Trip to Bosnia

Few days after Nejc defended his diploma thesis, he, I and my son Matija made a fly-fishing trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina to celebrate the hard expecting event. We used this opportunity to check the presence of Cottus sp. in some of its most enigmatic spots such as the Krka and Neretva river systems. I enjoyed revisiting my old ways and showing the youngsters charms of the Balkans.

Due to the – crisis, the department management decided to get rid of our good old Ford Galaxy; the last straw was the hole in its exhausting pipe. The other car, LR Discovery has become very busy lately; during the described field trip, it was indispensably needed as a shuttle from Rodica to Gozd Martuljk for some conference purposes... So I addressed our colleagues from the Faculty of Forestry, who kindly lent me (no charge!) their Renault Traffic van. Thank you very much!

>   We are heading to Babića jezero, which is via subterranean passages connected to Butižnica River-the right tributary to the Krka River.

>   The lake was some meters below its normal level. There were plenty of Cottus.

>   On the way to Konjic we visited the confluent of the Neretva and Buna Rivers, and made a quick stop in Mostar.

>   Abbey road scene in some Mostar street.

>   The bridge over the Neretva River in Jablanica, which was destroyed by the Yugoslav partisans in the fourth enemy offensive (Battle of the Neretva) during the Second World War.

>   On the way to Boračko jezero; remaining ruins of a house destroyed during the last Balkan war.

>   Who says that there are no Cottus in the Neretva?

>   Warming up for fly-fishing.

>   Great expectations.

>   The first fly-fished trout in life.

>   In otio diem peragere.