Location
The central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 2 hours ahead of GMT. Bigger cities along the river are Jajce, Sipovo, Jezero.
Spring
Village Pljeva -1227 m above sea level, Smiljevac-Jastrebnjak mountain.
Characteristics
One of the largest spring creeks in Europe, 25 – 30m wide, 1-3 m deep. Danube Basin.
Description
The River Pliva is probably the biggest spring creek and experts say not only in Europe. Its magnificent colors, gin-clear water, and surrounding pristine nature put it straight away into the must fish list of every fly fisherman. The rivers start to flow fast in their upper part but very soon after calm down and continue slowly running through the meadows. In the town of Sipovo, it narrows and speeds up again for a while. Sadly in 2018, they have built a mini Dam above Sipovo which doesn`t really influence the fishing on the river. Pliva is known as one of the hardest rivers to fish and rightly so. This is why I call it Pliva university.
Fish Species
Brown trout (Salmo trutta) and European Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) are the main two species of fish that inhabit the river. Pliva is famous for the trophy graylings that are caught recently in its water. Fish up to 60 cm and even bigger are caught on a regular basis, usually by experienced anglers, sometimes by beginners. There are also some wild and some stocked brown trout up to over 10 pounds. Rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss) have been stocked periodically in the river, but are a rare catch the last couple of years. Pliva is really hard to fish but you have the chance to catch one of those fish of a lifetime.
Type of fishing & equipment
Pliva is a river where you can practice literally any method known to the fly fishing world. Plenty of hatches appears all year long and many people only dry fly fish the water. Nymph fishing always brings good results. Upstream nymphing and dead drift nymphing are probably the best methods. Rods from 4 to 6 wt are recommended. Tiny tippets and good strong hooks too. The waters of the river are extremely cold so take your warmest underwear and check for holes in your waders.
We have selections of flies to match the hatch at the right time and the fly tying equipment is always ready on the desk so we guarantee to provide you with the flies for the very moment if necessary.
All the equipment necessary for up to 6 persons can be provided by us. Long fishing boots, rods, reels, lines, flies, etc. The cost is 15 euro for rod and reel, 15 euro for high waterproof boots and 20 euro if you need both. The prices are for one day only. The Check-clean-dry regime is followed strictly.
Season and regulations
The upper part of the river belongs to the LTG company and is Fishing only! Single fly is allowed, barbless hooks only. The use of nets is obligatory. The best season is from the beginning of May to the end of October. Pliva is almost never flooded and can save your trip if all the other rivers in the area are in flood.
The daily ticket cost 40 euro.
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Season Top Season
Capacity
Maximum 6 persons per trip.
Safety
The river is rather safe to wade in. Have in mind it is really cold so make sure you use warm underwear even on hot summer days.
Sunglasses, hats, sun lotion, mosquito repellents, waterproof clothes, and a wading staff are recommended. Very warm underwear is strongly recommended if you plan to wade in the river as the water temperature is really low all year long. We can provide them on request, but you might prefer to take your own.
Nearest airports
Zagreb Airport (Croatia)- about 3 hours drive to the river. Banja Luka (BIH) airport – about 1 hour 30 minutes drive to the river.
Lodge
The tourist complex „Pliva“ is situated in the vicinity of Pliva river spring, in the north-western part of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Just eight kilometers from a small town Sipovo. The complex takes place on 6800 square meters, along the river bank and it is surrounded by mountain hills, oak, and beech forests.
What Else
Suitable for family holidays if your family likes rafting, hiking, trekking, and other outdoor activities. Interesting place for any keen chef who wants to reveal the secrets of the local cuisine.
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