Fly Fishing in Bosnia

Pliva and Ribnik, Bosnia, Heaven or Hell?

For the past 25 years, anglers from all over Europe have been going back to the Balkans, Slovenia, since the early 90’s than later, to Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia. Bosnia has always been one of the best, with its rivers filled with grayling. Bosnian people are welcoming, and it’s a real pleasure to go there. So nearly 20 years ago I went on a trip with my friend the guide Thierry Millot, he’s been one of the very first foreign guides to take customers in what we called “CroBo” for Croatia and Bosnia, Heaven for grayling and trout. I went back a few years later, the beats we fished on the Ribnik and the Pliva were the same ones, but with more anglers, the hotel we stayed in had built more bungalows. The industry was there. And they are the same stretches of water you see in that film. Yes, that part of Bosnia can be heaven, but it also can be hell, spooky fish and hundreds of anglers before you. But it will also still be heaven because those places are gorgeous, the people are amazing and the fish playfull, maybe you’ll just want to try some other beats than the beaten ones. But don’t get me wrong, go to Bosnia and even go in winter for Hucho!