Winter session in Flix
After a very busy year (thank you to you all) I've been biting at the bit to get the rods out myself and have a go at the Ebro's carp.
The weather had been very mild with temps nearly touching 20 degrees, I got to the river early Thursday morning with 10 degrees and reports of the weather to change and get cold.
Time to get some bait in, so out with the spod and 10kg of hemp and maize with a scattering of boilies over the top.
Second rod was going to be cast down the margin using the method so a few spoons of hemp and maize and a few balls of method mix went in.
Hook baits my favorite Mainline Opal snowman.
Both rods out and still no sign of Dave who was joining me. An hour in and the long rod went off resulting in a perfect 17lb common. Another hour pasted and the method rod screamed off, happy days and a very powerful fish powers it's way upstream.
10 minutes later and a real Ebro lump was in the net, with no sign of Dave!
Carp in the sack time to get the rod out again and who should turn up!
Sorry I'm late have you caught anything?
Time to have a better look and weigh the fish.
36lb 12oz and an absolutely immaculate fish,pics taken fish returned and out with rods again.
Dave fished similar tactics only one rod on maize with the other on a pretty pellet
(very bright plastic pop up corn with a big pellet).
I had another mid double when Dave's pretty pellet roared off. Another strong fish powered off 10 mins later and in the net it goes.
Another 30 and what a cracker 37lb 4oz.
Half an hour past when my long cast rod dipped and then slowly pulled line off the reel. Slow plodding fight resulting in another big common, could this one go 40!
Well no was the answer but 38lb 8 oz and only 3 hours into the session.
The light soon faded so we both put some more bait in checked all was well with the rigs and out they went again.Shortly after Dave's rod rattles off, pretty pellet again and after another brilliant fight in the net it goes. Another corker and another 30 what a session!
We had 3 more mid to high doubles to finish off before mid night and a good few beers to toast our efforts.
The following day started well with us both taking 2 early fish, but the wind had changed direction and a cold northerly was blowing.
We decided to put a big bed of bait down so I spodded whilst Dave spooned out more pellets.Nothing came till late afternoon where we both took 2 more high doubles.
By 5pm the temperature started to drop and by 6 a hard frost had started with the nets already frozen!
Now what should we do? Do we cut short our stay or see it out! of course we stuck at it and had 3 more fish.
The morning came and I had to work out how to get out of 2 zipped up sleeping bags and how we were going to fill the kettle with our water bottle frozen.
Minus 7 degrees was showing on the thermometer but there were fish showing so more bait was put out followed by the rods. It was bitterly cold with freezing fog but we both caught fish to 23lb.By mid afternoon the tempurature started to rise and we decided to stay for one more night.
We were sure that although we hadn't had any more 30's since the first few hours the rise in tempurature could bring them back on.
The night brought plenty of action with 9 fish coming to the net but no more 30's.
The morning came and time to wrap it up.
We had a great few days fishing, 4 30's 6 20's and 20 doubles.
The River Ebro here in Flix is a truely fantastic venue, with it's monster cats and fabulous carp fishing.
Paul
What an amazing place! 5 years on the trot and I cant wait to come next year!!
Lovely atmospshere, cracking breakfasts, beautiful fish, amazing scenery, shame Paul hasnt got a clue when it comes to fishing but he`s learning!
Cheers Bud see you next time.
Gareth and Kev
Hello my name's Paul I fished at Paul's place with my mate Bob the last week in June, we fished for five days and were not disappointed. The conditions were superb dry fine and hot everyday and no rain, the river was up very high and flowing fast. We were a bit concerned when we arrived to see the river so high as it looked a bit hard to fish, very murky and not much space on the bank so we were restricted to one rod each. Paul advised us to pump a lot of pellet in as the fish were really on the feed, Bob cast out for the first time with a short under arm flick it was only five minutes before it screamed off and Bob landed a cracking Common of 18lb, Bob followed this up with two more in the next hour, so any fears we had just melted away it wasn't long before i put my first on the bank and that set the pace for the rest of our stay. The average size of the carp were between 15 and 22lb and mixed in with these cracking fish came the odd monster, as the alarms screamed off and we hit in to what we thought would be a good upper teen carp we got the occasional surprise of a big moggie some we lost or got snapped up but once we got the measure of them and had some advice from Paul we started to land some big fish. We both had cat's on the carp rods lots in the high twenty's, thirty's i had one near 70lb and Bob caught a grate fish just under 80lb this was fishing at its best on carp rods. We caught fish every day and on one day we caught over 20 doubles, every one of these fish looked as if they had never seen the bank before and fought very hard the fish here are wild lean and fit not like the fat fish we normally catch in our local commercial waters. Paul's advise was vital to our success i think we both learnt a lot we we were there on rig tying and presenting baits. Its nice to go on a fishing holiday and get such good facilities, normally we are stuck in a bivy day and night and eating pot noodles and beans, here there is a good bed, your Owen shower and best of all Paul's cooked breakfast and if you wish an evening meal. For the pleasure angler or the experienced tackle tart this is the place for you we can't wait till next summer to go back so we are booking to go again in November.
Paul Kitt
Just come back from the Ebro , was a cold north wind blowing but still caught fish. The carp came late on into the day so had to keep warm and listen to Pauls jokes all day!!!
Will be back in May , thanks for looking after me Paul
Regards
Mark
