Some of our September - November 2013 catches

 

Our set up

 

 

 

 

 

Sept to November update

We've no time to do a full update at the moment.. however some catches can be seen on our facebook page via the following link.

https://www.facebook.com/craig.reid.589


The Dutch managed a PB mirror this season, that's a PB every year for the last 4 yrs.
A 36lb pb for Jeff
Joe had fish to 37.5lb again a PB
Alex smashed his PB by 20 lb, managing 2x40s to 43.5lb
Ricky, landed his PB Mirror of 49lb 14oz, along with 2 other mid 40's,,,,, and he is back this week, already banking another 43.5lb Common

A few lads have been beaten up, some by 20's running them ragged, Joe got bitch slapped by a upper 30, he also lost 5 out of the first 6 runs, but soon got to grips with the wild Orellana carp and managed 22 runs in total.
Ricky was ran ragged by a 33lb'er then a lump he lost after a 35 min battle....
That's the Orellana for you, Wild powerful fish

Stll alive and kicking

Yes I am alive and kicking.. I have had a couple of phone calls from lads asking if I’m ok as I haven’t done an update,  so nice that someone care about me, thank you. Well, I have finally got round to doing an update.  It’s been a crazy year for me, as ever. 

After the season finished, I had a couple of friends over for my birthday, 22 again!!!! a mental week that was. Visiting mother for a few weeks, I don’t get time to see her during the season, its 24/7 for around 3 months, and **** did I need a chill. It was a drastic season..

 

We normally get a bit of rain March – April, but we had 900 litres per sq/m in March alone, that’s nearly 200 gallons per square meter. Most ever since records began, and cold, its been the coldest spring for 30 yrs…

Dam open 2nd time in many years

Famous last words *I never feel the cold* but he did, it was freezing end April 

yep, that's normally a road.



 Serena Dam, the second largest dam in Europe Bridges was opened for the first time in its 16 year life. Orellana and Garcia were opened for the second time in 30 years, roads were washed away, villages flooded, so obviously the fishing, being natural lakes – not stocked puddles, were affected somewhat…….

Never the less, we had some great laughs with the new groups of clients, all cracking lads too… some even uglier than me even…..

 

Normally a trickle in this stream, the flood tide line clearly visible. .


After a long drive the Dutch lads struggled along for the 5 days, we saw fish every day, around and over the baits, but no runs….  It was their first experience of the huge Orellana, and they can’t wait to have another go at it.

The Swedish group also put a lot of effort into it, the lake still rising and rain falling. They managed a couple of small fish, just below 20lb, in the crazy conditions. Two of the group were in their element as they are keen birdwatchers, the vast variety of birds kept them well occupied. Luckily they had their Swedish clothing with them, it helped against the cold and damp conditions.  

 It was the same story for Martin and Jim, we tried our best, loads of effort but conditions beat us up rotten. Never the less, they saw the potential of the Orellana when they heard a couple of lumps crash on their last night… the temp was rising and fish were moving but to no avail..

 

I am lucky I get to meet some cracking lads in this game, and some return year after year. Tom and John were over on their first visit, I got coffee in bed, now that’s service,, we had a scream all week, Tom might be ancient, but his mind is certainly on the ball.

 

Malcolm made the long journey from Dubai to take on the Orellana. With slightly better weather, we still struggled but got into the fish, fishing at around 400 meters, nothing huge but he managed to beat his PB twice.
It turned out to be a very sociable session with some Spanish, friends of friends. I even got to watch the Madrid – Barca game in their bivvy, Spanish anglers like their home comforts.  Like many first time visitors here, Malcolm can’t wait to return…

 

We will be back on the bank in September, it’s around 41 degs at the moment, so were not on the bank…..Jeff is back,  the first client after our arrival in Extremadura, some 8 year ago. Some new groups venturing away from the French overstocked puddles and opting to take on this wild natural lake…. And of course our regulars, the crazy Dutch trio, David and Alex…  Looking forward to seeing you all..  Carp angling at its very best and in its purest form.

 



Winter fishing in Extremadura.

 We have had our first social session of the year, a couple of days at Sierra Brava in January with fellow guide Jake from Sierra Brava Dreams.

On arrival at Brava, we had a quick look around and decided to fish the pegs we fished in December. Getting there was easier said than done, the ground was boggy and soft, the tracks soon turned to deep mud under the weight of our vehicles. We had a good laugh getting there, skating and sliding about in our 4x4's, we even had to tow each other out a couple of times, but we eventually got to the swims.

