Grayling fishing in Montenegro: the Tara, the Lim, the Ljuča and the Ćehotina compared

Grayling are the main fish of all the rivers I guide in Montenegro: the Tara, the Lim, the Ljuča and the Ćehotina. The table of fish by water, with the months, is on Fish and seasons. Brown trout live beside them in every one, but if you come here for one fish, it is the grayling. I have fished competitions for more than ten years, and these are the rivers I fish. This article sets the rivers side by side, says what nymph and dry fly each asks for, how I handle a grayling, and which river I would send you to.

Why grayling come first here

On each of the rivers, grayling are the fish you meet most. Trout are there too, but the grayling sets the day: where you stand, how you fish the run, and how carefully you handle what you catch.

Grayling are the fish with the tall dorsal fin. The best months for grayling on these rivers are June to October. In the fly fishing zones you can fish all year, when the water level allows.

And every one goes back. The fly fishing zones are catch and release, and I fish barbless hooks and a landing net on every water.

The Tara

The Tara is the river of Kolašin and Mojkovac. I guide it at Kolašin, on the stretch inside Biogradska Gora National Park, and at Mojkovac. Grayling mostly, then brown trout; huchen live here too.

The Tara is the river for an angler staying near Kolašin, and the one that pairs with Biogradsko Lake in a single day. Access is easy; wilder water is there on request. The full guide is fly fishing the Tara: Kolašin, the park and Mojkovac.

The Lim

The Lim flows out of Plav Lake at Plav and on past Andrijevica and Berane. I guide all three sections. Grayling mainly, with brown trout; huchen live here too.

The Lim is the river with the most sections to choose from. At Plav, one day can hold the Lim, the Ljuča and Plav Lake. For a first visit of one day I name the Lim and the Ljuča first, and perhaps the Tara.

The Ljuča: the biggest grayling

The Ljuča is the river that feeds Plav Lake, made by two mountain rivers, the Vruja and the Grnčar, which come down from the Prokletije (World Bank, 2016). It holds the biggest grayling of the waters I guide.

It is also hard dry-fly water. In my words: a tactical river with big rewards. The fish are there and they are large, and the river makes you earn them. If you want a big grayling on a dry fly, this is where I send you, and you should expect to work for it. Brown trout live in the Ljuča, and huchen too, rare and hard to catch.

The Ćehotina

The Ćehotina is the river near Pljevlja. It rises under Stožer mountain and runs north-west to the Drina (World Bank, 2016). Grayling mainly, with brown trout.

It is a wild river, and it is a euro-nymphing river. If the nymph is your method, or the one you want to learn, the Ćehotina is where it belongs. It is a day of its own: we either drive there for the day or move the base nearer.

Nymph or dry fly

Both, and the river tells you which.

The nymph. Euro nymphing is a method I fish and teach. The Ćehotina is the river for it. Weighted nymphs are fished as usual on these rivers. If you have never fished it, I teach it on a guided day, and a euro nymph kit can be rented on request.

The dry fly. Grayling rise, and a grayling on a dry fly is the picture many anglers have in mind. On the Ljuča the dry fly is hard. On the Tara and the Lim bring both setups and let the water decide.

The water level and the day’s conditions decide, and that is what a guide on the bank is for: to read the run and put you on the right fly in minutes, not hours.

Handling a grayling

This is how I do it, and what I ask of the people who fish with me:

• Barbless hooks. The hook comes out in a second, often while the fish is still in the net.
• A landing net. The fish stays in the water in the net while the hook comes out.
• Every fish released.

Every grayling on every water I guide is released. That is the rule of the fly fishing zones and it is my rule.

Which river for you

• A big grayling, on a dry fly, and you want to work for it: the Ljuča.
• Grayling on the nymph, or to learn euro nymphing: the Ćehotina.
• A first day in Montenegro: the Lim and the Ljuča at Plav, perhaps the Tara.
• You are staying near Kolašin: the Tara, with Biogradsko Lake on the same day between 1 May and 1 October.
• You want the most options in one valley: the Lim, with three sections, the Ljuča and Plav Lake.

If you cannot choose, tell me what you want from the day and I will choose for you.

A guided day

A guided day starts at 190 EUR with permits and lunch inside: see Trips. The lakes, the permits and the rest of the country are in fly fishing in Montenegro: the complete guide.

Questions

Where is the best grayling fishing in Montenegro?

On the rivers I guide: the Tara, the Lim, the Ljuča and the Ćehotina. For the biggest grayling, the Ljuča. For the nymph, the Ćehotina.

When is the best time for grayling in Montenegro?

June to October. In the fly fishing zones you can fish all year, when the water level allows, and grayling live in the rivers in every month.

Can I keep a grayling?

No. The fly fishing zones are catch and release, and I release every fish on every water I guide.

Do I need my own euro nymphing kit?

No. A euro nymph kit can be rented on request by anglers fishing with me, and I teach the method on a guided day if you want it.

Tell me which river you have in mind, or tell me what you want from the day and I will pick it. Request your dates.