The Soča Trout

The Soča Trout is an endemic freshwater fish that lives in the Soča River and its tributaries and is also widespread in the Adriatic Basin.Part of the Latin name marmoratus refers to a characteristic marbled pattern on the back and head. It is recognizable by its elongated cylindrical body between 50 and 70 centimeters long and its marble pattern on a gray-white background.Smaller Soča trout are kept in medium-deep water. Larger trout are solitary and move in deep pools. They belong to the predators. Adult trout feed on smaller fish and hunt at dusk, while younger ones feed on plants, plankton and insects. They spawn from November to January on a gravelly river bottom. More than fishing itself, they are threatened by genetic mixing with introduced brown trout. Over the past decade, fishermen have been trying to catch the brown trout in order to restore a pure population of Soča trout. Biologists raise them in swimming pools and then release them at the source of the Soča. Soča trout can reach a weight of over 20 kg. So far, the longest one caught in Slovenia was 121 cm long and weighed 25 kg.

Fishing licenses can be purchased at the point of sale in the nearby Camp Klin (distance 700m, 8 min walk) or via the website: Zavod za ribištvo Slovenije, at the https://www.zzrs.si/en/page/ribolovne-dovolilnice/