the fishing exam in the determined time period from your frist day as a member. The fishing families are voluntary societies that together form The Fishing Association of Slovenia. If you desire to become a member of any of 64 fishing families in Slovenia, feel free to contact them personally. If you want to buy your licence online, feel free to browse the web portal www.ribiskekarte.si.

Fishing licences are official documents. They are meant only for the person who bought them and cannot be transferable. Only daily and night licences exist. The 24-hours licences do not exist, but you can buy licences for multiple days. You are allowed to fish with valid licence only. The day licences are valid from dawn to dusk and the night licences from dusk to dawn. Dawn begins one hour after sunrise and dusk begins one hour after sunset.

The fishing is allowed with one rod, exceptionally with two rods. If the fishing is allowed with two rods it is clearly written on the licence itself. The fishing rod can only have one bait tied. That means that it is possible to fly fish with one artificial fly , when we bottom fish or float fish we can use only one hook and when we spin fish we can use one artificial bait with up to three hooks (single, double or triple) tied.Keeping of live fish and using the nets for keeping the fish are forbidden.it is forbidden to use live fish as baits while fishing.
Each fisherman must have a dehooker set on him.

Fisherman must give all the data about the catch to the fishing family. When fisherman reaches his/hers daily fishing limit (quantity of the fish that can be taken), he/she must end fishing.

These are the main points of the rule book about the recreational fishing in the continental waters of Slovenia. Each fishing family is entitled to tighten their own fishing rules, so make sure that you read all the instructions on the fishing licences carefully.

Links to the rule book about fishing regime in fishing waters of Slovenia: https://www.uradni-list.si/glasilo-uradni-list-rs/vsebina/82911 and to the code http://www.uradni-list.si/1/content?id=73793