Are you an enthusiastic fishermen? Would you prefer hiking through the mountains, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of forested river valleys in your attempt to find the largest trout or pike perch? Or boating through a dam at the slopes to search for huge carps, catfish or pikes? Perches, roaches, chubs or barbels are your favourite catch? Then Bulgaria is just the place for you.

     Largest catfish caught recently in a dam in Bulgaria weighs 112 kg. As for the largest pike - record is 14 kg! To find such, you should follow your route to Dospat, Vacha or Batak dams, to the valleys of Danube, Yantra, Belitsa or Veleka River, or even to the fisheries around Sofia. Most species of fish here spawn in spring and fishing is generally prohibited from mid April until mid June. There are some species that spawn in winter, such as trout, and the fishing season for these is quite different. However, angling in certain lakes and small dams is allowed throughout the year in the so-called sports fishing basins.

     A fishing permit ("riboloven bilet" in the fascinating Bulgarian language) is required in order to fish in the lakes, dams and rivers of Bulgaria; sea fishing does not require a permit. There are a number of fishing permits available to amateur fishermen in Bulgaria: Annual permit, Six month permit, Monthly permit, Weekly permit, a permit for disabled anglers (provided free of charge), a permit for women over 60 and men over 65 years old (50 percent reduction on fee), a permit for children under 14 (free of charge). These permits give the permit holder the right to fish everywhere where fishing is allowed. Applications for a fishing permit can be made in the local offices of the National Hunters' and Anglers' Union, or in a fishing tackle store, licenced to issue fishing permits on the behalf of the Union. The only document required is proof of identity. The permit must be carried at all times when fishing.