I have many return clients but the Bristol lads were the first group to return for trip three. Their first trip was March 2012. They came back in October last year, and re-booked during that time to do a ten day trip in May of this year. In fact they like the holiday I provide so much, they have re-booked another ten day trip in November later this year.

I will be taking bookings from the begininning of October up until the middle of December this year. I caught my 46lb common in late December and it does fish really well all year round.

I took the Bristol lads to a spot I know is good when the water level is high – a nice secluded bay. It already had anglers present – a rarity on a Monday morning, so we moved further round to the entrance to the bay and found a great stretch that looked even better. I had fished here in March of this year in fact.

I kitted the boys out with the usual kit but new SKS landing nets from Sonik were given to each angler. They were soon in their swim of choice and the Uber trailer was soon set up and the first ‘big sandwich’ lunch was being prepared. I gave the lads 15kg of Vitalbaits Krill-am boilies to start with in three sizes from 14-24mm. They also were given a large 15kg bucket of freshly prepared particle.

After they had picked their fishing spots, some recommended by myself, I left them to decide on their distance and to walk out the rods to the same distances. I did also suggest they try a long range rod in the daytime too as the fish do often move or pass through, in deeper water.

The boys decided to have a little competition amongst themselves. I wasn’t fishing as I have more than enough to do with three clients on the bank. There were six prizes up for grabs all worth 10 euros each, so henry was pleased when he had the first carp of the trip which was a 22lb 14oz common. No-one could take that prize away from him.

Over the next few days Henry and Paul B had a few more fish with Paul taking a lovely mirror of 23lbs. Paul H was having a little difficulty keeping his carp on his hook though and his first four carp were sadly dropped. Fortunately his luck was to change as he changed his tactics slightly. Using a hinge rig with a bright orange tutti pop-up, and a larger hook, he soon had his first fish on the bank. His third fish was the first thirty of the trip and a beautiful mirror weighing 30lb 11oz.

Paul H was soon catching Henry who had gone into a healthy lead. Henry’s swim seemed to temporarily go off the boil, and Paul took full advantage.

The fish kept coming, but the lads did lose a lot of fish. They know it, and they know I know it. Some were down to being too slow to react to the fish, some were from being too slow to get to the take, and some were down to inexperience. When a fish wants line and there are no dangers or snags, you let the fish have line. Having clutches set properly, and using your legs to walk as you play the carp, are all important factors in the winning the battle.

Needless to say – the boys do come to Brava for a holiday, and the fishing is the bonus aspect of that holiday.  Paul H took five of the prizes including total weight, most fish, biggest mirror, biggest common, and smallest carp.  Paul H had been leading the total weight competition for three days up until the final morning, when Henry caught a precious 20lb 10oz mirror. Henry was now only 4oz’s ahead of Paul H with four minutes to go.Paul H then had a drop back from his long range spot and landed a 16lb 8oz common taking back the title.

Their final tally of fish was 37 fish to 35lbs. They should really have caught about 50 fish but maybe they will redeem their losses when they return in November for their fourth holiday with Sierra Brava Dreams.

The lads opted for the chauffeur (complete with cold lager onboard) transfer option, from and to Madrid airport. They stayed in my house on night one, as they arrived very late, and we were on the lake by 10am the next morning. Most of the fish were caught in the morning or throughout the daytime. None of the fish were caught in the hours of darkness. We fished the final night and stopped fishing at 11.30am and were off the lake by 12pm.

Back soon with another report.

Cheers

Jake Langley-Hobbs

Brian returning for his second holiday with SBD.

Customer Brian, from Denmark, had a Sierra Brava Dreams holiday to remember when he returned to Sierra Brava for his second trip in seven months. His first trip last September saw him return home with a new PB common carp. On the plane over from Denmark, Brian set himself three goals. To catch a Brava mirror carp, a 30lb common, and hopefully a lifetime personal best. Brian wasn’t leaving anything to chance!!
Brian hired a car from Madrid airport and was at my house on time. Immediately we set off, just taking the 4×4, which allowed us to be more mobile, without the trailer.
The first hurdle became obvious as the water had risen about one metre in height since I had left the lake, just days earlier. The route I wanted to take was now impassable. The second issue was there was a competition on. My second swim of choice was pegged for the competition. I now had to raise my game if Brian was to get the result he was after.

