Huchen

Quick facts

How to identify it

A long, almost cylindrical body with a broad, flat head and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth, reaching far behind the eye. The back is copper-brown to reddish, the flanks are coppery with a scattering of small, dark, round or x-shaped spots, and the belly is white; the fins are reddish-grey and the tail is broad and only slightly forked. Unlike brown trout it never shows red spots with light halos, and unlike Atlantic salmon it has small scales and a much larger mouth. Large brown trout and pike are the only real confusables, but the huchen's reddish sheen, bulky head and adipose fin settle it. Adults over a metre are unmistakable.

Where it lives

Huchen live only in cold, fast, well-oxygenated rivers of the Danube catchment — the 'huchen zone' of medium to large rivers with gravel beds and strong current, below the grayling stretches. They hold in deep pools and runs with steady flow: below weirs and rapids, at the head and tail of pools, along undercut banks, behind large boulders and in the deep water at bridge pillars, always close to shoals of prey fish such as nase, chub and grayling. Adults are territorial and each big fish claims its own pool. Dams, gravel extraction and warming have wiped out many populations; stable stocks survive in stretches with intact river dynamics, and some are supported by stocking.

Season and behaviour

Huchen spawn in March and April at 6–10 °C, running in pairs to shallow gravel riffles; fisheries protect them through spring and summer, and in most countries the season only opens in autumn. The prime time is from October to February: the water cools, the fish are in full condition and they feed on prey fish during the day, especially at dawn, dusk and around rising or falling water. A snowy, overcast winter day with a slightly rising, tea-coloured river is ideal; bright frost and crystal-clear low water make them extremely wary. Huchen hunt in bursts, often at first light, and a big fish that follows a lure without taking may need to be rested and tried again days later.

Fishing methods

Huchen fishing is lure fishing, and it is a game of numbers: thousands of casts for a single take. Cast large, deep-running lures — 15–25 cm soft shads on heavy jig heads, big deep-diving plugs, heavy spoons and the traditional huchen jig (a baitfish-shaped multi-hook lure) — into deep pools and work them slowly right on the bottom, using the current. A powerful 2.4–3.0 m spinning rod with a strong reel, braided line and a thick fluorocarbon or wire leader is essential. Fly fishing with two-handed rods and huge streamers on sinking lines is growing fast; swing the fly deep and slow through the pool. Fish at dawn and dusk, cover water systematically and gear up for the fight of a lifetime: a big huchen uses the current and will find every snag.

Baits and lures

Prey-sized lures are the rule: big soft shads and paddle tails in natural nase, chub and grayling colours, deep-diving crankbaits, heavy spoons and the classic wooden or rubber huchen jig fished with a lift-and-drop action. Streamers should be 15–25 cm long, weighted and tied in white, olive, copper or black. Where natural baits are allowed, a large dead fish on a bottom rig fished in a deep pool at night can produce, though it is often restricted. Go big — a 20 cm lure is not too large for a metre-long fish.

Tips from the bank

1. 01Fish the deep pools below weirs and rapids at first light — the classic huchen take comes in the first grey hour of the day.
2. 02Work the lure slowly and deep, letting it tick the bottom; huchen rarely chase a fast lure in cold water.
3. 03A lightly rising, coloured river after snowmelt or rain is your best chance; save bright, low-water days for scouting.
4. 04Cover the whole pool in a fan of casts and move on — a huchen either takes in the first few passes or needs resting.
5. 05Use gear that would look excessive for pike: a big huchen in strong current will straighten weak hooks and break thin line.
6. 06Carry a big rubber net, unhook the fish in the water and take one quick photo before a careful release.
7. 07Check whether your stretch requires a special huchen permit or a guide — many do.

Where to catch Huchen

Waters where Shoalmap's fishing reports list Huchen.

• Butižnica
• Krivaja

Related species

• Brown trout
  Salmo trutta

  The wary, spotted native of cold rivers and deep lakes.

• Atlantic salmon
  Salmo salar

  The king of fish — ocean-run silver returning to its home river.

• Sea trout
  Salmo trutta trutta

  The silver, sea-going brown trout that runs the rivers at night.

• Northern pike
  Esox lucius

  The ambush predator with the biggest teeth in European fresh water.

Frequently asked questions