EXTREMADURA

EXTREMADURA

March 15th 2009 saw our first trip into the region of Extremadura, we were on a fact finding mission to discover places to stay, places to fish for specimen Carp and Barbel, also places to pleasure fish for a number of different species that are to be found within the region and also to do some fishing ourselves. The journey from Rojales to the small town of Talarrubias in Extremadura is approximately 568 Kilometers with a travelling time of around six hours. That included a thirty minute stop approximately half way for a coffee and loo break at Ruidera in Castilla La Mancha. It was whilst we were on this break that Peter Staggs, the much respected local angling guide and angling journalist for many articles in both English and Spanish angling magazines, also guide for many other areas in Spain walked into the bar where we had stopped for our break, I introduced myself to him and enquired of him how the lakes in Ruidera were fishing at this time of year. He said, most lakes were producing very little and the only one fishing anything like was San Pedro, but most of these were not of any great size. As we left he gave us a copy of a Spanish angling magazine he is involved with called Carp Diem. It’s a magazine dedicated to the capture of big Carp and Predatory fish in Spain, unfortunately all in Spanish. We had booked the trip with extremafishingspain .com a fishing and guide service that I had found on the internet. This is run by Craig Reid and ably assisted by his partner Sarah. Craig has experience of fishing in many regions of Spain including the River Ebro in Catalonia, he also guides many well known angling journalists from the UK who write articles for the UK angling press. It was from their town house in Talarrubias that we did our exploring.
	Talarrubias is a small Spanish town unspoilt by development and amazingly very clean, the locals seem to take a pride in keeping the streets clean and tidy and can be seen in their dressing gowns with their brush and pans at first light, the town square has a large church with every piece of flat roof occupied by a storks nest, I think we counted seventeen nests, as you sit in the bar in the evening you can hear the storks chattering away to their partners has they come in from the fields with their bits of twigs etc for repairing the nests.
Storks nesting
Apart from running a guide service Craig will also supply a limited amount of Mainline baits and also some end tackle, i.e. hooks , line ,large casting weights, quick release set ups and he will also obtain maggots if pre booked. We were met on the outskirts of Talarrubias by Craig and Sarah and directed to their Town House, this is an ideal place for what we wanted, a base to work from with all facilities for cooking, a storage area for tackle and a separate fridge for baits, a covered terrace upstairs for drying cloths if needed
	Talarrubias Church
and good clean tidy bedrooms. Craig and Sarah live on the outskirts of small town called Puebla de Alcocer, the main part of town is built on the hillside making the streets very steep, and in some places the area is only accessible by steps, and like Talarrubias this town is very clean and unspoilt by modern buildings, right at the top of the hill is a castle steeped in history with plaques in Spanish and English telling the tourist of it’s History, from this point you can see over the surrounding area, including many parts of Embalse Serena which we were to visit later in the week and the small town of Esparragosa la Lares that lies between the Lake and Castle.

