Zagreb Fishing Society 1894

Before the chorus of the revolution in 1848 spread also in Europe, the governing noblemen hunted calmly for their deer in the hunting grounds or went fishing. The difference between hunting and fishing was big, as you can not make the fish take the bait, while you can shoot the deer as long as you want. At the end of the 19th century, hunting was in Croatia still the privilege of the no longer governing noblemen. So one can read in the Lovačko Ribarski Viestnik (Hunting and Fishing paper) that the honourable Count Paul Szechenyi, His Highness Theodor Count Pejačević, Baron Elemir Vay, Baron Vilim Hauer, Counts Gjuro, Josip and Ladislav Mailath killed 1447 pieces of different game, whereas 390 were varmints. During the hunt, deer, does, rabbits, partridges, a pheasant, eagle, hawks, foxes and other game, three corn crakes as well. Far away from the hunting noblemen, a group of citizens – civil servants, doctors and others – enjoyed the quiet and piece of fishing at the river Sava. This informal party of sociable citizens of Zagreb, gathered around sport fishing, made on September 16, 1886 for their first president, Mr. Francek, a funny birthday card. At this time, they must have existed as a society for ten years. Therefore, I believe that the beginning of their organised companionship can be set somewhere around the year 1860. There were many of them; they all knew each other. After fishing, they would go to the small inn To the Jolly Fisherman or the restaurant Ungar near the Sava-bridge, where they had a spritzer or sausages.

They were resolved and very thorough, and soon after the first pollution of the river Sava they took the founding of a society in consideration. In 1892 they started to work on the fundamental rules of the society. Documents show that the gentlemen Rikard Flögel, Josip Wagenhofer, the town assemblyman Slavoljub Bulvan and Bernhard Krausdorfer contributed most to this goal. So the group of fishermen formed in March 1893 the Fishing and Angling Club, and on March 9th, 1894 the Club was renamed during the first general assembly to the Zagreb Fishing Society. Its rules were confirmed on January 9th, 1895 by the royal government. This club, later society, became something like a mother for all other fishing and angling clubs and associations in Croatia and in the other republics of the former state. The honourable jeweller, Bernhard Krausdorfer, was the first treasurer of the club and later he had the honour of being the first president of the Zagreb Fishing Society. He held this position for many years, until 1909, when he handed it over to the honourable pharmacist Vlatko Bartulić. Very soon, the first spawning-ground for trout was built at the brook Bliznec, where 55 years later I fished my first gudgeons, with a hook I had tinkered myself from a pin.
