Grayling, Rainies & A char
A field trip to Austria’s Grayling Paradise
Day 1/2
The day started at Hütteldorf subway station in Vienna, where I met up with Sebi and Mike, the newest addition to the Secret Rivers team and, as I would soon find out, an incredibly talented fly tier. We loaded up the car and headed west towards Upper Austria, where the rest of the crew was already waiting.
The drive gave me a chance to get to know Mike a little better. He'd previously worked as a federal agent for the forestry department in Colorado, so naturally, there was plenty to talk about.
A couple of hours later, we met Max, Reini and Tobi in a parking lot surrounded by mountains dressed in autumn colours. The guys had already scouted the river and had a pretty good idea of where to start. After a quick catch-up, some discussion about promising pools and a rough plan for the day, we split into two groups. Max, Reini and Tobi headed off to fish another stretch, while I joined Sebi and Mike.
Chasing Grayling
Our first spot was tucked beneath a towering bridge, with the occasional car passing overhead. Not exactly the most picturesque location, but it had one major advantage: we could park almost directly beside the river.
Anyone who's ever had to carry a full camera setup down steep, muddy trails will understand just how much of a luxury that is. No scrambling over rocks, no questionable descents through the undergrowth. Just grab the gear and get to work.
The fishing, however, wasn't quite as straightforward.
For a while, not much happened. Mike and Sebi worked their way through the water, trying different flies and searching for the right pools. Eventually, they found what they were looking for, and things changed pretty quickly. One rainbow trout after another started finding its way into the net.
For me, it was the perfect opportunity to get some photographs both above and below the surface. With plenty of action captured and the fishing beginning to slow down again, we decided to pack up and explore another section of the river.
Water Under the Bridge
Our next stop took us to the beginning of another fishing beat, where a dam slowed the current and created a long stretch of relatively calm water.
By now, we'd already started joking that the river's reputation as Austria's grayling paradise was a little misleading. So far, we'd seen plenty of rainbow trout, but not a single grayling. Maybe Austria's rainbow paradise would have been a more fitting name?
The water here was considerably easier to wade through, although we were still standing hip-deep in places. We could spot the occasional fish moving beneath the surface, but there wasn't much rising activity.
Starting just downstream of the protected spawning area near the dam, the guys began working their way through the deeper pools. Despite looking promising, the first few spots produced little more than a handful of small fish.
Grayling Paradise?
So we continued downstream, taking our time and working each section of the river.
Meanwhile, the weather had other plans.
The sky gradually darkened, and a light drizzle turned into proper rain. As uncomfortable as that was for us, the larger trout seemed to appreciate the change. Suddenly, the fishing picked up again, and both Mike and Sebi managed to land some beautiful rainbows.
I kept shooting for as long as I could with my regular camera, but eventually switched to the cam that had an underwater housing.
Mike and Sebi weren't quite as prepared for the weather. Both had gone into the river wearing fleece layers, leaving their rain jackets behind in the car.
As the rain intensified, they retreated beneath some overhanging trees for shelter while I made a quick dash back to the car to grab their jackets and a few snacks. After a short break to warm up and boost morale, we were back in the water.
Interestingly, as soon as the rain began to ease, the fishing slowed down again. The larger trout seemed to have disappeared, and we were back to catching mostly smaller fish.
With the afternoon slipping away and still no grayling to show for our efforts, we decided to hit our final spot for the day.
Our last destination promised to be the most scenic stretch of the day.
We parked near the beginning of a trail overlooking a steep, wooded descent towards the river. One look down was enough for Sebi to call a friend who'd fished the area before. Thankfully, there was a proper trail leading to a safer access point, saving us from having to scramble straight down the hillside with all our gear.
At the bottom, we found ourselves in a beautiful canyon surrounded by autumn colours. Steep rock faces rose above the river, and the last of the afternoon light filtered through the trees onto the water.
It was easily the most spectacular location we'd visited that day. And with any luck, it would finally live up to the river's reputation.
The Canyon
Mike climbed over a large boulder to reach a deep pool we'd spotted from the trail, while Sebi headed upstream to work his way through a series of smaller sections.
I stayed with Mike. The boulder offered an interesting perspective for photography, and the pool below looked like it might hold something worth waiting for.
It didn't take long.
Mike's line suddenly went tight, and after a short fight, the first grayling of the day was in the net.
Finally!
And it wasn't just a lucky catch. Shortly afterwards, he hooked another one.
After spending most of the day wondering where all the grayling were hiding, it seemed we'd finally found them.
Meanwhile, Sebi was slowly making his way back downstream. His exploration upstream hadn't produced anything particularly exciting, but just as he approached us, he hooked into something considerably bigger.
A massive, beautifully coloured wild rainbow trout.
As Sebi carefully guided the fish downstream towards our position, Mike's line tightened once again. This time, he'd hooked an equally impressive grayling.
Suddenly, after hours of relatively uneventful fishing, everything was happening at once.
Sebi brought his trout downstream and quickly landed it, while Mike landed his grayling almost simultaneously. Two incredible fish and just enough daylight left for me to capture the moment.
It was one of those situations you couldn't have planned even if you'd tried. An unexpected double catch, framed by the autumn canyon and the last light of the day.
After hours of searching, a proper soaking in the rain and a fair amount of joking about the apparent absence of grayling, we'd finally found what we'd come for.
Well, what they'd come for. I was just happy to have been there with my camera when it all came together.
Not a bad way to wrap up the first day.
Continue for Day 2/2 here.