Upper Tepla
14th August 2005

The 3rd and final day of Josh & Joe's Czech Fishing break was spent fly fishing for Trout and Grayling on the Upper Tepla just to the north of the village of Becov. The weather was very over cast and didn't look too promising. I directed Josh who had fly fished before to his own little piece of the river and put Joe in a deep run where I know there are many Grayling and Trout. After a quick lesson in casting, seeing fish rise to the fly and striking when the fly has been taken, Joe was soon landing a Grayling which I had hooked and handed over to him to land so he could get the feel of a fish. 15 minutes later and Joe was running solo and pulling out his own Grayling. Josh on the other hand was getting his fly nibbled by tiddler Grayling (he actually caught one). On my suggestion Josh moved up stream from Joe and was soon into a nice size Rainbow Trout. The day ended about 2pm with some lunch and then the drive to Cheb railway station where the y caught the train back to Germany and their base. The total catch for the 3 or 4 hours fishing was 6 or 7 fish.

Odrava River - Jesenice Reservoir
13th August 2005

The 2nd day of Josh & Joe's Czech Fishing break was spent on the Jesenice Reservoir, beside the town of Cheb. The weather was a little windy and cloudy but the sun was doing its best to break through... Into the boat and out into the water... About 100m off shore we hooked our first Perch, a big one but it wriggled off the hook at the last moment. That was it for the next hour or so until the sun broke and the clouds cleared. Then there were a few more Perch pulled out of the water. Then after 4 hours in the boat the weather took a turn for the worse and it was time to row for shore and head for home.

Ohre River - Skalka Reservoir / Ohre River
12th August 2005

Today's visiting fishermen to the Czech Republic are Josh & Joseph from the US Forces stationed in Germany taking a much needed break from their hectic working schedules; honest guv... Josh and Joe spent the day "Hiking" their way up the banks of the Ohre River and Skalka Reservoir in Cheb. The weather was pretty much against them and as such the only fish that were caught were some small Perch and a baby Jack Pike.

Ohre River - Skalka Reservoir / Ohre River
8th August 2005

Day 2 of Takahiro's break and we were fishing the Skalka Reservoir on the Ohre River. The weather was a little better than the day before but nothing was happening... We fish far off the bank, close to the bank and around the shelves that skirt the reservoir but nothing, not even a nibble. After a short break for some lunch we moved back to the Ohre River under the Skalka Reservoir and it was here that we eventually found the fish. Fishing with tiny size 00 Mepps spinners we were soon pulling out small and medium size Perch by the dozen.

Odrava River - Jesenice Reservoir / Ohre River
7th August 2005

Taking a break from his lectures in Prague, Japanese Physics Professor Takahiro Iwata decided that it was time to get to the water and "relax". The first day of his break Takahiro fished the Jesenice Reservoir but the weather the previous days had been very stormy and cold; this in turn had an adverse effect on the fishing and a blank was drawn. Later we moved to the Ohre below Cheb Castle under the Skalka Reservoir where things weren't much better with only a few small Perch being caught.

Upper Tepla
2nd August 2005

Today Michel, Rudi and Herman wanted to visit after hearing about the river from Clarence. The weather started fine but soon clouded over. Michel and Herman opted to Nymph and Rudi tackled up with a dry fly... A few casts later and all 3 were into their first fish of the day, with Michel and Herman on the Nymphs taking small Grayling and Rudi getting stuck into large Grayling and Rainbow Trout on the dry fly. After lunch we moved down the river and everybody was fishing dry flies and taking Brown and Rainbow Trout and Grayling.

Upper Tepla
1st August 2005

Day 2 was back to the Upper Tepla with Clarence from Australia; this time the fish were not to get away. The weather today was much warmer and after the coolness of the previous days, this had the desired effect and the fish were rising to the flies. It wasn't too long before Clarence was to break his fresh water curse and land his first fish, a 28cm Brown Trout. This was followed later by a larger 32cm Brown Trout.
The total catch for the day was 3 Brown Trout, 1 Rainbow Trout and a Grayling which was also a first for Clarence.