Talarrubias Town Square	Fountain near the Square of Puebla de Alcocer

The Town of Puebla de Alcocer	Castle at Puebla de Alcocer
We spent the next hour or so with Craig showing us how to make up end tackle, quick release rig’s, knot’s and tying hair rigs, on the guided trips you are responsible for the terminal tackle and tying your own knot’s, has Craig said if one of his tied knots failed when you have a fish of a life time on you wouldn’t be very happy so he’s not going to take the flack.	Esparragosa la Lares taken from the top of Puebla de Alcocer Castle
	Day one, this was a guided day for specimen carp, We went to the Embalse Orellano, this was on private land accessible to Craig by agreement with the land owner, He had been prebaiting the swims for a couple of weeks or so before our arrival to get the fish feeding in this area, On arrival at the lake we deposited all our gear into two small rubber dinghy’s so that it could be transported to the prebaited bay, We were then driven to the nearest possible point to the bay and walked the remainder of the way. We set up our tackle, chairs, pods, landing nets, two rods and reels, all top of the range gear supplied by Craig, We put on our own choice of baits, boilies, maize, pellets etc,
Stuart at Embalse Orellano
Craig then proceeded to take out our baited tackle by dinghy to our relevant swims, dropping one bait short (40 mts) and one bait long (80mts +), at the same time dropping a generous amount of ground and particle bait along with it. Unfortunately for all his hard work and our patience, we stuck with it until dusk watching the sun set behind this beautiful landscape, no fish were to be caught on this day, but we did see fish topping in this vast lake so we knew they were there, As we learnt later they were interested in other things.
	Sunset over Embalse Orellano
Day two. We had decided the previous day to try one of the other lakes that we had read about on one of the many web sites dedicated to fishing in Spain. We consulted with Craig and he put us in the direction of Embalse de Garcia Sola giving us both directions and locations that were easily accessible to fish from, also what tackle to use and species of fish normally caught there, We couldn’t fault Craig on his willingness to help and give information and advice to us on locations and tactics in this area of Spain.
	We headed for the town of Valdecaballeros about a forty minute drive from Talarrubias. We were to look out for the small Hotel with the car park opposite, this is just before you get to the town of Valdecabelleros. There is a boat launching ramp running from the car park down to the water. This was an area easily accessible where you can park close to the water with no problem. . Having found this, we selected our swims and cast our array of offerings into the water, but for all our variety of baits and perseverance the results were the same as day one. Whilst at this venue we had witnessed many small fast craft on the water fishing for Bass, one boat coming in while we were there with a catch of fifteen bass.
Bob fishing at Embalse de Garcia Sola end of the 2nd boat launching ramp
The water level at this venue was falling due to the water being run off into the Embalse Orellano. Craig had been in touch with the appropriate authorities and they had informed him of this and he thought it could possibly have been the movement of water that had put the fish off feeding.
Day three was our second day with Craig and was to be a pleasure fishing day on Embalse Serena. This lake has only been in existence for around sixteen years so while there is selection of fish in it they don’t run to the size of the Carp and Barbel in the other lakes. The lake consists of many bays, some fairly easily accessible by car and others not which means parking the car up, and then a walk down to the water. Three of us had elected to use their own tackle at this venue and one using Craig’s gear. Here we fished much lighter using anything from 4lbto 9lb line and 14 to 18 hooks some electing to fish the feeder and others float fish. Craig had supplied maggots for this venue which we used on the hook and as loose feed. Craig was the first in using a sliding float, a tactic which he recommends at this venue.
	Embalse Serena
Again he was round examining our set ups and recommending changes to improve our chances of catching. It took some time to get the fish going but we all managed to catch fish all without exception being Barbel.
. Stuart also had successes on the pole, the largest of these Barbel ran to around 4lbs. While we were at this venue we witnessed fish being taken for the pot. Again this was a very picturesque venue with a backdrop of the hill of Puebla de Alcocer with its castle perched on top and also purpose built areas around the lakes to hold BBQs and Fiestas.
	Bob Fishing Embalse Serena with the Castle of Puebla de Alcocer in the background
Day Four we decided to try the only lake in the area that requires the purchase of a day ticket. Again Craig drew us a map to get to this location and all details to get our day permits, this is the Embalse Sierra Brava. This is a well known lake in Spain for holding large Carp and is about a forty minute drive out of Talarrubias. Heading for a small town called Zorita the lake can be found just before you get to the town and is on your right hand side. Follow the signs for the Presa (Dam) and then pick one of the many tracks on your left hand side to gain access to the water. To obtain your day ticket to this water you have to collect it from a small pension/restaurant called Mayve, this is to be found on the right hand side about one kilometre after passing the town of Madrigalejo. Whilst this seemed a very popular lake as there were many anglers around the shore line, we caught no fish, neither did we see anyone else catch fish at this venue, but we did speak to a number of anglers here who all told tales of big carp being caught here.
	Stuart at Embalse Sierra Brava
A friend of Craig’s called Andy, who was fishing here at this time, has caught fish at this venue within the last couple of weeks running into the thirties. Across the lake from where Stuart and I had elected to fish we witnessed an angler delivering bait to his swim with a radio controlled bait boat. This was the first time I have seen this although I have read about it many times. We were also informed that you have to pick your swim very carefully as there are many snags in the water, apart from the obvious rocky areas, there are many submerged trees.

