DRINA: A NATURAL TREASURE OF THE BALKANS WITH 30 SPECIES OF FISH

The Drina River is unique in many ways, most notably for being the most beautiful and cleanest mountain river in the Balkans, home to numerous populations of noble fish species.

The Drina is formed at the confluence of the Tara and Piva rivers and follows a northern course for 346 km until it flows into the Sava. The Drina basin, covering 19,570 square kilometers, has significant hydroelectric potential. The Drina and its tributaries are well-known for freshwater fishing, making it a desired destination for avid anglers.

The Drina River is home to over 30 species of fish from 14 different families, the most famous of which is the huchen, also known as the "queen of the Drina." The huchen is the hardest fish to catch and is the dream of every angler, reports B92. In the Bajina Bašta area, the largest specimens in Europe, weighing over 30 kg, have been caught.

Besides huchen, grayling fishing is also very attractive. Anglers can also catch catfish, pikeperch, carp, trout, barbel, chub, and many other fish that thrive in such waters.

The Drina, with its artificial lakes Perućac and Zaovine, provides favorable conditions for fishing tourism. The clear and clean water is rich in diverse river fish. Depending on water quality, primarily the amount of oxygen and necessary food, different fish species inhabit different parts of the river.

Based on the fish species inhabiting the Drina and other mountain rivers, the flow can be divided into zones of trout, grayling zones, barbel areas, and bream areas. These zones are not sharply divided and overlap to some extent, allowing some fish species to be found throughout the river's course. However, three distinct sectors of the Drina can be identified, each differing sharply in population density, and qualitative and quantitative composition of fish.