Fly Fishing in Italy: Quick Start Guide of What to Expect

Fly Fishing in Italy: Live Broadcast with Fishing, Grappa and Beer

What is not to like about fly fishing in Italy ? Beautiful fish, Beautiful scenery, Grappa and Beer drinking plus fishing stories from the first day of our Italian Trip. ALL these things feature in our special live broadcast that we recorded for you below. This was a special bonus presentation to recognise the wonderful support from our TiF TRIBE Patrons via https://www.patreon.com/tenkara (and check out the full article below the vid).

As we say in the video, this isn’t just a case of dangling a slice of paradise in front of you when it is completely impossible for you to fish. In fact it is very easy to go through Vito (who you’ve already met in the video) and check out your favourite options on his Italy on the Fly Site…And please understand it’s NOT only for tenkara-heads, I broke out the western fly rod & reel rig in many places to enjoy streamer and nymph fishing.

Although the featured video is not a “proper” coaching webinar (instead it’s very much a “show and tell” of the fishing of the area), you’ll definitely pick up some unique tips that will improve your chances on stream in the recording above. In fact – being completely frank – you’ll get some straight up high-level secrets of how to play with the “signal to noise” ratio in ways that massively improve your chances of success…There’s no doubt that those insights are incredibly valuable (bordering on commercially sensitive!). So please do try to absorb as much as you can for your own fishing – whether in Italy or any trout stream in the world.

This includes how to modify the type of line, size/dressing of fly and even how you make it land on the surface of the water. Also find out how fish can fool you into thinking they’re selective when they’re actually just accustomed to people and grazing animals walking around!

On top of that – you’ll find out how to take advantage of approaches used by professional competitive bass anglers in the USA in your own hobby fly fishing and tenkara fishing (and those things don’t often appear in the same sentence).

But we can’t deny – there’s no escaping the fact that the Italian Dolomites are a paradise for the fly fisher.

Western Fly Fishing in Italy & The Tenkara Question!

The trip was facilitated by Consozio Turistico Valle del Chiese and all of the accommodation that we’ve stayed in across our various visits has been fantastic. The food is, as you’d expect (and without exception), tremendous. Beer, wine and local spirits just top the whole thing off – and the people are the warmest and funniest that you could hope to meet anywhere.

But is the area only of interest to the tenkara angler?

Well, the photos and video sequences used in the recorded broadcast above are a great showcase for the fishing in the region (thanks to the tireless efforts of Christian “Nokill” who has established miles and miles of Catch and Release fishing!). Follow Christian on Facebook for amazing photos of fishing experiences, marble trout, brookies, browns, big grayling and even the occasional stream-bred rainbow trout…

The truth is, Christian and many folks who fish the area are hardcore rod & reel western fly fishers (and the area is a paradise for all styles from dry fly through nymphing to streamer fishing for marble trout).

There is an incredibly detailed account of the many fishing traditions of Italy in our Fishing in Italy Article.

Of course, loads of reaches of the rivers are also absolutely stunning examples of prime tenkara water too. That being said, Christian is the owner of an open mind AND a tenkara rod (the two often go hand in hand) as well as his main fly rod & reel setups.

Just don’t let him catch you without a correctly filled out fishing permit or (heaven help you) taking fish on one of his beloved “No Kill” beats…your body may never be found.

Blue Water – Mountain/Volcanic Salts

The world-famous fishing in mountain areas such as Slovenia or (if you’re a tenkara angler) Japan has a very distinctive calling card. Those crystal clear, cobalt blue pools in those powerful mountain rivers. Fed by snow melt and leaching salts out of the mountain rocks – these are the things that lend the almost unreal shade of transparent blue to these fishing paradises.

The Italian Dolomite rivers have this same character (and the rivers are usually at a higher altitude even than the ones we fish in Japan). Settings range from high Alpine meadows to wooded limestone gorges and even pleasant meandering “chalk-stream” like runs further down the valleys.

Expect stunning waterfalls, wild horses, wild Alpine strawberries and lots and lots of wild fish.

Trentino: Fly Fishing in Italy at its best

I think that you can tell from the broadcast (and the whole of this post actually) that we are all bowled over by the experience of fly fishing, tenkara, food, drink and the fishing community in the Trentino region.

Wild mushroom (or how about wild venison?) homemade pasta dishes, polenta, local fish dishes, wood-fired pizza, speciality sweet pastries, gelato and fantastic fresh fruit – does any of that sound good after a day fishing?? Cured meat, local cheese packed lunches with more fresh fruit…wickedly strong (actually delicious) coffee, crisp cold beer, red wines, a selection of post-meal grappa varieties. All that is before we get to the free-rising wild fish, clean mountain air, meadows, traditional architecture with cheerfully coloured plaster walls, wooden balconies dripping with bright red flower blooms.

If you don’t want to travel, stay and fish here as a fly angler and/or a tenkara angler, well I reckon you’ve got rocks in your head. You might well be very pleasantly surprised at the pricing of the exceptionally high quality guided and hosted trips here that Vito and the gang run. In all honesty, I’d gladly pick it over some of the more famous and even more expensive options for that blue-water mountain-river fishing.

Tackle discussed and used in the Broadcast:

• Karasu premium tenkara rods
• Valcan Applaud (olive) fluorocarbon Tenkara level line (Japanese size #2.5)
• Fujino “Turbo V” Nylon Tippet in Japanese sizes #0.8 and #1.0 (approx. 3lb and 4lb breaking strains)

Let us know what you think of the fishing on offer and our live broadcast in the comments below…

Paul