Dave Whitlock


Gacka


Gacka River is one of the most esteemed and most renowned trout waters in Europe and the world.  It takes a 90 minute drive from the apartment to get to Gacka River. Gacka River is a gulf river slightly winding down the Gacka walley plain from its spring in the southeast to the gulf in the northwest, across 11 km. In terms of its characteristics, Gacka is a typical chalk-stream. 
Gacka is extremely rich in both flora and fauna. The vegetation is abundant owing to the favorable water temperature, convenient chemical structure, silty bed, and moderate flow. Underwather vegetation grows throughout the year, but its growth is nevertheless more pronounced in the warm seasons. As many as 25 plant species have been identified: Algae, Bryophytes and woody plants.
As regards the fish species, Gacka is famous worldwide for its brown trout. Except brown and rainbow trout, grayling can also be found in Gacka, as well as some other fish species. Brown trout in Gacka grows five times faster then in other karstic rivers, owing particularly to the optimal water temperature with only minor oscillations, plenty of oxygen and the water's mildly alkaline chemical structure.
Gacka's "secret" lies in the rest of the fauna is abounds in. There are 17 water animal communities i.e. organisms spread throughout  the river's entire course, constituting the basic nourishment for the brown trout to which it owes its unusually rapid growth.




Fishing areas:
A/ From the Gacka spring to Stanišić Bridge (the fifth concrete bridge) fishing is allowed only with an artificial fly. From the bridge
named Podgora (the first bridge) upstream to the mouth of Sinačka pučina in the river Gacka, it is allowed to fish only under catch & release principle.
B/ From Stanišić Bridge (the fifth concrete bridge) downstream fishing is allowed with an artificial fly and all other artificial baits .
C/ On the lakes Švica and Gusić fishing is allowed also with natural baits.

Fishing season: 01.03.-31.10.
Daily licence: 250 kn (35 €)
      Weekend licence: 700 kn (95 €)

Fishing measures:
  Brown trout - 50 cm
      Rainbow trout - 40 cm
Grayling - 45 cm

     Game preserves:
     Tributaries Kostelka and Knjapovac

     Daily catching: In zone A and B one piece, and in zone C three piece daily.
     Weights and floats are not allowed to be used in fishing with an artificial fly.



When Paul peered into the water behind him, we knew he was going to start working the fish to shore and didn't want to back
into the hole or a rock. We could tell he had worked the fish into shallow  water because he held the rod higher and higher
to keep the fish from bumping into anything on the bottom. Just when we thought the performance was over,
the wand convulsed and the Paul thrashed through the water after some unseen power departing for the deep. 
   Norman Maclean (River Runs through It) 


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