Fish Report: Wägitalersee 28/08/2009

Two years ago, my wife bought me a float tube for my birthday. Today was the first day I used it, and I have no idea why I waited so long. Sure, it’s more complicated than using one in the US, but I’ve had a list of lakes where they’re allowed for years now, so I have no excuse.

I went to Wägitalersee, a put and take lake very popular with conventional trout fisherman, less so with flyfishermen. I bought my day card after waiting in a surprisingly long line for a Friday, and then I had to find a suitable place to use the float tube, which was easier said than done. The lake is quite big, but there were a ton of shore and boat fisherman. Use of the float tube is confined to within 50 meters of shore, and the long, heavy spinning rods used by the shore fisherman here can easily cast farther than 50 meters. I drove around for a bit, and found a decent stretch of unoccupied rocky shore. Unfortunately, I had to climb down a steep hill through woods with my waders, backpack, and inflated float tube while wearing flip-flops. Finally, I was ready to fish! I fished from a kayak in California, but this was my first time in a float tube and I loved how stable and comfortable it is. I got the hang of it in no time, and while I was worried about having to cast differently, it worked just fine. I used a streamer most of the day hoping for some trout, but the water was still pretty warm and the trout stayed deep. I caught a few alet, including one that was about 40 cm and a pretty fun fight, especially from the tube. I called it quits around two as the wind kicked up and made casting a little dangerous and difficult. All in all, I love the float tube, love my wife for buying me one, and will definitely use it again soon, probably at the nearby Klöntalersee. The Wägitalersee can be a little too crowded for my tastes, especially on weekends, though I’m pretty confident of being able to catch a few trout near the shore when the weather cools down like I did last year.
Decisions, decisions.

Fish Report: Beschlinger Weiher, Austria 12/07/2009

One of the many benefits of joining a fishing club in Switzerland is that they’ll generally organize trips to places you wouldn’t otherwise know about. The Beschlinger Weiher in Austria is one of those places. It’s a gorgeous little steel blue pond in Austria just over the Swiss border, outside of Nenzing.



It belongs to an Austrian fishing club, and the rules are pretty strict. Flies only, no streamers, and no large hooks. (I forgot the exact size.) About 5 of us met at a Gas station outside of town where we purchased our day licenses and some beer and lunch, and we made our way to the lake. Trout were pretty visible, but there were few rises. Nonetheless, we all started out with dry flies, and after an hour or so of nothing I switched to a nymph and hooked a 32cm trout. It was the first time I’d tried out my new Sage Fli 6 weight, and this was a fitting debut fish.



I hooked but lost another one shortly thereafter, had some lunch, and called it a day after no one caught any fish for a few hours. I found out later that there was evening rise, and everyone else caught multiple fish, but as a new father, my fishing days have been limited to mornings lately. As always, I’m just happy to be out fishing, even if it is for a just a few hours.