Svatava River
1st August 2005

Day 2 of Michel, Herman and Rudi's trip was once again to the Svatava River. They had tried the Tepla in Brezova but Rudi didn't feel too happy with the look of the river so they went up to Nejdek on the Rolava but that was too much like a white water mountain stream so it was once again to the trusty Svatava. The catch was much the same at the day before, a good mixed bag of Grayling and Brown Trout being caught on Nymphs.

Upper Tepla
31st July 2005

Once again it was back to the Upper Tepla with Clarence Dent from Australia, taking a 2 day fishing break from a 2 week European holiday. The weather was warm and a little overcast. The previous had seen some horrific storms in the country with lost of very cold rain and many, many trees being uprooted and felled. The fishing was slow to start but once the sun got up things picked up for a few hours. Clarence, who was a beginner to the art of fly fishing had never actually caught a fish or even seen a rise. So the day was to be a very big learning curve. Having sorted out Clarence's casting and loosing what seemed like 300 flies in the trees, Clarence was soon landing the fly and getting bites, however nothing was caught as the timing of the strike was wrong; however a very important lesson learnt.

Svatava River
31st July 2005

After arriving the day before Michel, Herman and Rudi from Belgium were on the first day of their 7 day fly fishing trip to the Czech Republic. With map in hand and after having an in-depth briefing of the fishing locations in the area the guys eventually found their way to the Svatava River under Hrebeny Castle between the towns of Svatava and Olovi. The weather was fine and the water was in Michel's words "Gin Clear" which was surprising as there had been a big storm 2 days previous. The catch for the day was around 20 fish, Grayling and Brown Trout all around the 20 to 25cm mark the majority being taken on Nymph with some taking Dry flies.

Upper Tepla
11th July 2005

Today it was back to the Upper Tepla with Philip Clark from Australia, over on a business trip to the UK. The weather today was warm and overcast. The whole day was spent fishing on dry flies but not much was happening. The take before lunch was 2 small Brownies and a big Rainbow. After lunch we moved to a different part of the river which is wider, shallower and generally lazier fishing. This proved a good move as it was here that we hit the fish. Phil caught is first Grayling which was followed by another and many Rainbow and Brown Trout. The final score for the day as 2 Grayling, 3 Brown Trout and 4 or 5 Rainbows.

Upper Tepla
10th July 2005

Today was a rare moment for me to get some fishing in for myself. I got to the river at 5am and the weather was wet... It had just finished raining and the water was a little off colour but nothing to worry about... I started with the nymphs considering the temperature and weather. It wasn't long before I was into a nice size Brown Trout, which was followed a short time later by an even better Rainbow Trout which got off the hook at the very last moment. At around 8 o'clock it rained for the last time and the clouds started to break. On went the dry flies as I saw as few rises so I thought "why not?". The fishing on the dry fly was even better than I had anticipated with a few nice Grayling and some more Brown and Rainbow Trout.

River Ohre - Skalka Reservoir
26th May 2005

Day six and the final day of the Bedworth Police Fishing Club fishing trip. The final days fishing was an up hill slog with the weather in the high twenties and the fish seemingly not taking the bait as they were the days before... Was it down to the weather or something else...??? We will never know... The best weight of the day was around 12lb; nowhere near the previous days. Then back to the accommodation to turn around the kit for the journey home and a scrub up for the end of holiday meal in Vildstejn Castle before getting their heads down ready for the drive home to the UK.

River Odrava - Jesenice Reservoir
25th May 2005

Day five and the fishing was showing signs of slowing down... The guys hit the water with the Carp feeding from the surface but it was a hard slog to get them to take the bait with no fish being caught for the first 2 hours of the days fishing. The weather was hot today and this could have put the fish off feeding. The best weight for the day was 21lb spread over 7 or 8 Carp with one or two guys blanking.

