Huchen in Montenegro: the Danube salmon of the Lim and the Tara

Yes, you can fish for huchen in Montenegro with me, catch and release. Huchen, also called Danube salmon, live in the Lim and the Tara, and I fish for them mostly on the Lim at Plav, then on the Lim at Berane, then on the Tara. Big streamers, a #8 rod, barbless hooks, in the mornings. I have fished competitions for more than ten years, and these are my rivers. This article says what a huchen is, where it lives here, how I fish for it, and why the first thing to do is ask me about your dates.

What a huchen is

The huchen, Hucho hucho, is the big salmonid of the Danube basin. FishBase gives its range as Europe, in the Danube drainage, with introductions into other European basins after its numbers fell there. It lives in fresh water all its life and moves within the river. FishBase records a maximum published length of 150 cm and a maximum published weight of 52 kg, and notes that reports of fish over 2 m are probably wrong. The Red List status shown there is Vulnerable, assessed in 2024.

That is the species. I give no sizes for my rivers and no odds. A huchen is a fish you work for, and I will not sell you a number.

Where huchen live in Montenegro

In the Tara and the Lim, and in Plav Lake. They are present in the Ljuča too, rare and hard to catch, and I do not offer a huchen day there.

Where I fish for them, in order:

1. The Lim at Plav. This is where I go first.
2. The Lim at Berane, the lowest of the three sections I guide.
3. The Tara, at Kolašin and Mojkovac.

The Lim’s three sections are on the Lim page; the Tara’s are in fly fishing the Tara. Plav Lake is fished from a boat, and its dates are on the Plav Lake page.

How I fish for huchen: big streamers and a #8 rod

Big streamers. A #8 rod. Barbless hooks, a landing net, and the fish goes back. We fish in the mornings.

I rig the rod, I choose the streamer, and I put you on the water where I would stand myself. What rods, lines and streamers anglers elsewhere fish for huchen, set beside my #8, is in huchen tackle: rod, line and streamers. Bring your own #8 outfit if you have one. If you do not, tell me when you write and I will say what I can rent you; rental is on request and limited, and modern competition rods and reels cost extra. See gear rental.

Every huchen goes back

Catch and release is the rule of the fly fishing zones and my rule on every water. For huchen it matters more than for any other fish here: the species is listed as Vulnerable, and a big fish that is handled badly may not recover. So: barbless, so the hook is out in a second; the net, so the fish stays in the water while it is; a quick photo if you want one, with the fish held low over the water; and back it goes. I do not guarantee a huchen, and I will not call one a trophy. I guarantee that if we catch one, it swims away.

When to come: ask me about your dates

In the fly fishing zones huchen is fished catch and release all year. I name no best month for it. Tell me when you can come, and I will tell you straight whether a huchen day makes sense then, or whether I would put you on grayling instead. If the river is okay, I guide; the water level decides more than the calendar does.

The Lim and the Tara are grayling rivers first, with brown trout; when to come for those is in the best time to fly fish in Montenegro. A trip can hold both: mornings with the streamer, and the rest with the nymph and the dry fly.

A day for huchen with me

I bring the permits and lunch. A day is from 190 EUR with the permits and lunch inside it. If you stay in a town by the waters, I drive you on the fishing day. Pickup from further away is by arrangement. Every price is on Trips. On a trip of several days the Lim at Plav, the Lim at Berane and the Tara can all be fished; the rest of the country, water by water, is in fly fishing in Montenegro: the complete guide.

Questions

Are there huchen in Montenegro?

Yes. Huchen live in the Tara, the Lim and Plav Lake, and in the Ljuča, where they are rare and hard to catch.

Where is the best huchen fishing in Montenegro?

With me, the Lim at Plav first, then the Lim at Berane, then the Tara. Those are the waters I fish for huchen, in that order.

What tackle do I need for huchen?

A #8 rod and big streamers on barbless hooks. Bring a landing net if you have a big one; I carry mine.

Can I keep a huchen?

No. Every fish I guide for is released, and the fly fishing zones are catch and release.

When is the best time for huchen in Montenegro?

In the fly fishing zones huchen is fished catch and release all year. Ask me about your dates: I answer within one day, and I will tell you honestly what the river is likely to give you then.

Tell me your dates and that you want a huchen, and I will answer within one day. Request your dates.