Autumn Blues with a few gems included.

It’s tough out there, the last six weeks have been a bit up and down, but too much down to be honest!  Following the 28^th river double I had hoped to get a reasonable chance to go to the Ribble in an attempt for the next river, the cold weather and timing did not allow that but it’s still there to be done.

One success was an attempt to catch a large roach from the Linear complex.  I seem to remember that when I was fishing on Willow Pool for the large roach there was another big 3lb plus specimen reported from Smith’s/Hardwick on Linear.  Now word had come that good roach were again being caught so plans were made for a few visits since roach are always a favourite.

The Linear Complex covers a number of lakes but it seems the Brassnose 1 and 2 offer the best chance so I made my way with John Found for a days fishing to check out the lay of the land on Brassnose 2 [B2 in most conversations here].  Having studied the aerial maps like Google Earth I could see a good number of bars on the western bank and thought these could be a good starting point though conversations with the bailiff suggested the opposite bank seemed a better bet.  We both blanked the day but the groundwork was not wasted and no doubt on its day fish could be caught along this bank.

The next trip we took the advice and although I blanked John did catch a nice roach though still under our 2lb target weight.   Our methods were similar being the standard helicopter rig with a maggot feeder and maggots as bait.  The rods were 13ft Drennan Feeders and main line of 6lb went to a hook link of 3lb with a size 14 hook.  Over the following visits I would vary this tackle to try and find the most successful, though at this stage I am assuming these fish are not the educated in finer tackle since most of what they see is for carp and they sometimes get caught on that gear.

On my next visit the weed was less of a problem and I fished a little further out.  I checked for features but there appeared to be very little variation.  There seemed to be just a slight change in depth so with my marker float out in place I marked my fishing rods for distance with rubber and using a spod I put out a bit of hemp, pellet and maggot for feed.   This possibly proved to be and error since over the session I hooked into four carp that gave me very little chance on the light gear.  I did land one of about 10lb but the others were too powerful.  On the brighter side I also landed my first B2 roach at a very pleasing 2lb-7oz.  Fortunately the bailiff had just arrived as I landed it so I also got better photos by the waterside.

                                                     2lb-7oz Linear roach

Further trips are planned an less feed and perhaps a sweetcorn variation of bait will be tried since in Spain that is by far our most successful bait, with that in mind my next trip is to Spain after roach.

Although Mequineza is mainly known for the catfish and carp that grow to large sizes I prefer to go after the roach having already caught enough of the others to be happy with that choice.  Of course this does not mean I will not try for them and indeed I had a days fishing after the carp while on a previous roach trip that gave me a 44lb-14oz common, very pleasing.

                                                                    44lb-14oz Spanish Gold

My regular companions on these Spanish roach trips are John Found and Pete Reading.   On a previous trip in the spring that I had missed Pete had caught the fish we had hoped would be there and at 3lb-10oz it made a truly worthy target.   Now in the November of the year we were fortunate that the weather was holding quite nicely, last year we had to contend with major floods that made fishing very difficult.  Following several trips for roach here we now have a good working knowledge of places to fish both on the River Ebro and on its tributary the Segre and on the first morning we set about trying the first spot this time on the tributary.   Our tackle is similar to that used on the Linear Fishery already described, the only real difference here is we use sweetcorn as the first choice of bait with pellet as a back.

The stock of roach here is vast and it seems they are spread far and wide, as a result of this if we have not had significant indications of fish being present within the first couple of hours we move on to another place.  This proved to be the case this time and so we moved to the so called Mines area.  This is a manmade area of flat, built up bank that is often used as a local match venue and gives access to the 40ft depths of the Ebro.   This time we got the expected action and caught a good number of roach to well in excess of the 2lb mark. 

                                                       My best at 2lb-9oz

                                                        Pete's best at 2lb-7oz

                                                       John's 3lb Gem.

Over the following days we moved around and caught the roach in each place we tried following the first failure.  The total of 2lb’s increased and then in the dying hours of the last day as John hit the jackpot amongst the other fish being caught.  Exactly 3lb and a real gem to end the trip on.  With 17 roach over 2lb and another 5 at 1lb-15oz it now remains for me to get that final target fish.

Big river roach.

John Found and I had booked a week roach fishing at the Lochnaw venue but a couple of weeks before we were due to go it was closed down for a period to allow checks on the fish to take place.  Obviously very disappointing, but these things happen and after a consultation with John and Pete Reading I was on the phone to Colin Bunn who runs Catmaster Tours in Spain.  It was very short notice and I believe Colin had to do a bit of juggling about to fit us in, but he managed it and we were set for yet another attempt at getting a 3lb roach from the River Ebro.

                                                    Griffon Vulture ready for its morning flight.

We used the ‘Meet and Greet’ system at Gatwick and flew with EasyJet to Barcelona where our guide for the week John Deakin, pick us up and took us on to the Mequinenza venue.  It all went without a hitch and it does seems the best way to travel.  Arriving in the town we were dropped off at the apartment that would be home for the week with arrangements made to meet up later for a meal at a local bar.  During this meal we made arrangements to hire a van for the week at a very acceptable rate.  We like to travel around to different sections in the search for the roach, unlike the carp and cat lads that stay in one area and hopefully bring their target fish to a bed of bait.

