River Krusnica: Under the Source

The Balkan region offers some of the finest fly fishing possibilities in all of Europe, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to some of the finest rivers in the whole region. The picturesque Krusnica River is one of the more well-hidden ones…

By LUKA SIMUNJAK

Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer locations for a real getaway: Places to get lost, places to escape, to be one with Nature, to fish, to explore – places to discover one self and to make peace with nature.

Nature’s way of sharpening the human mind in the wilderness is glorious to me. Things get narrowed down to the essentials: to reading the water, spotting the fish, lighting a bonfire, helping a friend net a fish and taking a picture before releasing the fish back unharmed. Escapist breathing holes like this - where you can evade the entrapment of urban living - are getting harder and harder to come by.

The source of the Krušnica is such an impressive sight to see, and during the relatively dry summer months the cave offers prime exploration territory.

Most European fishing destinations – the Balkan ones included - are located near cities, villages, and areas with a lot of human activity. Unregulated and untouched rivers and streams are so rare to find nowadays. This inevitably propels fly fishermen to travel for miles and miles - to get a glimpse of Nature in all its untouched glory and to fish their heart out in a place of majestic beauty. It’s

an allure that we’re all attuned to. I certainly am! One of these seemingly untouched places is Krušnica: A small, secluded river draining into the mighty Una River. The Krušnica is home to breath-taking trout and grayling populations, and it’s one of the few spots left in Europe where you can still find 1m+ hucho hucho.

Fishing is allowed throughout the whole river length and it is amazing. After a long and busy year, two of my friends decided to get lost for a while. We aimed to get away from city life, to take a break in Nature, and since I had never been to the Krušnica before, I knew just where to go.

River Krušnica is located in the western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The nearest city is Bosanska Krupa. The river is surrounded by dense forest, and gushes out of a massive cave in the heart of the woods.

The source of the Krušnica is such an impressive sight to see, and during the relatively dry summer months the cave offers prime exploration territory.

It really is a magical place where no special expedition equipment is needed except for a healthy dose of caution and respect of the power of Nature. Connecting with this place somehow makes you a part of the powerful river that originates here – a source that supplies thousands of people with clean drinking water.

Onwards to the Krusnica

We hit the road early in the morning, and the three-hour drive from Slovenia goes by surprisingly fast. After a pit stop in a bakery, where we have the traditional Bosnian pastry called Burek, we are slowly making it to the Bosanska Krupa.

The most recent weather forecast predicts two beautiful and sunny days, and it makes us the more anxious to reach our destination. To make it to the river we have to get to the top of the canyon and drive down a windy dirt road. The road to the canyon is a bit hard to find, but with the use of modern navigation technology not even the most well-hidden river is impossible to find.

Shortly after, we arrive at the end of the road. From here, a 3 km walk with all our camping and fishing gear awaits. The view of the river is stunning with the first rays of the sun making their way through forest branches, lighting up the heavy fog rising from the water.

August – The Dry Season

The River Krušnica generally runs at a sedate pace, but at its source, it is running fast with glass-like clarity. The water quality is absolutely superb and you can drink water directly from the river - the whole river, from the beginning to the end.

Our path leads up to the old power plant, which was built in 1905, and we put up our tent in close proximity. Since our trip is taking place in August, rain hasn’t hit the ground for as long as 60 days now. As a result, the water levels are incredibly low and the fish are easy to spot. However, with every careless step along the river bank a game of hide and seek begins.

To explore a little and get a better feel for the place, we take a walk and scout some of the most attractive holding spots. And during our ten-minute walk, we spot a 40cm+ grayling and a few trout up to well over 50cm. If this isn’t motivational, I really don’t know what is!

We now agree upon individual spots for everyone and start preparing the gear. Ivan and I are putting together our rods, tying tippets and carefully choosing our flies. Our friend Kristijan is also making preparations - but for something entirely different.

On this trip, he has taken on the role as cook. Soon he is busy making goulash next to the racing river - on a bonfire. What more could you possibly ask for?

The fishing

We fish while our lunch is slowly stirring on an open fire and the wine is cooling down to about 7 degrees Celsius inside the temperate river. We’re less than 150 meters downstream from our camp, which makes it possible for us to check on our lunch, drink a glass of wine, talk a bit about flies, techniques and approach. It’s all very social and atmospheric.

