Slipstream Hosted Trip to Northern Italy in late September of 2025
Fall in Northen Italy is my favorite time to fish this absolutely stunning part of the country. Most of the tourists have gone home and there is sense of a slower pace of life as the countryside transitions from summer to autumn. I hosted an awesome group of anglers on a split trip where we stayed and fished in two different parts of Northern Italy. We started out up at a high elevation in the Gran Paradiso National Park for three nights with two days of fishing. The Gran Paradiso is often referred to as Italy’s Yellowstone, because of its raw terrain and rugged beauty. We stayed in the lovely mountain town of Cogne, which is situated right in the heart of the national park. The setting and scenery were truly exceptional and while the fishing was a little slower than I would have liked due to weather, the food and wine program enveloped us like a warm blanket. Everywhere you turn is like a postcard, with cows in the town pasture creating a symphony of cowbells that echoed across the valley and town. The guests loved it and everyone was unanimous in their desire to come back to this special little place.
On the morning of day four, we were picked up at our hotel in Cogne and driven down to a much lower elevation for the last 5 days of the trip, which were spent in the province of Piedmont. For this part of the trip, which consisted of 4 days of fishing, we were blessed with little wind and cloudless skies. And the fish were hungry. The group pretty much hammered Rainbows for the entire four days, most of which were taken on dries. The largest fish landed was a tank 6-pound Rainbow, but my friend and client Joe, hooked into two big fish that she had on for a good five minutes each before they busted off. Her guide said the second fish was pushing 8 pounds and the video of her rod bouncing as the fish continuously peeled off line is amazing.
The Sedge pattern was by far the most effective fly and several of the guests had some nice sight fishing opportunities on a couple of the days. For those who don’t know anything about fishing in Northern Italy, the rivers are spectacular and mostly run crystal clear through an ever-changing mix of mountains and hills. We stayed north of Verallo, which is a region filled with canyons and steep drop-offs, where roads hug the tops of cliffs, with hillsides still towering above. This is a part of Italy that few tourists venture into, which is a shame.
We dined out every night in small local restaurants, enjoying regional cuisine and wines that pretty much knocked our socks off. It’s hard to beat a day of 20+ fish on dries, and then dine on fresh pasta with superb local wines. Without question, the dinners out on this trip were every bit as important as was the fishing. So many laughs and great memories, both on and off the water.
