Dawn on day two found Adrian and myself at the base of the Upper Soca gorge, just upstream of the confluence with the Lepena. This is a natural beauty spot and swimming hole. Thus getting there at dawn is the only chance to fish without getting in the way of the tourists. The waters pour out of a limestone gorge some 30 metres deep, creating a deep, gin clear pool full of Rainbows, Marbles and the odd Grayling. Adrian managed a decent Rainbow before we were seriously distracted by a 5lb+ Marble. The fish drifted out from an undercut bank, leading to frantic cutting back of leaders and attaching of size 2 streamers with enough lead to sink a battleship! Our efforts were in vain though as the fish simply vanished into a hole between two boulders and didn’t reappear. Downstream a group of lads who’d clearly spent the night on the banks of the river drinking heavily managed to heard a Rainbow into the shallows and haul it onto the bank by hand! So much for the expensive fly rods and reels!
As the tourists started to arrive we made ourselves scarce and headed upstream to the final stretch of the Soca on the ticket. At this stage the river is much smaller, flowing in a riffle and pool sequence. Rainbows were now the dominant species with the odd Marble thrown in for good measure.
Adrian opened our account on a pod of fish underneath an Indiana Jones style bridge as I watched from above. The fish were holding off bottom and clearly happy to rise for a dry, even though there wasn’t an obvious hatch. Cue the terrestrial box coming out, and the ‘Foam Saturday’ patterns made their usual holiday appearance! Adrian fished a grasshopper and I fished a Cicada pattern from New Zealand. Both about a size 6! Rainbows came to the patterns wherever we spotted them. The best going over 2.5lbs. The day finished at the top of the beat with another gorge section producing some stunning scenery and a small marble.
To end the day we returned to the lower Soca and some of the water below home pool. We both hooked and lost Rainbows and Grayling, with only one fish making it to the net. The rafters were still everywhere but didn’t seem to affect the fishing too much. The final day beckoned and the waters of the Baca/Koritnica.
