The sun was still hiding behind the mountains when the alarm clock went off in the chilly morning apartment. It was one of the last mornings in May, and my good friend Žiga and I were already gearing up for the water. The sky, already slightly light, was covered in gray clouds, and mists were rising over the river. The Soča River, in its upper reaches, was eagerly awaiting us. After a brief assessment of the water conditions, we quickly embarked on our long-planned, two-day expedition, aiming to catch a wild purebred marble trout.

As the forecast predicted sunny weather with relatively high temperatures for the second half of the day, I decided to head straight to the best part of the river. Due to the recent cold front, there was hardly any meltwater, making the crystal-clear river perfectly transparent and low, which later posed quite a challenge with the wary wild trout. Nonetheless, the conditions were very favorable on the first day, and at the first bend full of large rocks, Žiga, who was fishing in this part of the river for the first time, caught a beautiful marble trout. It was completely white, with a few small red spots and a flank that resembled a hybrid. The search for the perfect marble queen continued with added adrenaline, as we were convinced the next hour or two would be the peak of the day. I crossed the river and crept up from the other side, hiding behind branches, to approach one of the cracks between the rocks. Soon, I noticed a significant crevice under a rock, so I tried hard to get my nymph there. After a few casts, I succeeded, and a surprise followed. I instinctively set the fly line and felt a shake. A beautiful dark fish bravely darted out from under the rock. When I saw it, I realized it was the sought-after fish, and after an exciting battle and several attempts to escape under the undercut rocks, I landed the beauty in the net. With its spread fins and marbled pattern, the golden-yellow trout smiled at the camera a few more times before swimming back to its hidden home.

The clouds were breaking up, and the sun’s rays were trying more frequently to reach us in the morning chill. The temperature was rising, and the fish were becoming less active. The rainbow trout clearly couldn’t resist food, regardless of the sun, and while exploring the meanders and pools, we caught some nice ones, well over 50 cm. The section of the river we were fishing that day I had fished many times before, but it still felt completely new at times, as recent floods and high waters had caused significant changes even on the varied Soča. The current had changed in certain spots, and a few times I found myself standing disappointed in newly formed shallows where deep, fish-filled pools had been last year. Just as nature adapts, so did we, and with additional exploration, we discovered some smaller branches of the main flow, surrounded by vegetation. One of these was a true goldmine. It was full of wild fish, but due to its inaccessibility, fallen trees, and branches stretching across the stream, fishing was almost impossible, especially for the two of us. Nonetheless, we were cautious enough to catch a nice wild fish before returning to the main river flow, where we sat on a sandy beach under the shade of a willow tree, had a snack, and chatted until drowsiness overcame us.

Prepared to catch the evening rise, we moved on, admiring the still snow-covered mountains. I was fishing one of the pools when a strange loud noise and the ground shaking took me by surprise. I quickly turned around, and just a few hundred meters upstream, a herd of wildlife emerged from the forest. Žiga was fishing above me on the other side of the river, so he didn’t hear the noise, but it seemed like the mass of startled animals was heading right towards him. “Hey!” I shouted, and he, in the middle of tying a fly, looked up and froze. The wildlife finally noticed our hidden figures in the vegetation and abruptly changed direction, crossing the stream. “Wow, unbelievable.” We laughed and marveled at the unexpected event, realizing that we hadn’t seen any people all day, except for a few kayakers, and continued.

Throughout the day, we caught a few more rainbow trout, but the marble trout remained inactive until sunset, when Žiga managed to catch another very notable wild trout just before the end of the day. It was a truly admirable female, which, like the cherry on top, crowned an excellently spent spring day and sparked additional enthusiasm for the upcoming continuation of the adventure.

The late arrival at our accommodation and tired legs challenged us to set the alarm for the next morning, but we were undeterred and decided to wake up even earlier. Indeed, the valley was still shrouded in darkness as we drove to the highest possible part of the emerald Soča where fishing is still allowed. This time, Žiga had the advantage, as he had fished the upper reaches several times and knew some very picturesque and fishable spots. The pristine landscape, enormous boulders in the river, and deep steep gorges provided breathtaking scenes. The fish were cooperating more reluctantly, except for a few stocked fish and individual wild ones, which were exceptionally magnificent. While climbing past one of the boulders, we spotted a trout actively feeding behind a large rock in the shallows on the other side of the rushing river. Due to the distance, we couldn’t be sure if the fish with the rather dark back was a marble trout or a rainbow trout, which are rare in the very upper Soča. Hoping it was a local, I changed several imitations of native aquatic organisms, but despite very nice presentations, they didn’t arouse any interest. Disappointed, I replaced the black nymph with one of the rainbow trout’s favorite flies, and on the first cast, although not perfect, the fish swam lively and greedily opened its mouth. The hungry trout, hooked, turned on its side, revealing its marbled pattern and yellow fins. Surprised and joyful, we admired the refined pigmentation of the medium-sized playful trout before releasing it back into the river.

Luck is fickle, as the clear blue sky without a single cloud reminded us. The summer weather greatly reduced the chances of catching fish, as the first rays already made it very warm, and soon it was quite hot. The fish retreated and became lethargic, hiding in their cool hideouts. We didn’t deceive ourselves about the conditions, but we continued determinedly and finally satisfied our fishing appetite in the lower pools with some rainbow trout. Exhausted from the sun, lack of sleep, and miles of wading through strong currents, I collapsed in the pleasant shade, lying with my legs in the refreshingly cold water. My buddy quickly joined me, feeling the same way, and we quietly reflected on and commented on the highlights and events of another successfully completed fly fishing expedition.