My 6 day Ebro adventure day 1

[SIMPLE MAN]

On Sunday the 21st August i set off for Stansted airport to fly out to Zaragoza for my second trip to the river Ebro chasing those mighty cats that were introduced into the river some 25-30years ago,all went well there was no delays so arrived in Spain at about 2300hrs collected luggage through customs (why do those immigration guys always look at you like that,or is it just me) and was met by Martin Walker who has been running Catfish Capers out of Caspe for 11 years,a quick ciggy and we are off heading to Caspe which is about a 90 min drive through rustic Spain (no tourists here)on the way Martin tells me that there was meant to be two other groups out this week but for one reason or another they had both pulled out at short notice so the only guy fishing with him this week was me,me me and me,oh well not to worry its good for me as i get the guide to myself but not so good for Martin who is trying to run a business,anyway about 0100am we arrive at the Jolly Fisherman bar which is to be my home for the next week which was a pleasant surprise as when i was last there 2 years ago i stayed in a apartment about 3/4 of a mile away which was situated at the top of a very long and steep hill which after a good few beers near on bloody killed me each night,so now all i have to do is walk up stairs or should i say stagger hhhhmmmm anyway bags unloaded into the bar and Martin comes out with those magic words WOULD YOU LIKE A DRINK ? does a pig like wallowing in S*** ???? so while i am having my 6 and safe i ask how the fishing has been,normally at this time of year you would expect to catch 12-15 a day (guided) with most being in the 60-90lb bracket with the odd 100lb plus making a show and then after a couple of weeks into September the small to med cats go off the food and the big girls start to show but Martin said that the last 3 weeks had been very hard going with not many fish being brought to the bank anywhere,although the ones that were being caught were bigger than normal for this time of year
Oh well that's fishing folks,so up the stairs to bed and wondering what tomorrow might bring
Up at 0730 and down stairs for a cuppa and Martin asks if i would like the full English,as i am the only one there i ask if i can have a bacon and sausage roll in a French stick to take with me oh and before i forget you are only allowed to fish 2 rods in Spain but i know that the guides have licences so its time to be cheeky and i ask Martin if i pay extra would it be possible to have 2 carp rods out on Alans licence to which he agrees and at no extra charge, wow so for the first but definitely not the last time in these write ups a very big thank you mate ,about 15 Min's later my guide Alan turns up who although didn't guide me last time he was there running others around,i think Alan has been out there guiding for 6 or so years so i knew i was in good hands,so just after 0800 licence sorted and we are off to collect our tackle and bait from the lock up and heading about 20k out of Caspe down to what the guys call the cliffs and for the last 2miles or so you really do need a rough terrain vehicle as the tracks are interesting to put it mildly
As we drive along the bank to our swim there was a few Spanish and also some Romanians fishing but none of them catching anything but that's not unusual over the last 2 years since i was here last they seemed to have learnt diddly squat but what did give me some concern was a couple of chaps who work for a Dutch guiding service fishing the swim that i fished last time who glumly reported a couple of nice carp but just one kitten of 20lbs and saying its the same everywhere up and down the river,oh well i would still rather be here than back in the UK going to work each day
We arrive at our swim boat and tackle unloaded and in no time the carp rods are out and Alan is getting the cat gear sorted,for those of you who are not familiar with cat fishing on the Ebro you don't cast out but instead the guide rows out with your baited hook (usually 2-4 20mm halibut pellets)on a hair rig and when he drops your bait over he then throws a large scoop of pellets over your bait you then tighten up an place your rod in a spike so the rod is not quite but almost upright and then engage the bait runner and wait
Its quite cloudy this morning and would you bloody believe it as Alan rows out the 1st bait it starts to rain but after 30 seconds it stops and that was to be the one and only time it did during my stay,anyway both rods are now out and so is the sun so sheet attached to the landrovers roof rack two 7ft stakes hammered in and we have our shelter from the what turns out to be very hot day
After 90 min or so no 1 rod is brought back in and rebated and 30 min later we do the same on no2,about 11.45 one of the carp rods screams into life and after a short battle i have a new pb a cracking common of 27lb and feeling quite chuffed with myself,i go and get my bag out of the car and what the f*** i don't believe it i have left my camera in my other bag back at the room oh b******* to say i am a bit peeved off is a bit of a understatement but Alan says dont worry by Ebro standards this is a medium one and he is sure i will have better by the end of the week when i remember to bring my bloody camera lol
