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A Bit of Everything!

February 8, 2012

Good Evening.

The short session continues into its third night, and the carp count is now at number four. I have not long ago returned the fourth and biggest of the session; another common and an 11kg/24lb 2oz specimen. The rod is back on the spot, the carp has been photographed and released, and I am sat in my bivvy drinking tea, so I thought why not write a quick blog too!

hmmm...I wonder if dad will let me sleep on his bed tonight!?

Carp number three appeared yesterday evening at 9.15pm. Caught from the same long-range spot as the previous capture, and although  it put up a better fight than its earlier 20lb cousin, it weighed a couple of pounds less. I released the fish immediately after weighing and whacked the rod back out in the dark, using a distant tree on the horizon as my marker.

Nothing else happened during the night so at first light and after a coffee I got the rods sorted for the day. I firmly believe in certain situations that it is better to move rods in the daytime to increase your chances of a take. For example the carp at Brava do have a habit of going out into slightly deeper water from about 10-11am. You can often see fish topping in the morning as they move out towards the deeper areas. I started doing this technique last year, and it generally works. A small bright pop-up, a one bait stringer, and a few boilies put out with the throwing stick. The idea is you cast as far as you can, but not as far that you can’t reach it with a throwing stick for baiting up. The number of bolies does not have to be huge; 20-50 is ample, topping up after a run/fish/recast. As the day begins to draw to a close, I then normally bring the long-range rods in, and put the rods back to their close range spots. It is effectively doubling your chances of catching in the day and catching during the night.

Close range combat.

Tonight’s carp has come from the close range tree where carp number one was caught from. I put out about 3 kilos of spod mix this evening using the Vital hemp/halibut mix I showed you in yesterday’s post. I added some maize flour, maize, tigers, and 15mm Banana GLM boilies. It was windy when I put this out with my spomb so I made sure the casts landed to the right of my marker, as the wind that was blowing to the left. This just ensures the spomb mix trickles to the bottom, roughly where you want it, and not away from your intended spot. I got these rods out by 6.30pm and had the take at 11pm. A four and a half hour wait for a nice looking carp is always welcome.

A sunset to take your breath away!

I will be packing up tomorrow morning and heading back to my house. It is going to get very cold here in the next few days and I am hoping to get back out after the cold snap has passed.

Cheers till then.

Jake Langley-Hobbs

 

 

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First Session of 2012.

February 6, 2012

Good evening.

Sunrise.

Well, I have finally made it out onto the banks of Sierra Brava since my short Christmas session. There have been a few times since that session when the desire to go fishing has crept into my mind, but I have been quite busy with other things in January, such as my trip to Prague, and working on my house. These things were priorities. I also go fishing when I want to these days and not because I have to. I think you should fish on these terms to get the most from the sport and when I feel I am just going through the motions and enduring it, rather than enjoying it, I don’t want to be on the bank.

I am fishing a new swim. I have decided that over the next month I will try to get on the bank at least once a week to explore some new territory. I have favoured areas but the water level is really low at the moment and not how it was at this time last year. This has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is the fish are easier to find as there is less water for them to hide in, but the disadvantage is the access around the lake is very easy with a normal car meaning areas that were quiet last year, might not be this year. Last year there were some great areas that could only be reached if you had a good 4 x 4 and you basically had this certain section of the lake to yourself. However, this certain area would not be the same at the moment as the water levels are low, so I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway!

The plan therefore is to do some homework and find some swims that offer really good fishing for myself and my clients, and fortunately on Sierra Brava that is never hard to do. For example I have only been fishing 24 hours and I have caught two carp already, from a brand new swim I have never wet a line in before. This is what I love about Sierra Brava – the whole lake fishes well to be honest and if the conditions are right and the carp are having it, most people stand a good chance of getting a bend in their rods.

Vital Bait's new creation.

I am using the new boilie I mentioned in my last post. Vital Baits Banana GLM (green lipped mussel). Banana flavoured boilies seem to work very well at Brava and many Spanish anglers use a banana boilie that isn’t exactly high in nutritional value, but it works well all the same. The Vital Baits boilie is packed full of NV. GLM, birdseed, and a subtle, smooth, banana flavour. I knew this bait would work and I have always been a huge fan of baits with GLM; now we have a great combination. I will be buying this boilie for my clients to use as I think they will have very good results with it.

