Preparing for the Adventure
I was eagerly preparing for the 19th European Fly Fishing Championship (FIPS‑Mouche), which took place this year in Slovakia from September 17 to 23. I had already done quite a bit of fishing beforehand—in Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia—and finally, after covering the distance from Ribnik to Ruzenberok in a single day, I made it to Slovakia.
I arrived two days early at a mountain hotel, where I was to meet Lubos Roza from the Czech national team and two other Czech friends who kindly agreed to help with preparations for the competition for me, as well as the Dutch and Spanish national teams. Arriving early made me feel confident, even though I was completely alone at the hotel.
Early Training on the Orava
The next day, I collected my fishing permits and headed straight to the Orava River. The river was large and slightly murky, with a reservoir further upstream, and it turned out to be teeming with a variety of fish. I spent an amazing day as the only angler in the area, catching many species: my first hucho (which even took a small Balkan trout from my upper fly), grayling, rainbow trout, perch, rudd, bleak, chub, and brown trout up to 40 cm long.
The following day, I fished on a tributary of the Orava—the Oravica—and caught roughly equal numbers of grayling and brown trout on dry flies and nymphs. Later, Lubos and his friends arrived, along with the Dutch and Spanish teams, and the hotel became lively.
Over the next few days, we spent our time fishing during the day and tying flies late into the night. Milan Hladik, the organizer of the upcoming World Championship in the Czech Republic, stayed until the very end, restocking fly boxes that had been stolen. We discussed flies, tactics, and strategies, and I realized how important it is to develop a solid competition strategy and stick to it—experience and practice make all the difference.
Training on the Competition Rivers
We fished on the rivers where the championship would be held—the Váh, the Bela, and the Poprad. The Poprad River was one of the most abundant grayling rivers I’ve ever seen—possibly even more than the Sanica or the Kupa springs. I counted over 200 fish that seemed over 20 cm, and fishing alongside the Dutch captain, René Kups, we caught about 350 fish in less than 200 meters. Simply unbelievable.
However, the rivers were challenging. During the official training day, high and muddy waters stressed both the competitors and the fish. While others struggled, I managed to catch a good number of fish on the Bela River, though I could feel a developing illness creeping in.
The Competition Begins
The draw placed me in a strong group, with competitors from Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Bosnia, Italy, and later Romania. I was the only individual competitor representing Bulgaria. The first round took place on the Váh River near Liptovský Hrádok, in sector 13. The water was still muddy, and most fish were expected in the first few sectors. I managed 13 fish, which left me 15th in the group—a disappointing start, but I had to focus on the next round.
In the second round, I fished the Bela River, which reminded me of Iskar springs in Bulgaria. From the very first cast, I landed both species, grayling and brown trout on dry flies and nymphs. By the end, I had 21 fish, earning 8th place in the sector. Every centimeter and every fish mattered; I was narrowly beaten by a few competitors with 22 fish.
Round Three and Observing the Champion
In the third round, I found a decent sector and caught 34 fish in three hours, placing 4th in the sector. I mainly used small nymphs for grayling, occasionally switching to dry flies for rises.
That afternoon, I watched Pablo Castro from Spain, the eventual champion. His methodical approach—catching grayling in fast water while keeping his nymph from drifting too deep—was impressive. His technique, endurance, and sportsmanship were remarkable. It was clear he was the best-prepared angler at the competition.
Illness Strikes
The evening before the fourth day, I became seriously ill, developing a fever and shivering uncontrollably. I even went to the local hospital and, without medication, barely slept. Competing with a fever was exhausting, and I knew my performance would suffer. Still, I pushed on.
The Fourth Round – Poprad
The fourth round brought me to an excellent sector on the Poprad River. Rising fish were visible everywhere, with thousands of mayflies on the water. I started well but soon faced extremely selective fish that had been heavily pressured over the past two days. After crossing the river several times to reach fish on the far bank, I became too weak to continue. I ended with 16 measured fish, which surprisingly was enough for 4th place in the sector.
The Final Round – Váh
In the final round, I fished the Váh River near Liptovský Mikuláš, catching 41 grayling in three hours—my third consecutive 4th place in a sector.
Overall, I finished 30th. While I was a bit disappointed and knew I could have done better if healthy, I was satisfied with my last day. The doctors later diagnosed me with tonsillitis, which explained my condition.
Championship Results
Individually, Pablo Castro from Spain took first place, Martin Bechleda from Slovakia came second, and David Chlumsky from the Czech Republic finished third. In the team competition, the Czechs snatched victory from Spain at the last moment, earning gold, with Spain taking silver and France bronze.
Reflections and Gratitude
I want to thank everyone who supported me and helped me take part in this amazing event. Competing alone is very challenging, and I hope that in the future, Bulgaria can field a full team. I believe we have enough skilled anglers in the country, and I encourage anyone interested in competitive fishing to join forces so that we can proudly field five competitors under our national flag.