Just after midday i have a run on the cat rod and yes i have my 1st cat on and a couple of minutes later a kitten of 12lb and i joked with Alan that it was a good job it was only a tiddler as you guys all know its sods law that with no camera you are bound to hit into a biggun and without a photo it always leaves a doubt in peoples minds anyway back to the fishing and at 1330 i get another common of 9lbs which was a feisty little sod and when we got it to the bank seemed like it was also a lucky little sod as Alan pointed out a cat had tried to have the little blighter for lunch going by the marks around its body,then at 1400 i manged to lose a carp of unknown size but very quickly landed a common just nudging the 20lb mark,at 1430 i had a run on no2 carp rod which produced a fully scaled mirror at 31 1/2lb a new pb and poor Alan had to listen to me griping about me forgetting my camera again but this time with good reason as mirror carp are as rare as rocking horse s***,there really isn't many of them there at all so this rare and wonderful creature was returned unphotographed and me back to my notebook calling myself various things which i cannot repeat
Time was moving on now and it was also very very hot and then at about 1500 no 1 cat rod lurched over and me a twinkled toed 22 1/2 stone 6ft2 ballerina type sprang out of my chair and STRIKE oh yes oh yes this is what i was here for and after 10 min or so and this bloody thing still making huge runs right over the far bank i start to wonder what the hell is on the other end of my line but another couple of minutes i i finally seem to be making ground on it but 2 or 3 times more it runs back over to the far bank Alans just smiling and saying big fish mate big fish and when its about half way out it shows its self and Alan again says big fish mate,i am now trying not to enter the guinness book of records for loosing the most weight ever in the shortest possible time i am sweating bucket loads this thing is really beating me up and i mean beating me up my back is killing me and my legs are beginning to get o wobble on and thinking about it my arms and shoulders have had better days too,but finally she is on the surface just wallowing like they do and me gaining ground slowly but surely,if i remember right she made last try for freedom but much to my relief couldn't muster up any more strength Alan was in the water now glove on and yyyyeeeessss hes got it and i am almost on my knees well and truly f*****,Alan again tells me big fish mate and just as i am thinking about sods law and not having a camera Alan says put a glove on and get down here and hold it while i get in the car and run down to the Dutch guys to see if they have a camera so with me on my knees holding on to this huge head he is off in the car and two min later returns with a Dutch guy called Ronny and camera in hand,now because the river is muddy i still didn't have a clue on how big this bloody thing was and it was only when Alan got hold of it and started to pull this thing out of the water towards the weigh sling that it registered and hit home,this thing was ENORMOUSE what the !!!!!!!!!! the guys got the tape out and it went 2m210mm they then got it in the sling and the moment of truth 197lb no wonder this thing had beaten me up a new pb by a country mile
Ronny then took a hatful of snaps and sent them to us that night so if your reading this Ronny thanks mate you are a star as we all know the photos or lack of can make or break a trip and one things for sure i will never ever forget my camera again,,the fish was then released back into the murky depths to fight another day and me well i was grinning and grimacing for the rest of the day
oh i almost forgot i guess you guys would like to see a couple of pictures then
guys i don't know why but i cant get the pictures on to my report Help i am wondering if i am doing something wrong i will try to contact Martin and see if he can get Ronny to email me them maybe in a different format but i have managed to post them on my album so you can take a look there but its not the same as having them on your post
MODERATORS PLEASE HELP
anyway at 1630 i hooked a cracking common of 32lb another pb but i was knackered so we packed up and went the Jolly Fisherman for a beer or 3,day 2 to follow but these will be pictures of my camera so hopefully no more problems,tight lines guys John

[MRG2000]

Nice report John , cracking fish (well monsters actually) ,looking forward to the takes from the rest of the trip ..

[Rob M]

Wow! Great report and pics. Here's to you catching more

[fishypaul]

crikey john,thats one hell of a cat, well done mate

[chesty]

that really is some fish john m8 well done great pics oh and 6 and safe lmao

[pingu]

somehow missed this, school hols do head in etc...
cracking fish and report

dave

[lazy hooker]

missed this report too.....fair play that thing looks like an alien

john

[SIMPLE MAN]

Thanks for your feedback guys,after managing to get this monster to the shore i felt like a bloody ALIEN too

[fishfever]

I can only imagine what it took to get those monsters in. I seen them caught on River Monsters before. I wish we had fish like that here in New York but then again i would have to bolt down my Wheelchair to get them in. ha Beautiful fish and great catch.

[Bluesbro]

Holy crap, i must have missed this report. That is a HUGE fish, what you spool up with to reel that beast in, tow rope? lol