"On a boat, you are everything: a mechanic, a cook, and a fisherman."
As the year slowly draws to a close and we conclude this year’s series Vir of Izola’s Flavours, we set out to sea one last time. Not to the postcard-perfect sea, but to the real one: working, fishing, authentic. We were taken there by Jan Virant, who, at just 27 years of age, has already spent thirteen years on a fishing boat.
Between Two Seasons, Between Two Worlds
Jan’s year is divided into two parts: in summer he takes tourists on panoramic cruises or fishing picnics, while in winter he dedicates himself to fishing. His summer season is fully booked. “A weekend trip has to be reserved as early as March,” he tells us. On these outings, he usually grills sardines and squid for his guests, but he is flexible and prepares whatever they agree on. “Even meat, if someone doesn’t eat fish,” he says with a smile. He often takes visitors as far as Piran, where they also explore the town.
Winters are reserved for fishing. And although one might expect summer to be his favourite season, he answers without hesitation: “In winter, I prefer going out to sea. Then it’s just you and three boats out there. Peace.” That peace is truly his place: a cabin warmed by the sun, silence between the waves, and a rhythm undisturbed by the lively summer schedule.
On Beginnings and Friendship
When asked how his story with fishing and the sea began, Jan answers without embellishment: “I started because of the money.” He stayed because it had always been important to him to be his own boss, and because fishing soon got under his skin.
As a child, Jan moved from Štajerska to Izola. By the age of 15, he was already fishing enthusiastically before and after school; at 18 he began taking tourists out to sea, and in 2018 he leased the boat Jež, which he bought two years later. In 2022, Jež was renovated.
Today, he runs the boat together with Rene Zadnik — a friend and collaborator with whom he does practically everything connected to Jež. How do they manage to spend so much time together without conflict? “It’s simple — we hardly talk on the boat. The work just flows. Everyone knows their role,” Jan smiles. In winter, fishing is a kind of meditation. In summer, organisation, a fast pace and (above all) sleepless nights take over. Jan is the more “outspoken” one; Rene makes sure everything is exactly as it should be.
When asked whether he would change his profession, he answers immediately: “I wouldn’t. I don’t know how to do anything else.”
On the boat, as he says, you are everything: a mechanic, an electrician, a fisherman, a cook, a captain. It is precisely this diversity that he likes, even though it is demanding. And you quickly realise that fishing is not a romantic story, but a profession that requires hard work, perseverance and complete dedication.
The Taste of the Sea, His Way
When we ask him what he likes to eat most, he laughs: “Red mullet. And small horse mackerel and sole. Until I get tired of them, then it’s something else.” The sea, after all, is generous and offers a lot. Jan is not a man of long explanations, but a man of action. “We don’t like to put ourselves in the spotlight. We work. We stay quiet. And we don’t worry about others,” he says almost in passing — yet he says a great deal.
Sometime next year, Zvezda is expected to be launched — the largest fishing boat in Slovenia, which he and Rene have now been renovating for the second year. It too will be used for fishing in winter and for tourist trips in summer. What will the young friends’ future summer seasons look like? Certainly even more work-intensive, but the two are already looking forward to new challenges.
The story of Jan and the boat Jež reminds us that the flavours of Izola depend on people who may not speak much, but who create the most. That catches, meals, plates and tradition are the result of countless hours at sea — in the cabin, in the wind, in the dark, in the renovation of boats… In stories that are created quietly, without big words.