Day Five we had decided to return to the Embalse Garcia de Sola and try a different spot. This Embalse is favoured for its Black Bass fishing and there are many small but fast boats that can get the angler from one hot spot to another in a very short time. On our first visit here we had fished from the second of the two boat launching sites on the western side of the lake. This time we opted for the first of the boat launching ramp areas, this can be found after leaving the dam area and heading for the town of Valdecaballeros. Once you leave the area of the dam and head into the country side you travel quite some distance going though wooded areas and passing open fields with cattle grazing you once again come back to the lake side. You then look for the tarmac road that takes you down to a picnic area, car park and the boat ramp. It was off from the right hand side of the ramp that we fished. While at this venue we were visited by the Guardia Civil in a speed boat to check our licenses and identity. All credit to them as they were very careful in there landing of the boat that they disturbed our swims as little as possible. When our licenses were checked they proceeded to give us tips and advice about fishing this area of water.
	Shortly after the Guardia had left we were visited by a young Spanish angler who was fishing for Black Bass from the bank. He informed us that we were wasting our time trying to catch the carp as they had other things on their minds as they were in the middle of spawning. He said he had witnessed this in many of the other lakes as he travelled around. He thought May would be the best time as by then all the spawning should be finished. On our return journey from the lake we were confronted by a large stag and three hinds in the centre of the roadway, with another two at the side of the road, the latter disappearing back into the woods and the stag and his ladies in the opposite direction. In this area it pays to drive with caution as there are many bends in these wooded areas where the deer are roaming freely and you could meet one around the next bend.
Embalse Garcia de Sola 1st boat ramp

Day Six. Saturday we spent the morning looking around the town of Puebla de Alcocer ably guided by the knowledgeable resources of Craig. This weekend was Fiesta time in the town. It was the “Experiencia Naraja”. A large marquee had been erected on the town square in front of the town hall and was full of children watching brightly dressed entertainers on the stage and all thoroughly enjoying their selves. A visit to the indoor market filled our cool boxes with all different cuts of meat ready for the return journey home the following day, all bought at a fraction of the cost it would have been in the Alicante region. Saturday afternoon Stuart and I went back to the Embalse Serena and fished on the first large bay. It wasn’t long before we were catching Barbel of a similar size to what we had caught on our first visit to this venue. As the afternoon turned into evening the evidence of what the young Spanish angler had told us the previous day became very clear. We were being entertained by carp of all sizes splashing about on the surface, doing what comes naturally (spawning). Where ever we looked on our way out from the lake, the water was alive with spawning fish, it was this sight that told us we must visit this venue on our return visit in May.

