We had been trying to fix a date to go and see John and Angie for a while and were delighted to visit them in Ocober when the weather in Spain was still sunny and warm, unlike the descending temperatures back in the UK.
I must say, they looked after us really well. Angie having prepared a written agenda so we would make the most of the time available. Most days started with Sandy and Angie going to the gym, then back come back to collect John and me, and off we would go to a new destination every day. It was an excellent way to see the surrounding area, and to go to restaurants that were known to be of a high standard, and we were suprised how inexpensive they were compared to Portugal where we had been only a month previously.
However, John and I both are keen anglers and John had encountered problems finding good waters. We scheduled in a visit to lake of about 6km long just past Rebate. However, John had fished it previously and only caught carp to just over the 1kg mark. When speaking to a guide who had many years experience, John was told that this was usual and that the biggest fish that he had seen was only 3.5-4KG. We decided that we would give it a try. The day didn't start too well as the Range Rover followed the track to the lake edge and sank in the silt. The four wheel drive was little use when all four wheels just slipped in the black soft slime-like silt. It took over 30 minutes to get it out by packing brushwood and stones around the wheels, and with a little help from me pushing too. Much to our relief, we finally made it, but the car and I were plastered in mud and my shoes were big balls of sludge.
We found a dry area to tackle up, where John taught me some of the finer points of carp fishing with multiple rods on a pod, with bite indicators and bait runners; all new to me. However, we didn't catch one. All the other anglers packed up and went home, but I had seen a few silver fish which John told me were very like the bleak in the UK. I couldn't resist having a dabble, not being embarrased by fishing for little fish, and caught two before the wind picked up across the lake and churned up the water at the edge. The colouration then drove the small fish away from the edge, and as I was floatfishing with a little 5' telescopic rod (ideal for guesting of freelancing), I was unable to respond and so we travelled home.
Much to my delight, John said he knew where there were some better fish - but in a pool on a golf course that was off limits, guarded with security personnel - but there were no signs saying no fishing. After our "bleak" day (Angie's joke) we weren't going to let a few problems stop us. John walked around the area and had prebaited with corn when he walked his dogs. So we went to the market and each bought a telescopic rod with a sweet little fixed spool reel set up which could collapse into one's coat. With a small landing net that fitted into a carrier bag along with a couple of cushions, some corn for bait and silver paper for bite indication, we were all set for the evening. Angie dropped us off nearby and we walked acroos the course in the dark, avoiding all lit areas, crept up to the pool and started fishing. John quickly had a grass carp of about 7-8lb, and then another of a similar size. I had the hook pull from another, as John did later too.
We decided that a couple of hours was all we could risk and so called for Angie and retraced our steps just after midnight. It was great fun, taking us back to an era when we were kids and fished everywhere. John was disappointed that I had blanked, and said we had to do it again so that I could catch one from his swim. Despite it being the night of Sandy and my silver wedding anniversary, we only had one last night and so tried again. However, this was more difficult this time as patrolling guards were present and at 25 past the hour, we had to lie flat on the grass to avoid detection. The sprinklers were on too, all around the lake but not where we were set up - how fortunate because they really do spray out copious amounts of water. After an hour and a half, all we had were line bites, then my paper jumped and I was in to a fish; another grass carp of similar weight to the previous ones, slightly longer maybe, but a bit slimmer. The fish seem disorientated when you first set the hook and you think they are small, but once they get their bearings they are prodigious fighters with very hard mouths. The one John caught tested his tackle to the full and we were suprised that it survived such extreme punishment.
That was the last of our fishing trips. On the following morning we took a trip to La Manga to look around and have lunch before heading to the airport. It was about 28 degrees in Spain, and when we arrived back in the UK late due to the regular french air traffic problems there was frost on the car. What a difference! We can't wait to be invited out again by such excellent hosts.
If you know what species the fish illustarted above is, or can confirm it is a bleak, I would be very grateful. It weighed about 2.5oz (about 70 grammes)