Street Hunter Prague I

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world; an architectural jewel on the Vltava river and mainly the capital of the Czech Republic. It is one of the most popular places visited and admired by people from all the world. It bursts with history, music, literature and architecture. Everyone wants to feel the unique mood and beauty. I am a proud resident of the Czech Republic and Prague means not only the cultural centre to me but also a fishing paradise within the very heart of the city. The Vltava river is the longest river of the Czech Republic with the basin over 400 km long. Thousands of anglers enjoy fishing on its banks annually. The Vltava river provides various options for all the fishing techniques and I am sure this wild water has much more to offer; namely a fishing paradise in the heart of Europe. I felt the urge to experience the fishing in Prague and wanted to enjoy all this jewel has to offer. It is a Street Hunter time!

I was so excited about my upcoming urban adventure and I wanted to get ready for it properly. As I´ve mentioned above, Vltava is a fishing paradise but hardly any angler wet a line in the city centre. It was difficult to get some decent information about carp fishing in the downtown. Finally, me and my cameraman Rosťa set off ad-lib. It was dark when we arrived in Prague. We stopped in the middle of a bridge to take a look at the river in the city lights. We were amazed with the scenery and found the closest way down to the water. It was kind of a peninsula. There was a lock chamber along one side and the main watercourse with a weir along the other one. We chanced to stop at a perfect spot with all the interesting features for the first view of the water. I piled up my tackle including the bed chair in the barrow and found a quiet part of the channel where I noticed some activity. I focused the brightest spot of the surface with street lightning gleams and the rig with a PVA bag hit the surface. Our aim was to get the feel of the Vltava river and try as many spots as possible to get ready for further fishing. In less than half an hour I heard the indicator. The first fish was on. I got off the mark with a bream. A nice chub followed shortly. A perfect start of a session. The weather however wasn´t at our side. It was drizzling and we had neither umbrella nor bivvy.

I did not want to leave this prolific area with obvious fish activity. We found a subway nearby where we could find a shelter and still have the spot within reach. In the darkness, focused on the water we failed to notice an important fact. We were not alone. Albeit sheltered from the rain, we probably disturbed locals´ night rest. There was someone sleeping under the bridge. I felt like breaking into someone´s living room. I had a strange feeling and felt a tense in the air. I couldn´t stand it and believe me or not, I wouldn´t stay there a minute if I had been there alone. I was there with Rosťa who couldn’t care less. I had to get up and meet the poor fellows. I tried to introduce myself and explained them that we are not after their covers, money or place. I felt a bit better afterwards but still couldn´t sleep deeply. I sat in the chair and counted minutes. By dawn the rod tip bent, and the bobbin started spinning. In the very moment I forgot about everything. It was just me and the carp. Incredible!

It seems to me I sometimes have more luck than brains, at least while fishing. A beautiful long common rolled into my net. Such a carp I believed to live in the Vltava river. The night stress was gone in a minute and I warmed up too. The fishing passion is amazing. It makes no difference if you fish in a deep forest wading up to your breast or under a bridge in the downtown. The sound of spinning reel takes you into a different world. Someone scrambled out of the bunch of blankets. Obviously, we were too noisy. The man was getting ready to leave. It would never cross my mind he was about to leave for work. But he was. I realized we should never judge people by the place they live or by their clothes. Their way of life may be difficult, and a disaster may happen to anyone any day.

I had the breakfast with the homeless woman. We had a nice chat. We shared our life experiences, diverse as if they were from different universes. It was my most emotional fishing experience ever. In such moments, a human being stops and realizes what is important in the life. One also realizes that we do not owe our ancestors for our well-being only and we do not have to be grateful. One of the greatest life fortunes is to be loved and have a home. I also realized the meaning of life. A human derives pleasure from dedicating his/her life to something and leaving a significant trace for children. There are thousands of fantastic people all around the world working for the humankind to live better. Developing new medicines, founding charitable trusts and I must mention those who enrich our lives with music, sport or science. I am so glad to find my life mission in fishing. I enjoy it very much, but I want to go further. Achieve much more. It is not about breaking records, winning matches or counting catches. Fishing is a great sport that can guide human´s life and help thousands of children. It´s not always about being in nature. You can enjoy fishing even in a city. Hope you get me right and understand the intention of my videos and articles. Beside showing my passion for fishing I always try to share a message for those who need it or those who just want to enjoy my sessions with me.

The police lights disturbed our breakfast time. The policeman explained we should not fish under the bridge and told us where to move. It is rather difficult to understand the city fishing rules but as usually, I managed the situation politely. I said goodbye to Marcela, gave her my bedchair and sleeping bag and promised I come around soon.

I must admit I rarely experience such emotions during my fishing. We had a full day before us and I wondered what would happen. In a distance I heard a weir which lured me. Since my childhood I love fishing under weirs. Maybe because it always reminds me of my grandfather who taught me fishing under a small weir at the Chrudimka river. Closing my eyes, I still hear the comforting sound and recall my early days. Perhaps, this was the very beginning of my way of life. The river was wilder in this swim. I cast in the current and watched what was going on around us. There was a nice park behind us. Once in a while people walking the dogs along the river stopped and had a chat with us. I learned many important facts. Urban fishing is not just about casting and playing a fish in the city. It is about meeting people who you do not know but have something in common. Also, it is an occasion to meet friends you barely see as they live faraway.

I felt the activity and knew something is about to come. I did not have to wait long for the first bite. The small carp, despite its size, pleased me as well as my friend´s family who came to visit us with their new born baby. More and more people stopped by. We answered their questions and occasionally showed them fish they live in their neighbourhood. Some children were surprised to see such fish in Prague. I´m sure we did not show them all the treasures. The Vltava river has much more to offer. It was getting late when a barbel, the river queen, paid us a visit. Our first urban fishing in the streets of Prague was over. It was an incredible feeling to fish in the city. Wanting to experience the adrenaline rush again, we were sure we come back shortly to try fishing in the very heart of the capital.