Chop etilgan: 21.08.2017
After spending the evening by the campfire until late at night, Tuesday (15.08.2017) starts off leisurely. Before saying goodbye to my new acquaintances at noon, I receive some groceries for the road and an offer to stay with Reka and Berti during my planned stay in Cluj. Around twelve o'clock, I set off with Rango to find a nice spot at the reservoir to spend one or two days fishing. There is no direct access marked on my map, so it requires patient searching. After crossing the dam, I go along the steep shore towards the south. The first promising opportunity is blocked by a privately marked path, whose passage is denied by the owner. Finally, I find a suitable spot at the other, southern end of the water. After a good 12km and about 4 hours of relaxed hiking, I set up our camp at the mouth of Drăgan. I take a nap in the afternoon sun, as the past few days have been quite exhausting. During my first walk around the reservoir, I can retrieve two cool Radler beers from the water - the spot seems promising. After a small dinner, it's time to go to bed.
On Wednesday morning, I prepare the campsite, gather firewood, and go swimming in the reservoir with Rango. The water is very clear and surprisingly warm. On the way back, I can make another catch, this time I pull a cool beer ashore. In the afternoon, I go a bit upstream and try my luck with various small baits. I spend the early evening at the river mouth spinning in a magnificent setting. Unfortunately, I don't catch any fish.
On Thursday (17.08.2017), I planned to sit at the river mouth in the morning hours. Getting up late saves the early bird and I only arrive at the fishing spot around eleven o'clock. There I get into conversation with two Romanians who have already caught some fish. It seems to be a kind of barbel that couldn't resist liver pieces on the float rig. The two anglers are not enthusiastic about my plan to lay a worm on the bottom, so they spontaneously donate a float, lead, and some liver to me. Despite my efforts, I still can't catch a fish until the afternoon, but I decide to set my alarm clock the next morning. I receive some groceries from the women at the campsite. Rango had run off in the morning and made friends with the ladies. So for dinner, we have delicious tomato salad with dandelions, cheese, garlic, and toasted bread cubes. A cool beer completes the meal and once again I crawl into my sleeping bag extremely satisfied.
On Friday morning, I am at the fishing spot early and after a few tries, I finally have another success. I catch a fish about 25cm long and can kill it. Since I want to continue my journey on the same day, I cut the catch into pieces and mix it into Rango's food as a supplement. After the fat one has been rummaging in his bowl for about 20 minutes without really eating, it doesn't seem like the smartest decision. In the early afternoon, we pack our stuff and set off. Along the Drăgan, we head towards Stâna de Vale. On the way, I can collect about half a kilo of blackberries, which are supposed to complement my breakfast the next morning. After about 3 hours and about 10 km, I set up our camp at an altitude of about 1400m, southeast of the village.