When we set out on this excursion our main objective was to gather information for a visit with club members in May, I think we have achieved this objective with the help of Sarah and Craig and the many friendly people that we have met on our travels around the area. Where ever we went nothing was too much trouble for the local inhabitants, giving advice and a warm friendly smile, also the help of a young lady in charge of tourism in the area named Puri. Below are two websites that Puri recommended that I found very helpful and interesting http://web.dip-badajoz.es/proyectos/loslagos/plan_que_es.php http://www.mancomunidadsiberia1.com/portal_turismo/index.htm This is a beautiful unspoilt area of Spain with its mountains, valleys and lakes. We saw Eagles, Buzzards, Vultures, Storks and Wild Deer to mention a small amount of the wild life we encountered. Had we caught fish of any size that would have been a bonus. When we return in May we intend to spend some time with Craig to fish the prebaited areas of the Orellano, Many of the Angling Press weekly’s and monthly mags are predicting that this is where the existing Carp record will be broken, and I think using the services of a good guide gives you that edge.
The 17th of May 2009 saw the second of our angling trips into the province of Extremadura, for the ladies it was a chance to explore the small local towns and learn something of the local history, visit the castle of Puebla de Alcocer, local markets and taste some of the local gastronomical delights cooked up by the restaurants, also try some of the local tapas as it is still the tradition of this area to serve them free whenever alcohol is purchased. For the anglers it was out with the tackle boxes, baits and rod holdalls and down to the water. For those of us that weren’t booked with Craig for the guided fishing we were spoilt for choice, especially with the many lakes that there are in this area stretching for miles, running through unspoilt landscaped wooded and rocky areas. This area of Spain holds some of the wildest and most unspoilt areas of any where in Europe. One of the problems is that on some of the lakes there are places inaccessible unless you have the use of a boat to get to some of the more popular bays. For the members accompanying Craig on the guided day’s we had split into groups of two, Bob and Chris on day one, Ann and myself on day two and Stuart and John on day three. Each of the groups being accompanied by John and his wife another two of Craig’s clients who had booked a full weeks fishing with Craig. It was John and his wife that were to take the honours for the week, whilst all our members were to draw a blank, some having runs that came to nothing.
	Once again we all learnt something from our experiences with Craig different techniques in baiting and casting, and also thanks to Sarah for those early morning hot dogs on the bank side. It was Craig’s other client John that benefitted from Craig’s experience and perseverance. On his first day he landed a Tench to over 8lbs, on his third evening he and Craig landed ten carp ranging from over 17lbs to over 25lbs and on his fourth evening he landed another Tench to over 9lbs, and John is a relatively new comer to the sport. We all enjoyed mixed fortunes at the different lakes over the course of the week.
Bob with small nice conditioned carp
. Keven and Steve mainly fishing the Embalse Serena and catching a mixed bag of the small Cat-Fish and Carp that are in abundance there. John and Stuart also catching similar at this venue and whilst there they also observed many Carp and Barbel still in the stages of spawning, which could explain our mixed fortunes on this trip. Ann and myself spent more time fishing the Embalse Garcia de Sola than any of the other lakes. It was from here that I landed my biggest fish of the week weighing in at just over 9lbs. I landed eleven fish at this venue over the week, many of which were what Craig described as the Spanish equivalent of the fish we know as Crucian Carp.These Crucian Carp averaging between 3 and 4lbs, I believe Stuart took the largest of these at around 5lbs. It was at this venue that Stuart landed the largest fish of the week at a little under 10lbs. It was also at this venue that Ann caught her first ever Black Bass captured on a small plastic lure.
	Alan with Garcia de Sola carp
	Our visit to fish the Embalse Sierra Brava also proved fruitless, but it was whilst there that we saw the largest fish of our weeks fishing caught. It was on the opposite bank possibly in excess of three hundred metres which explains why we couldn’t identify the catch and why the photos are somewhat distorted, I tried to enlarge them to try and identify the fish to a point where the picture was starting to break up. The anglers were Spanish and I believe were fairly local as one of them shot of when the fish was caught and came back with a friend to photograph their catch. I believe it was a Pike and possibly in excess of thirty pounds, as I say to far to identify it correctly, but I did keep hearing the word Lucio which lead me to believe it may be a pike.

I was sorry that we didn’t meet up with Puri from the tourism office because there was an e-mail in my inbox when I returned from our first trip inviting us to visit her and visit the farm that her husband keeps around the Embalse Orellano.
	Our thanks also go to Maria Del Carmen and her family for making our weeks stay at their Hotel a most enjoyable experience. Thanks once again to Craig for passing on some of his knowledge to us and for being so patient with certain members of our party, and a big thank you to Sarah for giving up her time to entertain the ladies and show them some of the history and sights of Puebla de Alcocer

This is Craig discussing with Chris Lusty how he’s about to give him swimming lessons in the Orellano if he doesn’t buck his ideas up and Sarah looking on anxiously in case she may be next. Seriously though apart from all the good humoured banter and mickey taking, everyone enjoyed their stay and are already booking their place for a further visit later in the year.

Chris has found an unusual method of catching fish, inside the cage feeder.	Nice specimen for Alan

In the hotels Restaurant	Bob With Carp

Stuart and nice carp	Chris and Exremadura Carp

John and Spanish Crucian