A premium family fishing vacation
In mid-June, the time had finally come for our family fishing vacation to Donnersbachwald – in the Styrian region of Schladming-Dachstein – where we had the perfect angler’s accommodation at the ABENTEUER FISCHWASSER member establishment Gasthof zu Gams. We consisted of my wife Renate and my fisher boys Gregor and Patrick.
Host Roland Rüscher greeted us very warmly with a welcome drink. The “home-brewed” tasted excellent and after settling into the comfortable rooms, he immediately showed us his beautiful, approximately 9 km long fly fishing stretch. By the way, he does this with all his new angling guests. He has leased the stretch exclusively for his vacationers for over 10 years.
The Donnersbach
The Donnersbach, a typical mountain stream, is a right tributary of the Enns and originates in the Wölzer Tauern. Extensive flat riffles alternate with some deep outer bends and smaller pools. Deeply carved into bizarre rock formations, the river formed cascades and eddies. There are also several impoundment areas in the stretch that are suitable for less experienced fly fishers. The main fish is the brown trout, but rainbow trout and brook trout can also be found. Unfortunately, there are hardly any grayling left.
Sporty and challenging fishing is the order of the day on the in-house stretch, as there are large stones and deep pools here. The stretch is accessible everywhere. Some of the best spots are also in the immediate vicinity of the accommodation, so nothing stands in the way of fishing even without a vehicle.
Fishing courses from the guide
Roland is an enthusiastic fly fisherman himself and prefers to pursue the fish with dry flies (with glitter effects). Angler friends support the “passionate cook” in offering angling courses. There are courses for beginners, as well as advanced courses for more experienced anglers. All courses start at the in-house fish ponds, where Roland raises some of the stocking fish, mainly brook trout. The sturgeons living there, weighing up to 40 kg, are also impressive to see. Casting is taught or perfected on the meadow and in the ponds. We also started our fishing vacation with such an instruction. We would recommend this approach to every new fly fishing guest, because not only can you refresh your knowledge, but you also learn a lot about the water, the best spots, the most effective baits, and the most successful methods. The course lasts 8 hours, which can be used in one day or split over two days. The courses can be booked individually. Therefore, they are mostly one-on-one lessons, allowing for even more intensive learning. It’s great that those who book a fishing course and stay a few more nights at the inn can fish for free for the rest of the week!
Beautiful brown trout and splendid brook trout
Roland’s fly fishing stretch is exclusively reserved for guests of the Gasthof “Zur Gams”! Therefore, the angling pressure is very manageable and the daily number of anglers is limited to a maximum of 7. The fish population consists of wild fish and stocked fish. Roland therefore stocks additionally several times a year with self-raised brook trout and brown trout from a farm in the High Tauern. Fish are caught in all sizes. The larger specimens weigh about 800 grams, although a brown trout of 3.60 kg has also been caught.
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Moody fish
The weather god was very kind to us; it was sunny and hot throughout our stay. Therefore, the fish were probably also reluctant to bite and were difficult to entice. Another reason was probably the abundance of natural bait. Nevertheless, we still caught plenty of fish and, above all, they were all above the catch size.
Favorite spot near the impoundment area
During our 4 fishing days, we tried many spots, but our clear favorite was in the impoundment area about 1.5 km from the guesthouse. Another benefit there was that you could fish without waders, a significant advantage in the summer temperatures. Before this impoundment area, the stream became much calmer and you could also clearly see the fish in the clear water. It was most fun to cast directly at them and watch them try to catch the fly or streamer. This practice proved to be the most successful, and each of us was able to record a catch there. Beautiful brown trout of about 40 cm in length and beautifully marked brook trout made their way into the landing net after a good fight. As usual, Gregor was in the lead, being particularly successful with the streamer. Patrick and I, on the other hand, struggled longer with the dry fly and nymph. On average, however, we certainly caught over 10 fish per day together.
Styrian delicacies from own production
For breakfast and dinner, we were spoiled with culinary delights at the Gasthof “Zur Gams”, featuring hearty, homemade products and Styrian specialties. These included, above all, game specialties from their own hunting grounds or freshly prepared (and, upon request, self-caught) fish. Sausage, ham, and bacon specialties from the house butchery, as well as homemade jams, should definitely be tried. In this house, the chef cooks personally!
Pure nature vacation
Roland offers special services for anglers. There is a small shop with accessories and plenty of fly patterns. In the drying room, wet angling clothes can be dried, and for all those who want to take their caught fish home, a vacuum sealer and a freezer are available. Numerous hiking, swimming, and sports opportunities provide variety to fly fishing. In the idyllic beer garden, guests can also enjoy an asphalt curling lane with rental curling stocks in the evening!
The Gasthof zur Gams, just like the neighboring ABENTEUER FISCHWASSER member establishments Gasthof Tetter and Puttererseehof participates in the Ennstaler Fischervoucher, which allows you to use the fishing waters of the neighboring establishments for free during your fishing vacation. Further information and great offers for fishing holidays: Gasthof “Zur Gams”
Text & Photos: Michael Plakolb
