Big Fish in a Big River!

​

December 4, 2011 by  Dick Handscombe

 

After the weekend in Lleida it was off to the river Ebro for Dick to enjoy the last

100 hours of his fishing campaign to celebrate his 75th year. From Monday am

to Friday pm he fished day and night with his fishing coach gardening friend

Nick Shattock.  2011 vegetable growing experiences and plans for 2012 were

part of the weeks discussions including how best to get the best from the seeds

we now both have from a 1200 pound pumpkin grown by friends of Nick’s

American wife Mandi in Norther New York, USA. Naturally weed caught on the

line was bagged to fertilize the asparagus bed, being so far from the sea and

storm swept up seaweed.

Perhaps we will cut and hollow out the largest as they do in the town of Windsor

in Canada for a down river race. But for us it won’t be for a paddled race but for

one in which we are towed by 100lb catfish!!

 

                                                                                                                             What we do is in the laps of the sun and moon gods and there undoubted                                                                                                                                        impact on seed germination and growth.

                                                                                                                             Luckily they were with us last week and tight, very tight lines at times. Luckily                                                                                                                                    Dick steered some twenty nine fish into the landing net. These included a dozen                                                                                                                              roach from a pound to 2.3 pounds (something never achieved by Dick when                                                                                                                                    young fishing for tiny roach in England’s and Holland’s canals and rivers), nine                                                                                                                                  carp to 34 lbs (sadly the brother of the 48.5 lb carp caught by Dick in October                                                                                                                                  did not come along!) and eight cat fish with a 100 pounder caught while loading                                                                                                                              up the car to leave the river. This took 30 minutes to land on the light 25 lb                                                                                                                                      breaking strain fishing line which had been safe for the roach and carp but a big                                                                                                                              risk for the catfish  – but they had ignored the dedicated catfish rod with 200 lb                                                                                                                                breaking strain line. Interesting the small mouthed roach swallowed large                                                                                                                                        carp/catfish pellets fished on big hooks not the tiny hooks and baits used in the                                                                                                                              UK.

 

So for Dick his wonderful 2011 fishing odyssey is over but hopefully our budget allows a couple of trips next year. Having got so tantalisingly near to catching a magic 50 lb carp he will somehow find the funds.

In the meantime Nick will continue to explore new well stocked stretches of the long winding and deep river Ebro -Dick’s cat fish had to be persuaded to come to the surface from its 50 foot deep home – for the enjoyment of himself and day and week-long clients. By the way there are also black bass pikeperch and pike to fish for in the Ebro but the big carp and catfish are the main quarry

 

If you don’t  like living rough and unshaven, as Dick did as you see from the photo or you

just need a good clean up before returning home,  guest rooms are available at no  charge.

The chilly mist continued through the fishing trip but the river bird life which included

cormorants, buzzards, wagtails, kites, vultures, kingfishers and egrets still flew around.

​

There is still so much of Spain not spoilt by developers!! Get out and see it away from the

coastal cement jungles.

​

​

​

​

                                                                                      Featured in : Cataluña products on show