Fishing the Bode River (Fluss) in Treseburg

The German fly fishing chat forums are right. The Bode River north of Thale, especially in the Treseburg region is just plain gorgeous.

The underwater vegetation reminded me of the upper stretch of the Saale, and the scenery took me back to my time walking the banks of the Gunpowder. It had the feel of a Pennsylvania trout river, set between rolling hills and a lush surrounding forest.

The fish population is high. The Bode is filled with browns in the 10-inch range. I caught a few in the 11-12 inch-range, but they were the exception. I imagine that there are larger fish in the river, but the locals quickly fish them out. [Rumor has it that the fishing club (Verein) is considering making the river “members only” to protect it from being overfished… I hope they find a better solution that allows visitors to continue to enjoy the fishery and help the local economy.]

 

I opted again to stick with an Adams and had great results. I gifted a few flies to the overhanging trees, but that’s a sacrifice to which I’ve become accustomed.

Treseburg is full of local pensions for those interested in hiking, fishing, or just relaxing. I stayed at Pension Haus Alice Bodenstedt, and the couple running the place did all they could to make us feel at home. The owner called his pension a “work in progress,” and he made us forget any lackings in our rooms with a wonderful breakfast. [Treseburg sits in an area of Germany that formerly belonged to the DDR, so the development and recovery from their earlier economy is slowly progressing for the better.]

The night before my day of fishing I and a friend ate at Hotel Forrelle – the Schnitzel and Rostbrätel were delicious.

Petri Heil, Petri Dank hangs in Hotel Forelle

I bought my fishing permission form from Hotel Bodeblick near the Wildstein/Treseburg bus stop. The price was pretty steep for one day (20 Euros but 40 for 3 days), but the view and peacefulness of being on the river was worth it.

Fishing Tag

Oh, and this was the first time in my German fly-fishing experience that I had to wear a visible tag, identifying me as a “legal fisher.” The river has hiking trails nearby, which makes the Bode reasonably accessible.

Of the fisheries I’ve encountered in Germany, this has been one of my favorites. Were the Bode to
become a catch-and-release river, I can imagine it producing impressive browns.