                                                 The accommodation is great but we had to leave.

                                                John did complain about the walk to the van at times.

Another difference is that while the usual customer has tackle available, we were after roach and as yet this option is not available though if more anglers were to travel for the roach fishing I’m sure Colin would quickly cover that need.  Whilst both John and Pete had decided on fishing with quivertip rods I had gone for a bobbin fishing approach though this proved less effective and I changed over part way through the week.  My tackle started as two 12ft 1.25lb test Drennan Avon rods with the standard top, this was changed as mentioned to one of the Avons with a quiver top matched with a 13ft Drennan feeder rod using 3oz quivers.  A pair of Mitchell 300’s were loaded with 6lb main line and a 50grm cage feeder going to a 12 inch length of 4lb fluorocarbon hooklink and a size 14 Drennan wide gape hook.  As will be mentioned I used sweetcorn while fishing the River Ebro and the bait was placed directly on the hook, at other times I fished 8mm Sonubaits soft halibut pellets and these were fished with a very short hair rig.

                                         We had very changeable weather both sun and rain.

                                          The Segree rig, corn straight on the hook for the Ebro

                                                    The feeder mix for both rivers.

Our reason for this difference is straight forward in that the section of the Ebro we fished there is very little catfishing done.  It is the local’s match fishing section; hence it would get a fair amount of sweetcorn thrown in, but very little pellet.  This is opposed to the River Segree section where there is loads of pellet put in for both the cats and the carp and it seems the roach have gain quite a taste for them

.

On the Monday morning were started out attempt on the town front and at 9:00am John went off to collect the van.  We fished up to 11:30am and decided that the combination of the number of people about, and the fact that we had not had any indications suggested a move was in order.  On previous trips we had considerable success on a section of the Ebro known as the Mines, so called after the carbon mines situated in the immediate area.   This appears to be a purpose made section blasted out of the rock that is used by tourist and anglers alike, it is also a favourite place for the local anglers to have their matches.  Like so much of the region the banks are either natural rock or rock placed to protect the bankside edge, hence rod pods are essential.  Again from previous experience we knew that the fish on this section were at distance and the first hour or so was one constant recasting exercise to get plenty of feed out into our chosen swims.   The local supermarket must wonder what has happened when we descend and pick up twenty tins of sweetcorn to get us going.  After about two hours I got my first bite and landed a fish of 1lb-9oz which was at least a start.  As mentioned I was fishing with bobbins and by and large I only got a positive bite which resulted in a fish.   Pete meanwhile on his quivertips was seeing lots of tiny pulls that would not show on the bobbins and even at that early stage I did wonder about changing over to the quivertips though I stayed with the same method for another couple of days before changing. 

                                                      My first roach of this trip.

While waiting for the bites to come you observe many interesting sights, John noticed that the ants were behaving in a strange fashion.  Lines of ants could be seen all over the place and when you checked the ants going one way were carrying a seed head or some such food item.  The ants following exactly the same track in the opposite direction were apparently heading out to get such a food item, not rocket science but interesting at least!  Then there was the passing snake and the bee eaters flying overhead, too high as fast to photograph even with my 20x zoom, it all adds to the experience of the venue.

                                                The ants going left are clearly carrying food.

                                               Fortunately he stayed in the water.

The following day we tried towards the dam, but again no bites by 11:30am so we moved this time up onto the River Segree near to where the lads were fishing for catfish.  This would prove a reasonable change in that I caught seven roach with a best of 2lb-7oz.  Back to the same swim the following day and this time I took nine fish with three over the 2lb mark, again the largest of these was 2lb-7oz.  We had been told that the cats and carp were spawning and it did appear that at least some of the roach had also spawned giving us a resulting drop in the number we caught compared to previous trips.

                                                One of two at 2lb-7oz off the Segree.

Having the van gave us the chance to move about quite easily and the following day we decided to return to the Ebro.  I had put a rod out for the chance of a carp and the bite I did get produced a little catfish not quite as small as the one shown though!

                                                      Not all the cats are big!

The day proved quite difficult in that very few bites came our way but one did produce the largest fish of the week to Pete, at 2lb-15oz it was a new Spanish pb for him and it equalled the best we have had from the venue.  With the slow sport we moved back to the Segree at 2:30pm but it only gave us a couple of fish and it was a case of maybe if we had stayed they could have come on where we were in the morning.

                                               Pete with his 2lb-15oz specimen roach.

                                     Pete checks his latest capture with John Deakin looking on.

Back on the Ebro the next day and this time they did show and I took ten fish to a best of 2lb-10oz a new pb for me as well.  As mentioned the numbers were down, but the average was up and many of the back-up fish were in the 1lb-12oz to 1lb-15oz range, good fishing by any measure you like to apply.

                                                    My 2lb-10oz Spanish pb.

As you will have noticed I’ve commented on my catches but obviously the lads were doing their own thing and catching just the same.  John did not have the fortune of Pete and I having both less fish and losing one very big roach right on the rim of his net, he still managed fish to 2lb-3oz though so not too bad.

                                                   John's 2lb-3oz specimen.

                                              A little smaller than the one above but a much better photo.