Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
(Henry David Thoreau)

 

 

Vojvodina offers plenty of watery places for fishing including marshes, swamps, and rivers. We did our best to pick the most interesting fishing areas, but this list is far from being exhaustive: there are many other waters suitable for fishing besides the five mentioned here.

 

 

Ečka

 

Photo by: Ribnjak Ečka

 

Vojvodina’s largest fish farm, the 2000+ hectare Ečka Fish Farm is one of the first carp farm lakes, established on 1 January 1907. Engineering of the Bega river played a great role in its creation. River engineering made fishing impossible, and for this, the Ečka lordship was highly compensated. This money was used to buy a circuit pump in 1911, which is still used to fill the largest local lake, Belo jezero (White lake) with water. You can expect a good catch if you like grass carp, bighead carp, tench, barbel, and zander meat, but common carp is still the most widespread. Fishers can mostly expect two-summer-old, 1-1.5 kg specimens here.

 

 

Ðerdap (Iron Gates)

 

Photo by: Irene Becker

 

We don’t know exactly how long people have lived near the Iron Gates, but according to archaeological findings, the original Pannonian inhabitants lived here eight thousand years ago – which is the period archaeologists call the region’s golden age. The Danube was a determining factor in the habits and religions of early local neolithic inhabitants, who chiseled round stones and sculpted human or fish heads from them. Archaeologists say these holy rocks may be the last remnants of a strange belief system. Back then, giant sturgeons from the Black Sea could easily swim up here. The most well-known among them is definitely the beluga sturgeon, whose skeleton rivaled that of a bison. By today, the fish supply in the Danube’s central section has decreased by thirty percent under a few years. Pike and catfish can still be found, but zander and carp are considered endangered species here.

 

 

Zasavica

 

Photo by: Zasavica

 

This special nature reserve is also known as the floodplain eden. Its avifauna, aquatic and paludal lifeforms make it one of the most significant protected areas in Vojvodina. Locals have considered the river to be a swamp for a long time, as it is located in the floodplains of the Sava and Drina rivers. For a long time, experts have debated whether this “little brother” belongs to the watercourse of either of the two large rivers, but the general consensus says it belongs to both. From the numerous species of fish that live here, the mud-minnow is the most significant and has become the reserve’s symbol. The mud-minnow, also known locally as dogfish or frogfish, is rare in Europe, and has been included in the red book of endangered species due to its shrinking natural habitats. An approximately 20 km long range of the reserve can be used for fishing carp exclusively. The other areas including forests and reed have rich wildlife, making them a real paradise for experts and nature lovers. Cruising through parts of the river is an amazing experience, and you can’t go hiking without enjoying a local delicacy – grilled fish – at the end of the day.

 

 

Bačko Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve

 

Photo by: Kovács Szilárd

 

The book A Vajdaság száz csodája (A Hundred Wonders of Vojvodina) dubs the marshy area near the northwestern border full of floodplains, backwaters, and meadows “the last garden of eden.” This cavalcade offers favorable conditions for the emergence of a rare flora and rich fauna. This is the largest breeding area of Danube fish. Research indicates that 51 species of fish inhabit the area. Danubian fish such as the sterlet and burbot live here, but the king of the backwater is the pike. People in nearby villages have been living in cooperation with the Danube and its whims for centuries. Visitors in the area should check out the country houses in Bezdan and Kupusina, see the local folk attire, relax under the shade of a thatched roof, or visit one of Bački Monoštor’s famous cultural exhibitions. The Upper Danube area is an excellent example of nature and humanity coexisting harmoniously, and an excellent destination for people who like hidden gems.

 

 

The River Tisza

 

Photo by: Kovács Szilárd

 

– Hej, halászok, halászok,

Merre mén a hajótok?

– Törökkanizsa felé,

Viszi a víz lefelé.

By the end of this little Hungarian folk song about fishermen, you can find out that they didn’t catch anything other than rudd. But what can fishermen catch today? The Tisza is home to over half of the 34 species of fish indigenous to the area, of which carp and related species are in the overwhelming majority, followed by perch and sturgeon, but you can occasionally find monkey goby, weatherfish, and trout as well. River engineering in the 19th century exerted a large influence on the piscifauna of the Lower Tisza region in Vojvodina. After this period, seven fish species were introduced to the already changed Tisza, who also changed to the river’s fauna in their own way. One of the most authentic fishing competitions nearby is the “Aranykuttyogtató” (Golden Clonker) catfish-fishing contest in Kanjiža. Clonking has been a popular way of fishing in the area for millennia, and is illegal in all of Serbia excluding this competition in Kanjiža, so fishermen elsewhere have to settle for more conventional forms of fishing.