While we listen to the silent fire burning, the scents of spices fill the air, and it makes the fishing even more relaxing and tranquil. Smaller trout and grayling occasionally hit our dry flies, but we all know what we are waiting for: The evening hatch and the golden hour.

Fishing and small-talking makes time fly by. Meanwhile, we are approached by a local on catch-andrelease control duty. While catching up with him, we are shown photographs of huge hucho hucho caught just a few kilometres downstream. He is giving us some serious run for our money, but in the end, we did come for the fun and relaxation - not competition. Maybe next time…

As expected, the warmth of the afternoon takes its toll and the fish are less active. Then finally, we hear “the cook” calling out to us. I guess we look a bit like starving trout on the hunt for insects, as we come back, and – not surprisingly - the food tastes delicious. A bit of rest and messing around brings the evening closer, and we are

counting on the fish getting hungry and more active. Our rods are ready to go, our designated fishing spots are waiting for us, and, now that the light is a little bit more favourable, a lot of fish are visible through the clear water. But we are not relying on our sight, we are casting close to natural hiding spots – long, precise and delicate casts.

Both the brown trout and grayling are on their fins now, and the bites are not very far in between. The fish are in great shape and they fight as hard as one could possibly imagine. My personal favourite nymph for the day gets to be an olive-green gammarus, which is singled out by vividly coloured brown trout upon vividly coloured brown trout. The butter bellies of trout keep sliding through our hands, one after another and in just a few hours we have caught and released a dozen fish - some caught on nymphs, some on dry flies.

The blackness of the night is now starting to surround us and we gather around the camp table.

The biggest trout of the morning is 52cm and it is accompanied by dozens of trout ranging from 30 – 40cm.

Kristijan’s homemade wine along with amble amounts of jolly fishing stories quickly turn us into a spirited crowd. But after a long, sunny day, an early drive and lots of fishing, we soon settle in our sleeping bags and sleep through the cold night.

Another day – more fishing

The morning is glorious! The surroundings are unbelievably ambient and there suddenly seems to be incalculable fish around. The opportunity to fish in such an environment, to wade through water pure beyond belief, to surround yourself with a never-ending lush-green landscape is not to be taken lightly. I guess the enthusiasm is giving me away, right? Well, you are right to think that our morning fishing rocked, because it did! After only a single day on the river, we have already adjusted ourselves, learned from Mother Nature and taken it all in. And we now beat the fish at their own game using olive-green gammarus imitations with amazing results.

The biggest trout of the morning is 52cm and it is accompanied by dozens of trout ranging from 30 – 40cm. Ivan gets surprised by a wild 40cm grayling he hooks during a break and a barefoot walk along the river. The following ten-minute fight leaves Ivan freezing in the cold water.

Ivan’s grayling has fin colours I can only describe as spectacular. Its stunning race car red and black colour-combination leaves him with a huge grin on his face. Generally, the Krusnica grayling are surprisingly strong and persistent, making them a trophy fish and a story in their own right.

Even though the river is full of fish, the summer fishing isn´t all that easy - and the fish are extremely careful and selective. However, the combination of 0.10 mm tippets and #18 gammarus imitations turns out to be the key to catching fish on a regular basis. When – during the day - the fish start rising on dry flies, Red Tags tied on #16 hooks are our weapons of choice.

These flies get gulped down, especially by the fish holding in the faster water. We decide to end the last day with a walk along the river upstream and into the cave. Needless to say, we are stunned! There are none of the “No Access”-signs or tall fences otherwise so typical of our day and age, just the untouched force of water. Can you imagine kneeling down and drinking water flowing from the source right into your hands?

The river is taken care of by the “Krušnica 1936 Association”, who also owns rights to part of the Una River, and it is cared for really well. If you ever go there, you will cross paths with an area and a people of rare hospitality and you will not come home disappointed. (Every visit must be announced ahead of time in order to limit pressure).

River Krušnica is truly a wonder of Nature and worth the trip. It’s a perfect place to visit with friends, eat good food, get a few drinks and do a lot of fishing.