River Ohre
24th May 2005

Day four and the guys were back on the Ohre below Cheb Castle. The weather was agreeable with a slight breeze and chill coming around mid-day but this soon drifted of and the weather returned to its former glory. The total weight for the day was 80lb or 40Kg of Roach.

River Ohre - Skalka Reservoir
23rd May 2005

Day three and the boys were back at the Skalka Reservoir having pre-baited the swims for the days match with ground bait. Today the weather was wet; very wet. This however did not have a negative effect on the fishing The total weight for the day was a massive 210lb or 105Kg of Roach, Bream and Hybrids.

River Ohre - Skalka Reservoir
22nd May 2005

Day two and Paul and the boys were fishing the Skalka Reservoir on the River Ohre, the weather was fine and a little overcast with a slight breeze. The total weight for the day was a whopping 180lb or 90Kg of Roach, Bream and Hybrids.

River Ohre
21st May 2005

Today was also the first day of a week long fishing trip for the Bedworth Police Fishing Club; a group of highly undesirables from Nuneaton. They spent the day lounging on their seats on the River Ohre under Cheb castle much to the amusement of the locals who were fascinated with their fishing techniques and their equipment. The winning was Paul Lathbury with a 21Lb bag of Roach. The total catch for the day for the 8 guys who made it to the water was over 100lb or around 50Kg for those more acquainted to metric weights.

Krapicky Potok
21st May 2005

Today Jez and Jules were facing the challenges of the Krapicky Potok. The weather was warm, very warm and the water looked perfect; but very challenging... After negotiating the trees, roots, long grass and twist and turns in the stream, it was Jez who caught the first fish of the day. The final catch for the day was around 5 fish each; being Brown and Brook Trout. The fish although small were all in pristine condition and tough little fighters.

Mze River
20th May 2005

Where to begin... The weather was perfect, the sun was shining, the sky was a little hazy and the river idyllic... We started on the lower stretch of the Mze near Stribro where the only person to catch a fish was Jez. He also wins the contest of the "smallest" fish of the day... A 3 inch Chub or Dace; it was soooooooo small that we could not tell the species. After a break for lunch, we moved up to the middle stretch of the Mze near Pavlovice which looked even more promising but again nothing to write home about... The only thing that was caught was a small Grayling and a small Brook Trout. We don't know why the fishing was off. The river was in pristine condition, the fish were there and millions of caddis could be seen on the stones on the river bed. But the fish and the hatch was not happening... After much debate, the only thing we could put it down to was the temperature of the water... The river was colder than those of the previous days. Only time will tell...

Upper Tepla River
19th May 2005

"What A Day"!!! We arrived at the river and our immediate thoughts were "Oh No". Everybody, me included thought it was going to be a dead duck day... The weather was very overcast after a brilliant start to the day and there was a dampness in the air. There was no sign of life in or on the river... Not to be deterred Jules hit the water with his dry fly; being a huge fan of the dry and Jez rigged his nymphs. 3rd cast and Jules missed a rise followed by a few more but that was the whole a.m., Jez was having slightly better luck but not much with the nymphs. Then he snagged the bottom so he thought... Retrieving the line it started to fight back; no not the bottom but a huge Grayling... Things were looking up.

After a break for lunch, it was once again on to the water. The sun has finally come out and the hatch was starting; Duns, March Browns and the odd Sedge together with the little brown midge gnat things that always loiter round the water surface. It was at this point that the river and the day's fishing turned into paradise. The fish started to rise... Not one or two but six, seven, eight in a ten yard stretch of water; Jez and Jules did not know which fish to go for first and were like a little boys in a sweet shop... The total catch for the day is unknown as we lost count of the fish... As a guestamate the figures are 3 Rainbow Trout, 6 Grayling and 15 to 20 Brown Trout.

