Traun River · fly box
Chalk-stream clarity with alpine gradient, and some of Europe's largest grayling.
| Pattern | Imitates | Size | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traun Goldkopf | Caddis larva | #12-14 | Tight-line upstream in the fast water at the head of a pool. |
| Grayling Tungsten Bug | Cased caddis | #14-16 | Fish it deep on the bottom in winter; grayling shoal in the slow water. |
| Klinkhamer Special | Emerging olive | #16 | Surface film in the evening; a slightly dragging fly works best for grayling. |
| Zebra Midge, black | Chironomid | #18-20 | Winter fly under a small indicator in the clearest, slowest water. |
The dressing plate
On this river
Euro nymphing clear alpine water
The Traun is clear enough that a heavy indicator scares fish. Fish a tight-line rig with a 0.12 mm tippet and a single tungsten nymph, keep the rod tip low, and rely on feel rather than sight. In this water the take often arrives as the nymph lifts off the bottom at the end of the drift.
Twilight grayling on the surface
From June to September grayling rise in the last hour of light and they are far more tolerant of an imperfect drift than trout. Fish a single dry or a Klinkhamer across the pool at 45 degrees, let it drag slightly, and strike downstream. A 45 cm grayling on a #16 dry is one of the best fights in European fly fishing.
Respecting leased water
Almost every metre of the Traun worth fishing is leased, and the boundaries are marked with signs that are not always obvious from the water. Fish only the beat you have paid for, keep the gate closed, and expect a keeper to check your ticket. Anglers who wander upstream onto a neighbouring beat cause the access problems that make this river expensive for everybody.