“Spanish road trip!”

“6 months ago my friend and fishing guide Pepe from Orellana Carp, mentioned to me the stunning river carp in the Extremadura region of Spain and the challenge of trying to coax them out of mile upon mile of sunken trees and snags.

Having already sampled lake Orellana last autumn I was keen to see what else this region had to offer and have always loved a bit of snag fishing ?

Plans were hatched for Pepe to prepare a couple of different locations and prebait them before my arrival giving me the best chance of success.

Totally different from lakes where areas are fished regularly with bait going in, these rivers are remote, with no pressure and an abundance of crayfish.
This gives the carp no need to leave the sanctuary of the snaggy margins where food is on tap!
Without prebaiting you could literally be 500 metres from the nearest fish!

I’m now home and so glad to have listened to my friend and host.

A tension filled session with peaceful countryside surroundings and heart attack moments fishing locked up, screwed down, listening for single bleeps throughout the nights!

Over 20 nights the tension was real, last night back in my own bed I jumped up to a beep in the street scrambling for footwear!
62 carp landed along with plenty of barbel was my rewards for sleepless nights.
5 x 40lb+, 9 x 30’s, only 11 doubles with the rest being 20’s. 8 lost fish was disappointing but probably to be expected considering the terrain.
With constant high pressure and night-time temps down to 4 degrees to get 2-3 runs per night was very pleasing and testament to the swim preparation.
2 cloudy days with light rain resulted in 4 of the 5 40lbers and two 39lb fish.

I now have Memories of turtles, otters, kingfishers, groups of 6-8lb bass, pike chasing 10 ounce grippers and a curious tan coloured stoat- mink type animal that kept popping out the bushes like a meerkat!

Not many photos and videos from this trip as secrecy is important when preparing locations. But I can remember every detail which is fine by me.
Bait was the usual baitworks Atlantic heat
But this time combined with Monster red, both soaked in dips and glugs and fished snowman with heavens, hells and sea monster pop ups!

Thanks to Jamie Peters for getting 200 xt’s out to me with 3 days notice.
Thanks to Steve Whitewick for the 100 x 10ounce grippers again with just 3 days notice.

Thanks to Tom Oakes for loaning me 3 x 4.5lb 10 footers, perfect bruvva!
Biggest thank you is for my friend and guide Pepe Lolo Nuñez Ortega who helped make this trip successful.

I will return my friend when the stormy weather is with you. God bless and good health to you and your lovely wife”