Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 8 May 2026
We started from home Monday morning at 7 am and arrived to Ljubljana on Tuesday morning 5 am. You could say it is long way to the top if you want rocknroll. First two hour car drive to Rovaniemeltä, then 4 hour flight to Bergamo, italy. We didn't risk to get bus on time so we took later bus to Venice. While waiting we had late lunch and walk in huge mall. In Venice we had several hours stop which we spent in snack bar with beer. And then last leg which was 3 hours in bus.
We didn't sleep much and it was not good sleep, yet here we are. Tuesday our friend and guide picked us up from bus and we had short sleep in accommodation before picking up rental car and having breakfast. Tuesday was shopping and resting day after travelling. In evening we ended up to do wine tasting for Slovenian wine, from certain farm. Great day and evening.
Wednesday was first planned fishing day and we had book guide from https://www.flyfishingalpeadria.com/
It is our friend's Bruno's company. Italian guy who is living nowadays in Ljublana. I met him 14 years ago when I was guiding group of Italian fishermen in Kuusamo. He has also small flat in basement at his house, it is perfect for two person and you can ask if that's available.
Wednesday morning, breakfast and getting gears to car. We headed to river Krka. We stopped in fishing Lodge, in village Krka to get licenses and having cup of coffee, it was nice place to have coffee as river was running just next to terrace.
As said Krka is quite small river, for my standards at least, water level was really low yet still fishable easily. River holds brown trout and rainbow trout. Brownie is native from start and you can call rainbow native also as they had stocked fish tens of years ago and it's spawning naturally. Bruno explained fishing and where to find fish in this water. River is perfect for dry fishing, for sight fishing not so much as it has kind of alga in bottom and fishes are hiding there. High water level you could be able to see fishes more. I spotted few anyway.
Bruno took Satu and I took spot little up, between faster water while Satu went down end of faster water. She had great start and caught some fishes right way. I got few fish to rise and hooked poorly two which I lost soon.
It was still decent start and I was happy that Satu caught some fish fast. We moved downstream and Satu was still nailing everything with Bruno, she caught more fish and lost ar least same amount maybe more. She hooked one really big one which she lost as it went on bottom and didn't move at all and eventually cut line.
I caught some small rainbows, nothing special yet. Fishing was still great. Long leaders with thin tippet, total lenght 12 to 15 feet and x7 and 8. Something which is not really needed in our waters to catch a fish, Satu had little shorter setup which she compensated great with her approaches.
Picnic lunch by the river with Lasko, local beer. And then time to continue, we moved more downstream and then came my moment to shine. :D
Rising fish in difficult place, well there were totally three of them, two easier and difficult one. Casting place was tricky, tree on left with branches blocking partly casting from up, on right side tree and branches blocking partly backcast. Room for casting was narrow and then you have to make presentation perfectly. I had no doubt that I couldn't cast from that spot the easier ones and make presentation at same time. Which I quite easily did, except fish didn't show any interest on fly. Fly went perfectly on other side next bank and current took it nicely to fish... no reaction. Assholes.
Difficult one was rising again, about 12 meters upstream from me, only possibilty was cast where I was, now tree on right was blocking direct backcast totally. Little bit up from rise there was island from algae so if cast is too long.. game over. This would be one cast possibility. It is difficult to explain how you should make cast. I'm right handed and rod hand was downstream. Rod had to be about 50 degrees angle, casting about 35 degrees downstream (right) from rise and then have delivery fly above rise yet not in algae and line has to land on left side of fish and tippet has to make 90 degrees turn to right that fly will end up in right position upstream from fish.
Now when I'm reading how cast went... I cant understand at all. You get idea tricky cast... I went with my feeling no pressure, not thinking just casting and perfect cast. When fly landed I thought there has to be prize from that cast, even Bruno said afterwards that I chose difficult fish. And there was, rise hook, fight and then Bruno went down from bank to net fish. Beautiful about 40 cm rainbow trout, not huge fish, good fish anyway. First decent fish for me and how I got it. :D
We continued downstream and Satu kept catching some fish, smaller and decent ones. I lost two big fish on jumps, another was not properly hooked and I knew that have to be lucky to net. Other one gave good fight and I losted that as I needed to stop it not to go in faster water downstream and then it decide to go upstream with huge jump.
We went one more time to downstream and I caught few nice fish, with nice targeted casts. Practising was paying off and lessons with Paul got totally new meaning. Sun started to go slowly down so we started to walk back to car, watching if there is any rising fish to catch. Satu was tired from heavy full day fishing and she sat down to watch the spot I fished. Same where Satu started the day.
There was now tailing fish next to rock, spot was not difficult yet daylight started to gone and I had problems to see size 20 fly. After few cast I got it right and hooked fish, also nice rainbow trout. Spot would hold more fish and I would like to continue still, clock was 8 pm and we had about one hour drive to accommodation. I called day to end as I couldn’t really see fly any more and that would crucial for hooking fish. When we went to car I realize how tired my body was, feet and right shoulder, shoulder because I carry my waist bag so that stripe goes over right shoulder.
I asked if Bruno, guide, would have another beer for us as I could have one now. He didn't and for that I have to give him small minus! He suggested we stop on fishing lodge to have beer on way back, but their bar wasn't open anymore.
It was absolutely great day with great fishing, teachable with long thin tippets. When we got to flat, I realize that it's not only my shoulder and feet which are tired... whole package was done, I still had time for few beers and Satu had some wine. We fished like you always should, fish like there is no tomorrow.
Have great weekend and go fishing, we will.
Mika the Legend, from Slovenia now
PS. I'm worried next week's forecast as it shows rain and we are going to Soca valley in mountains.
PPS. More to come as second fishing day on Thursday was Jekyll and Hyde, Unica river.