Halibut stick mix - ready to use straight from the bag!

Hemp & halibut mix, ideals for pva bags, spomb mixes etc..

Krill glug - it stinks!

Nicky Hedin at VB has also launched some new products for the angler who likes to use little tricks up his sleeve. A stick mix containing halibut, and another product containing crushed hemp and halibut. Extra attraction is sometimes needed, especially at certain times of the year, and when the water is cold, I think extra attraction can be very beneficial in drawing in some fish to your hook bait.

Playing around with the products, and creating halibut paste coated boilies, caught me my first 20 of 2012.

I have been playing around with the new products today and one of the things I did was to roll some of the boilies in the sticky krill glug. I then rolled these in some of the halibut stick mix powder and made sure they got a good coating. You can repeat the process several times if you like and effectively build up a thick layer of paste. I have seen this technique done before many times before and it has already worked for me, as I had a take at long-range at 5pm this afternoon. I was having a siesta and was woken by the run and the carp put up a nice account of itself. It came in straight as a die to begin with, like a dog on a lead, and then began to kite a little as I got it near the bank. A bit of side-strain turned it and I soon had my first twenty pounder of the year in my net. This fish would probably have weighed about 15lb last summer, but it was incredibly fat, and the extra weight pushed the needle to 20lb. First twenty of the year always deserves a photo.

A Plump 20lb'er

My other carp was caught at 4am this morning. I caught this one using a single VB Banana GLM 20mm boilie. Yesterday when I arrived at 4pm I got the rods sorted immediately and two were put near a tree sticking out of the water at about 40 yards range; the depth is about 25 foot. I then put a kilo of the boilie around the general tree area with my throwing stick. I wanted to see if the bait would work without a stringer or any other hook bait attraction aid, and I am pleased to say it did. I think that is good proof of a good bait.

My favourite weather - windy!

It was hellish windy when I was setting up, which made everything more difficult than normal. I had to set up my bivvy using my Navara for shelter. It was a peg by peg erection that took some patience and technique to stop the whole thing taking off. The weather is how I like it at the moment, in the fact we are getting some really strong winds in the daytime. North westerly’s blowing up to 25km/ph, which on a big lake like Brava is enough to get a really good chop on the water and white horses racing across the lake. The days are sunny and the nights are chilly and I have timed my session in accordance with the full moon, the wind, and the fact that last night, tonight, and possibly tomorrow night are milder.  2+ as opposed to minus 4-6. It is still winter and I know ‘real’ winter has arrived in many parts of Europe, so Spain is going to get some of the knock on effects!

That is all for my first session blog. Till the next one, take care.

Jake Langley-Hobbs

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Greetings for 2012!

January 29, 2012

Good Evening.

My fishing year is just about to begin again at Sierra Brava. Last year, as expected, was rather slow on the business front, and it was really a case of surviving my first year in Spain; renting a house, and fitting in with the locals. The last part of that sentence is probably the most important factor to take into consideration, when living in a rural village. I am the only Englishman living in Zorita, and respecting the locals, making an effort to learn some of the language, and joining in with their lifestyle, traditions, and culture, is what living in Spain is all about for me. I really feel at home in a funny sort of way.

I have been busy writing.

I have many clients booked in already for this year which is really exciting for me, and likewise for the adventurous anglers who have chosen to book their holiday with me. Promotion has helped bring a few more clients to the table, along with my website, blog, and my notoriety!? I have just written a Sierra Brava article for International Carper in the UK; something some of you might find an interesting read, before deciding on your next foreign destination.

With new agent David Fort at my first talk at a carp fishing event in Prague.

I have just returned from a long weekend in Prague. I went there for three reasons. Firstly, to undertake my first ever talk at a carp meeting, secondly to help with the launch of a new website which I am providing material for, and thirdly to talk with the owner of www.carpfishing.cz  who will be an agent for my guiding business. David Fort who incidentally won the last World title of TOKS is heavily involved in the carp scene in Czech Republic, and is confident he can send me clients from his home country, and also soon from Hungary.

