Fishing For Food At Roza

Well having got up early on an overcast day to start working there was a phone call. It was Galia's son Anton asking whether we want to go fishing for food. Now I had been with him before river fishing but this was a bit different. The fishing season doesn't start until 15th May for river fishing and it is only private reservior fishing that was open us and that was what was on offer.

The clouds threatens rain but that didn't put us off as 2:00 approached Anton turned up on his push bike with four rods and a rucksack ripped to smitherines, but it still just held fishing contents. All this was, in typical Bulgarian style, strapped to the frame of his bike causing him to ride bow legged!! (Picture of Anton shown)

Galia was to go as well and we steamed off tot he fishing tackle shop for some worms and maggots. 10 minutes talking to the owner getting the best tips for fishing was made as Antan and I purchased the bait. We were off again - but even after all this talk to the expert of fishing we didnt' know where the reservior was! We travelled 10 km and caught sight of the reservior but because of the rain the track leading to it was too muddy to risk a lada getting stuck. We opted for the Roza reservior and hastened as the cloud of rain still threatened.

We arrive only to find that again the track tot he fishing area was only accessable by tractors and 4x4s. We walked a kilometer and found the owner who gave the nod for us to fish. Then it was back another kilometer for the equipment and Galia who was waiting in the car. Then another kilometer to start fishing after paying the 2 leva fee! This entitites you to a full day of fishing and to keep all the fish you catch. (Roza reservoir shown here)

Before we had even got our breath back Galia had caught a fish as we had set her up first. From thereon it was a fish every few minutes from us all! What a brilliant afternoon as the rain held of and the sun broke through toward the end of our stint of food gathering.

The fish once caught were just laid live on the sandy shore of the lake, it was cool enough for them to keep for a few hours in the open. Might seem cruel to many but that is how it is here. We had over 5 kg of fish, not large but in gross numbers and a feast to take home.

While we were fishing, talking and having a 'whale' of a time we observed a 4x4 getting stuck in the mud and at least 8 Bulgarians that had gathered tryign to bounce the car out of the dip it had dug itself into. We knew from the first moment that the tractor of the other side of the reservior was to be called upon. But being Bulgarian they spent two hours talking about it before actually to the neccasary. As we left at about 8:30 just before sunset, we saw the tractor making it's way to the stricken 4x4.

The fish were taken and placed into a bucket of water then left overnight outside for them to be de scaled and prepared the following morning of George name day day.