Svatava River
18th May 2005

This week's visitors are Jeremy (Jez) Thomson and Julian (Jules) Anderson from the Royal Military Police at Catterick Garrison in the United Kingdom. After a very early start and arrival on the 17th followed with a night out on the town sampling the excellent Czech Beer and Slivovice it was time to get up and get fishing. The weather was overcast but warm and improving so the day looked promising. Once on the river Jules kitted up with a dry fly, whilst Jez opted for a nymph combination. Jez being the experienced fisherman headed off on his own up the river, while Jules and I stayed downstream. It wasn't long before we saw the first sign of life with a bit to Jules's dry fly, a red hopper. Then there was a pause and some Duns were seen hovering around the water. Following my advice Jules changed fly to a Brown Dun and was soon into his first (third only in his life) Brown Trout. Jez was also having success with a few Brownies and Grayling... After a stop for lunch, fag and a brew it was time to start fishing again... This time we went down stream... Jules rigged for Czech Nymphing and Jez for North Yorkshire Spiders. Both proved to be very effective with more Brownies and Grayling being taken. Jules was very impressed with his first Grayling ever. Then as the sun started to fall below the tree line a hatch started to come on and the fish were going barmy... There was a rise or three every few seconds as the Grayling were trying to feast on as much as they could before the flies stopped emerging. The score at the end of the day was a total of around 15 Grayling and 25 Brown Trout between the pair. All in all a very good days fishing and an excellent start to their fishing trip in the Czech Republic.

Tepla River
15th May 2005

Today's fishing trip was Eric Stelfox from Stockport, Manchester in the UK. The weather was to say the least crappy... It didn't know whether it wanted to be overcast, sunny or rain... This as you can imagine had an undesired affect on the fishing... With Eric kitted up we got to the water and put on a nymph. Working our way down the river there was very little action. It wasn't until just before lunch that we saw the first signs of life... A flash in the water as a fish went for the take but changed its mind and then a fish on the hook which unfortunately got off. Eventually we stopped for lunch and recharged the batteries before continuing with the fishing. Then Eric had the first catch of the day; a nice 8 inch Brown Trout... After this the fish slowly started to rise for flies as the sun was winning the battle to break through the clouds. But alas nothing more was to be had and the score at the end of the day was 1-0 to Eric.

Svatava River
10th May 2005

Tuesday, day 2 of Chris's fishing trip in the Czech Republic. The weather was perfect; overcast but warm, with lots of very warm sunny spells bring on hatch after hatch of what looked like Duns. Geared up and into the water and less than half a dozen casts later and Chris was into his first Brownie of the day. Need I say more than today was a great days fishing. All along the river the Trout and the Grayling were feeding. The day ended with Chris catching his first ever Grayling and notching up a score of 4 Grayling and around 20 Brown Trout... We actually lost count of the Brownies.

Tepla River & Sucha Nadrz
9th May 2005

Monday, another week and another trip to the river. Today's guest was Chris Russell from Montana in the US. The day started OK but deteriorated around lunch time with a cold snap that brought hail with it. The mornings fishing was slow on the Tepla, a small Brown Trout was caught but that was about it. After lunch we moved up river to the Upper Tepla above the reservoir but not much was happening here so we decided to move of in search of some other waters to try our luck on. A short drive later and we had found the Sucha Nadrz, a small mountain/hillside man-made lake on one of the streams that feed the tributaries that feed the Strela River. The water was perfect, the weather fine and warm and every now and again a Trout would jump clear of the water after their food... The fish here were to say the least "HUGE"... The only problem Chris had was getting his fly to the fish as they were feeding well off the waters edge. Then Chris found a sand bar to fish from where the stream feed the reservoir and when a very large Trout jumped clear of the water temptation got the better and Chris ventured further into the lake to get closer. It was at this point that the solid sand that Chris was standing on turned into very soft mud and he disappeared up to his crutch in water (see picture above); not a good idea when wearing thigh high waders... It was at this point that he called it a day and we headed home to prepare for day 2.