I am now the ambassador for online carp fishing competition TOKS

In February I may have a film crew from Germany, CarpHeart TV, arriving at Sierra Brava to film some footage of the lake with me fishing. I am hoping this will bring a few Germans to Spain to sample what is on offer on my doorstep.

Late February sees the first of my clients arriving. I have just started offering a Drive & Survive option, for those who wish to do everything themselves, but still wish to have a little assistance with obtaining licenses, access to the lake, and a host of other useful additions I can offer. It is a long drive to Extremadura and if you have to waste another day or so, getting everything you need to begin fishing, it can lose you valuable fishing time. I can have everything ready and waiting, on your arrival, and you should be set up and fishing within a couple of hours of arriving in my village. It is the perfect starter aid for Drive & Survive clients.

I WANT TO SEE THE DRIVE AND SURVIVE OPTION PLEASE

My first package clients will be fishing throughout the month of March, up until the closure date of April the 1st. Sierra Brava closes for one month. I will be heading to fish a nearby lake with my old friend Matt Dent, for about two and a half weeks; and this will coincide with my birthday and a weeklong fiesta in Spain celebrating Easter. Last year I attended all of these events, but have chosen to fish this year instead, not only giving my wallet a welcome break, but probably saving a few brain cells in the process.

May sees more clients arriving and I will be operating Sierra Brava Dreams right through till the beginning of July. I then take my annual leave. It is too hot to fish to be honest, even if you like the sun, and although there is still a chance of landing a large fish, I would rather my clients booked at more favourable times of the year, not only for the fishing, but for the sake of their skin. The sun is incredibly powerful in this region and the heat is quite dry. It is uncomfortable for the residents who live here, sensibly they all sit in the shade, as they know the dangers the sun ray’s can bring.

September brings more clients to my local lake, and likewise October. I am hoping to have clients through till the beginning of December this year as the lake does fish well till then. At this time of year, January, it is all about the weather, more so than other times of the year, as the water temperatures are slightly colder, as are the nights. I constantly look at the weather on my laptop, looking for big changes in the weather, moody fronts moving in, with winds, rain and milder temperatures are what I look for. This winter has not been fantastic for such weather, and in fact we have had very little rain at all. Fortunately we are getting a lot of sunshine in the days and news from the lake is good – it is starting to fish very well.

In my calendar for this year I still have a few weeks left to fill. For everyone concerned it is all about suitable dates and possible availability. Most of my clients are fairly flexible with dates, which always help all concerned, in choosing the right time of year, and the right week to suit. As a rule of thumb I would not have more than three week bookings in a month. I need a few days ‘changeover’time to prepare everything for the next batch of anglers due to arrive. It is fair for everyone concerned and keeps quality standards high, and ensures you all get a better holiday.

My availability calendar can be found on my website www.sierrabravadreams.com/make-contact.html on the Make Contact page. It clearly shows the dates I have left for this year. If you are interested in a package at Sierra Brava with SBD, ranging from 3-14 days, check the calendar, find the dates you like, and drop me a message on the same page using the contact form. I will be in touch within 24 hours – that’s an SBD guarantee!

Quite a few of my clients have opted to hire cars from the airports this year, as it means they can be more flexible with flight times. It is something worth considering when you book your flights as you get the transfer part of the package price given back to you, meaning it can be put towards car hire and fuel. If there are two or more of you it is certainly worth considering..

I am getting ready to go fishing myself this week. I will be testing out Vital Baits new boilie and will let you know how I get on. I think it will work well and if it does I will be buying lots for my clients. I have also just ordered four new chairs for my clients. The set that I bought last year proved very disappointing. The problem with a lot of fishing tackle these days is the fact it is knocked up in China, and the build quality just isn’t durable. I have gone with Angling Intelligence chairs for 2012 and hopefully they will be more reliable. I have also been busy getting my house ready for clients. Clients generally will have to stay the first or last night of their holiday in my house. It all depends on flight times etc. I have basically decorated the whole house since I moved in last August. When I am not fishing I am not lazy!

So it just leaves me to say I hope you are all, having a good 2012, and I will be back with more news soon.

Cheers

Jake Langley-Hobbs

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