The marble trout (Salmo marmoratus) can be found from northeast Italy all the way down to Montenegro – with Slovenia being the well known epicenter for marble trout fishery. These remarkable fish are recognized by their long body, large head and of course their beautiful marble pattern.

This is a species that over recent decades has suffered numerous threats to its existence – from habitat loss due to constuction of river dams, hybridisation with other foreign trout species stocked by fishing organizations, water pollution and overfishing.

In 1993, the species was flagged as in danger of imminent extinction. In the mid 1990s, Slovenia started a conservation plan led by Tolmin Fishing Club. They identified populations of genetically pure marble trout that waterfalls had naturally isolated from the hybrid trout downstream.

A plan to duplicate these genetically pure marble trout began, and thanks to the enormous efforts of the Fisheries Research Institute and the Tomlin Fishing Club’s reintroduction programme, the genetically pure marble trout populations are once again thriving in the River Soča.

Chasing trophy marble trout is no easy task. They mostly feed on other fish but also underwater invertebrates and sometimes smaller rodents and frogs.

Forget about nymphs and dry flies – for success, you should focus mainly on large streamers.

Tie and Fly ambassador team member, Klemen Kuštrin lives on the banks of the River Idrijca which flows directly into the River Soča. His knowledge of marble trout is extensive. He and fellow ambassadors from the team have had quite a year spent in these crystal clear waters chasing the famous marble trout.

Regarding their tackle selection, they say, ‘we had to put aside the light tackle and grab some heavy weight guns’.

Their rod of choice is the CTS Affinity X 9ft 8wt. A powerful rod is needed because marble trout have hard bones in their mouth that require a lot of power to pierce the hook through. When it comes to streamers they normally uses sculpin patterns or baitfish patterns in higher water level conditions.

From April to September, in rain and shine, Team Tie and Fly has met and released many of these beautiful creatures.

Depending on habitat, the marble trout coloring may include shimmering blue cheeks, or red dots on the lateral side. They grow to truly trophy size, and can be over 120cm and weigh over 20kg.