The weather conditions were quite good; a stiff westerly with rain on the first morning and clear skies the second day, however the wind did get up quite strong and it was a little hard presenting rigs perfectly.

But never the less, I was soon into the fish, my first of the year a 26lb 4oz Mirror. I also had commons of 28lb 4oz, 23lb 8oz, one around 19lb and a couple of mid-teens, all taken on Vitalbaits boilies.



26lb 4oz Brava mirror



28lb 4oz Common

Next week I am fishing another venue for the second time with Spanish friends.. I fished it last March for a couple of days and blanked. We had easterlies then and only 1 carp was landed in the competition, this week’s forecast is strong westerly winds but cold, so hopefully this time I will land my first fish from the lake. Good luck to all those other anglers out there braving the cold….

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bookings for 2013 and 2014

We are getting a lot of bookings through for next year now, as we work on a first come first serve basis its best that you book as early as possible to reserve your preffered dates.

November fishing in Extremadura

52lb 15oz

 

Yet another wild Orellana 50lb+ fish for Extrema Fishing Spain

In all I had - 52lb 15oz  - 47lb 4oz - 44lb 15oz - 4 x 30´s - 9x20´s and a 4 upper doubles.

I fished along side Martien, it is his 3rd year with us, and as usual only wanted a fishing partner, no advice or persuasion to change his ´helicopter rig´. He had 6 runs with this his biggest he landed at 34lb 14oz.

Unlike my previous session on Orellana where I dropped a lot of fish, I only pulled from 1 fish out of around 20 runs with the exact same setup, it just goes to show that it happens and if your rigs and set up is spot on, there’s no need to beat yourself up when loosing fish.

47lb 4oz

44lb 15oz

34lb 14oz for Martien

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Young Derek (67) had a go at Barbel fishing with us, even though he opted to fish from around 9am till 6 he still had Barbel to double figures. After picking up several small carp on light tackle - he decided to target them and on his last day he worked it out that he spent 6 out of 10 hours fishing fighting the hard fighting doubles.



October saw the return of the Dutch trio, their 4th year with us, its always a pleasure to have them, crazy buggers!!! 

They worked hard sticking it out on boilies in an area of the Orellana where Carp are not really used to them.

Over the last 2 years Erwin had fish at 21.5kg and 22kg, this year it was Derek and Erics turns. They both had new PB´s, 22kg ( 48lb 8oz) Mirror for Eric and 23.3kg (51lb 4oz) Common for Derek.

 

In all they had 16 fish with an average of 15.45kg - thats over 34lbs, all wild Carp. 

 

Dereks PB Common of 51lb 4oz

he also had this 32lb Mirror, equalling his Mirror PB

 

Erics (pretty boy) had a new PB, a cracking Orellana Mirror at 48lb 8oz

 

 

Craig wet his lines for a couple of nights and banked this 36lb 8 oz Common

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In recent months I have managed a couple of social sessions with Jake, the guide at Sierra Brava Dreams. Not that I get much free time during the season, but when I do, it’s nice to fish with someone.

This time was to be on Orellana (the Bitch as he calls it) Jake is a cracking angler, his baiting and casting is spot on, and like me everything has to be right. He tackled the Orellana by himself without picking my brains, ok he might have cast a couple of sly looks whilst I was baiting my rigs…..

This session on Orellana turned out to be hard, we were on the fish but they were being very finicky. I changed my hook baits to try and entice a take and it worked, however I kept on dropping fish. Of course I got the ´piss´ taken out of me, but as I said, at least ´I´ was getting runs.

35lb

It wasn’t long before Jake had his first Orellana carp at 22lb 10oz, it had taken 16 days for him and he deserved it.

I was on a run of dropping fish, normally I would change things, however everything was good, I was happy with my end tackle, and it was only because the fish weren’t having it, an Orellana thing… I was concerned, but nothing I could do would change this……

42lb

 

The runs were few and far between, I had banked a couple of upper doubles and a 35lb common, however the hard work paid off on the final morning. I had landed a common at 42lb and Jake was into his second fish, a cracking common at over 39lb, well deserved that man…. In all I had only landed 5 carp out of the 9 takes, but hey, that’s fishing….

Jakes second Orellana carp at over 39lb