Krapicky Potok
8th May 2005

Day two and Nick was determined to get in a couple of hours on our local small stream, the Krapicky Potok. Nick as it turned out loves small streams and is a joint web master of 2 web sites in the US devoted to small stream fishing; Small Streams and Stream Fishing. The mornings weather was over cast with some very heavy clouds building on the surrounding hills, this deteriorated into sunny spells interspersed with very heavy hail showers with some snow. However, once again Nick was not to be put off and soon hooked a very nice Brown Trout, which was above average size for the water being fished. However, the weather did get the better of us and it was time to call it a day, head off for some lunch and change for the journey back to Berlin. All I can say is that we look forward to seeing Nick again in the Summer.

Svatava & Tepla Rivers
7th May 2005

Today's fisherman to discover the wonder and beauty of Czech fishing was Nicholas Laeder from Michigan, USA, who was taking a break from his busy day job in Berlin. The weather started fine with a few scattered clouds and was generally warm. The river was a little murky as we had been having some small storms and heavy showers over the past few days; but that was not to put us off. The water temperature was still very cold; hovering around the 5 celsius mark. The AM was spent on the Svatava where Nicholas christened his new bamboo rod with his very first Grayling and then a small Brown Trout which were caught on Czech Gamarus nymphs. After this we moved down stream, nymphing along the way but the fish were still not feeding in the shallower water; probably because of the temperature. After a quick break for lunch we moved on to the River Tepla in Karlovy Vary where the water temperature was both warmer (around 10 celsius) and cleaner; this being caused by the river being fed from a reservoir. It was here where we caught about 6 to 8 Brown Trout, the biggest of which was around 10 inches in length... We would have gotten a picture but Mr Brownie turned out to be a bit camera shy and jumped out of my hands and back into the water... All Nick was left with were my empty paws hovering in mid air... The day was suddenly brought to an early close by a very heavy storm that broke and dampened Nick's fishing spirits; so back home, something to eat and an early night ready for tomorrows fishing.

Tepla River
24th April 2005

On the second day Craig, Johnny and I ventured to the River Tepla south of Karlovy Vary... Today the weather was overcast and rain was forecast. Once again the water was crystal clear, as it always is on the Tepla as the lower section of the river flows out of the Brezova reservoir which guarantees good fishing no matter how bad the weather. After a few minutes Johnny was into this first fish of the day, followed by another, and another and another. The trout were not the biggest with the largest being about 15cm but the Grayling were a good size, with a few small fish mixed in. At the end of the day it was deemed by all that today Johnny Beerling was the 'Master Fisherman'.

Svatava River
23rd April 2005

The first fishing trip of the 2005 season saw Craig Gannon accompanied by his fishing buddy from Skipton, Johnny Beerling, the former BBC station controller and the person responsible for lightening many a teenagers life in the 1970's (mine included) with his brilliant and innovative 'Radio One Road Show' fishing in the Czech Republic on the Svatava River to the north of Sokolov. The weather was once again warm, which is not uncommon for the end of April but the river was running bitterly cold with the last of the water from the winter snow draining from the ground. The water was crystal clear and in pristine condition as there hadn't been any real rain for a few weeks now so the fish could be seen lying in the deep pools pick out the food as it drifted by. Although the fishing looked as though it was going to be good it didn't live up to expectations with only a few small Grayling and Brown Trout being caught and returned to be caught another day. As Craig and I surmised the water was probably still too cold for the fish to start feeding properly.

Krapicky Potok
17th April 2005

Day 2 I was on the Krapicky Potok, my local haunt. The weather was in my view perfect nymphing weather; heavily overcast with a smattering of rain. 5 minutes on the water and I was into my first Brownie. This was followed by 2 more further down the stream. Then just as I was contemplating moving to another spot I hit what must have been the biggest trout I have seen in the Czech Republic at least 30cm long. Unfortunately the line snapped so he gets listed as the one that got away...

Halstrov Bily
16th April 2005

Saturday afternoon of the first day of the fishing season and I decided to give the reservoir of Halstrov Bily a try to see if it was any good at the start of the season. The weather was very warm and the sun had been beating down on the water all day... Not usual for this time of year, it's normally colder. 3 hours spent on the water and all there was to be seen was Perch... Not the Trout I was looking for... Maybe better luck next time.