Sports in Bulgaria

I have in my life been an avid sportsman. I was an international swimmer and water polo player and an avid runner, specialising in the mile, with a best time of 4 minutes 10 seconds. Now, aged 80 years, I am no longer an active sportsman but I am an extremely keen supporter. I shall be taking great interest in the Olympic Games and look forward to two weeks of sporting magnificence.

Sports in Bulgaria is a very interesting topic. Though not the best time that this country has seen, people here are interested in different sports and the teams of Bulgaria are winning numbers of medals worldwide.

Most succesful sports for Bulgarian teams have proven to be:

1. Tennis
2. Wrestling
3. Weight lifting
4. Gymnastics
5. Athletics
6. Volleyball
7. Badminton
8. Judo
9. Taekwondo
10. High jump /women/
11. Running
12. Atletics - 100/200 m. sprint
13. Chess
14. Sumo
15. Gymnastics
16. Karate

In total Bulgaria has won 220 medals form the Olympic games so far.

http://www.kashkaval-tourist.com/7-incr … ievements/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_Bulgaria

But actually most Bulgarians would prefer football (soccer), volleyball, tennis, table tennis, cycling, fitness, swimming, aerobics, MMA, boxing and wrestling, skiing during the winter, skating, motor biking, offroad sports, hunting and fishing.

The country has a very well developed network of sports facilities, easily accessible by everyone. Gyms are every where and offer wide variety of programmes and good instructors.

I personally like volleball, badminton, karate, fishing and chess.

I love fishing but there seems little scope here for what I like to think of as "proper" fishing, especially around Sofia. There is some in stocked ponds/lakes but that's really not my cup of tea - I prefer to spend a whole day fishing for "wild" fish rather than tame ones, and I always return them to the water afterwards. I'd very much welcome some information on decent venues in the Sofia area (not the so-far very disappointing Pancharevo though! )

Don't give up, and avoid private fishing ponds, they are quite far from the truth. As a start, what kind of fish would you like to "hunt" ?

I might be able to help with some ideas/places

I'm happy to fish for almost any species of fish - I have tackle for smaller as well as larger ones, and always prefer to "fish light" anyway; I'm really not into the "rope and meat-hook" school of angling! 

Not catching anything - or being reminded yet again that I am often not as smart as a fish - doesn't worry me in the slightest; a day beside a lake or river, surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of Nature, is a pleasure in itself....