Austria 2016: Sorgiva, Drava, Moll, Hotel Aktive Gargantini reserve

My first experience with the fly rod over the border! We decide to go in October, the month of the grayling. Arrived in Rosegg after a few hours by car, we have half a day of fishing, so we opt to see "La Sorgiva", which was certainly not our goal, but the taley of the Arctic char from the year before by Andrea.Unfortunately we did not even see a char, they all seemed nailed to the riverbed!

But brown trout, several beautiful brown trout either by dry fly, or near the sunset with light streamers.

On the second day we left enthusiastically for the Drava's grayling, but you know, in fishing, as in life, nothing goes according to plan! In fact, grey waters welcomed us, but oh well, let's do the nymph ... But even than, an incredible wind that with the passing of the hours became stronger and stronger, did not allow us to fish.

But let's go back a step, before the wind I had a calm window of about 30 minutes that I will remember for a lifetime: my first Hucho with a fly!

Finding myself in front of this vey wide torrent, without point of references, I supposed that the fish would be swimming near the ballast. So I started to fish all the water with a nymph and, at the second cast, here it comes a small rainbow that I lose immediatly, leaving it practically flying, things that trigged the predator below. I immediately rose the nymph (black&white on #12) and hooked a big fish! Fighting, landing, ritual photos, and immediate release, I did not believe it! A Hucho on a nymph (Baby Hucho 56cm), I was very happy! Since I was in business, I told myself, why to continue with the nymph? So I changed the rod, and the second and last catch of the day arrived, A Hucho on a streamer, a younger brother of the previous one, but a Huco indeed.

Until then the trip had not impressed us (also because the second day I 2 hucho, but the rest of the squad did not see the shadow of a fin), but a fabulous day was waiting for us at the last day: the Moll!

What a river, generally shallow and crystalline water, flies that rise on purpouse to be inhaled, rainbow and brown trouts in sight!

In a few hours we have relied on all 3 days, with many and beautiful catches!

In October of the year after we come back!

Matteo Lavezzini