Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Danube Salmon - How to catch?

Danube Salmon

is close cousin of syberian taimen. They both are the world biggest salmonidae species. I heard about over 200lb taimen! Normal size of danube salmon is between 10lb (~30in) and 40lb(~50in). Sometimes 60lb. In Poland you can't take danube salmon if it is smaller than 70cm(~28 inch). There is also limit - one fish per week.


Most of anglers releases all of them because it is very rare and beautiful fish. In Poland we can find danube salmon in 3 big mountain rivers: San, Poprad and Dunajec (on my photos) and sometimes in big dam reservoirs on this rivers (like Czorsztyn, Rożnów, Solina). This fish needs clear, cold and deep water, but sometimes when feeding (mostly on trout, grayling, chub and barbel) it comes to 2 feet depth.Danube salmon favourite feed is big fish. Often between 10in and 20in. Sometimes even bigger! That is why it is necessary to use big lures - mostly crankbaits.

This fish is a night predator. It feeds mainly between sunset and sunrise, but in Poland is forbidden to fish at night in most of mountain rivers. That is why it is very difficult to catch. I didn't catch one yet, but i had a few bites. Once i lost it before landing. There are people who try to catch it for 10 years or more without result.




I live over 200km from the nearest river with danube salmon so i can't fish there often. My friend who lives 15km from Dunajec caught already (during 12 years) over 90 danube salmons bigger than 28 inch!!

For three years i collected a few best lures for danube salmon. Of course there is much more of them, but they are very similar.







Recipe to catch danube salmon is:
  • Come to Poland to Dunajec in Sromowce in November when it is snowing and it is cold and windy
  • Start fishing with sun rise
  • Use long (9 - 10 feet) and heavy (up to 4 - 5oz) rod - I use Shimno technium 2,7m (9 feet), 50 - 100g (2oz - 4oz).
  • Use light, but strong reel - I use Penn Slammer 360 with 30lb monofilament
  • Use big crankbait(6 - 8 in) imitating trout
  • Fish slowly, cast across the river, look for deep spots and underwater obstacles like big stones.
  • Be very PATIENT. You can come here for a week and leave with nothing...

15 comments:

  1. Thanks again for your generosity and kindness in sharing fishing information about this great fish. I hope that one day you will hook and land one of these fish and take a picture for proof. I am sure it would be very exciting!

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  2. Thank you:) I hope so too! :)

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  3. This species of salmon is very cool. I hadn't ever heard of them until reading this post. I did some quick research and I'm very impressed.
    Thanks for the education Jarek.

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  4. It is great to read this Raz! :)
    One important thing. Taimen and Danube salmon spend all their lives in rivers. They never go to the ocean.

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  5. Interesting ! It`s the first article about this, in any blogs who I reed, blogs from Europe, from Danube zone. Anywhere,notthing about Danube (Dunare in Romanian), salmon. I know about seatrout, who live in Blacksea and sometime nearly at Danube, but is far...

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  6. If you are looking for more information try to type "hucho hucho" (latin name of danube salmon) in google. Hucho taimen is latin name of taimen. Check out polish website www.bayangol.pl to find fantastic taimen photos from Syberia and Mongolia!

    for example http://bayangol.pl/wyprawy.php?id=30&t=Mongolia/Mand%BFuria_2009_-_Wiosna_w_zakazanej_strefie

    If you need translation type text that you want to translate here. I will answer soon.

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  7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btolEWBS8QE

    This is a short video from "Puchar Głowatki"

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  8. My blog URL is : http://wwwducubigbloggercom.blogspot.com and title of my blog is : DUCU pescar de vale. I see your comment in another blog, one of a friend of me. I waite your visit, andyour opinion !

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  9. I visit both links, well...I`me imprest. It is a dream, all those photos are marble. And videos from Youtube is same. Thank you !

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  10. Hi Jarek,

    I wonder this precious fish could also live in deep gravel ponds if it gets appropiate food?are there mnay fish farms are involved in breeding them in Poland and whereabout?
    Tight lines!
    Gabor

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  11. Hi Gabor!

    Yes it is possible. There is one gravel pond in Poland where huchen lives. It is called Cholężyn.
    The water must be deep and clear.
    There is one fish farm involved in breeding huchen in Poland. This place is in Łopuszna - near to the Dunajec river. This is the biggest farm in Poland. They breed also grayling, brown trout and other species.

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  12. Thanks for the precious info Jarek!I was told Cholężyn is a reservoir however it looks like a gravel pond but now you made it clear:)I also found some video on youtube about Cholężyn where anglers caught huschen or glowacica as you call it.I am from Hungary and with us is forbidden to fish for huschen because of it`s low figures and it`s lack of habitat can be found here.that`s why we are thinking of making more habitats artificially for huschen with its existing ones and in gravel pounds for this indigenous salmonoid fish can be found with us.probably when i have time i will check this fishfarm in Lopuszna.Hopefully they will sell frys or yearlings as well:)Take care Jarek and i wish to you to catch your glowacica soon and of course tight lines!

    Gabor

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  13. You are welcome! I'm glad I could help you. If you have some other questions ask me with e-mail

    jaroslaw.spinn@gmail.com

    Tight liles you too :)

    Jarek

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