Casa Torres

I decided to venture back to the other side of the lake. We had now driven almost 40 kilometres and we had two and a half hours of light left. I headed for an area known as Casa Torres. I suggested areas to Brian and we were soon set up. Dinner was on, and the rods were in place as darkness fell. What would night one bring?

The next morning we were met by Jack Frost. The guys fishing to our left had not had much joy since they had arrived. Three days for one fish. The lake it seemed had not quite resumed normal service, after heavy rainfall and rising levels.Suddenly Brian was in. His rod placed in deeper water took off with no warning and he was soon posing for a photo with the pretty common to the left. It was the start we were after. A fish!

First fish of the trip.

Normally Casa Torres is a good area but something did seem amiss, despite our one fish. I was already contemplating a move and suggested to Brian that we gave it till the following morning.

Breakfast is served.

I have never had a visit from the Guardia when I have been with clients. I have only seen them once in fact, in three years. It was no surprise then, that they arrived during a nice sunny Friday afternoon, on trial bikes. What better way to spend a few hours, than riding around a lake, checking licenses, in the sunshine. No fines were issued for the bivvies and all was in place. In fact the only issue was the fact I didn’t have my dogs passport with me!!! In future I will carry it your honour…

Pasta or a fresh sandwich is served for lunch.

The following morning we packed up and I drove to an area known as the finish. News here was grim. Hardly a soul had caught. In fact it seemed the lake was fishing poorly all over. Brian and I walked around the bay. I checked we could cross the river in the 4×4 and I decided we should head for a swim on part of the river section of the lake with the hope of picking up passing fish. The plan was set.
Within two hours the rods were out and food was being prepared for the night. I had done a quick bit of depth plumbing before we chose some spots, and once Brian was happy – I left him to it.

Things suddenly seemed to switch on, as our neighbours were into a fish. Then the anglers over the other side of the river section were in. Fish suddenly starting showing. Brian was looking more confident. I was waiting for the inevitable take. And it came – bang on cue.

16kg and a new PB.

After a good fight and after being skillfully played out by Brian I netted the carp above. 16kg was the weight which was the personal best he was hoping for. There was more to come though for Brian. He made the effort, travelling all the way from Denmark, and he really deserved his results. Later that night he had two more fish. A 12.2kg mirror, which was then followed by a new Sierra Brava Dreams client common carp record weighing 17.15kg. To top it off Brian had two more commons with his last fish weighing 15.45kg.

The mirror Brian wanted.

WOW – 17.15kg and a new SBD record.

Final dinner went down very well with a bottle of red wine.

Final fish and another thirty.

All the fish were caught on Vitalbaits Krillam boilies fished about 50-60 yards from the bank in depths ranging from 12-35 ft.
It just leaves me to say well done to Brian. I had to raise my game to get you your results but it worked out in the end. That is what good guiding is all about I guess!

Cheers

Jake Langley-Hobbs

Mike Whitford and Jo Green visit Sierra Brava.

They have experienced some fantastic fishing on their many holidays. And although their holiday at Sierra Brava got off to a flying start, the carp won’t be the only reason this holiday will stick in their minds, till they return at the end of October, for another week’s fishing with Sierra Brava Dreams. They were both treated to some pretty spectacular weather!!

Dark skies were company for the week.

We started off fishing where I knew there would be plenty of fish passing through, and held up. The weather forecast was accurate and we were certainly in for a drop of rain, or three! Mike and Jo wasted no time getting set up and the rods were soon cast to areas I recommended to the duo. Sadly Jo Green had a slight handicap and her left eye was playing up, giving her problems with her sight, but she never complained and soldiered on regardless.

Quickly off the mark!

Just after we had finished the first hot meal of the trip, Mike was in, and the first carp was already in the net. What a promising and expected start.

Jo never complained once about her dodgy eye!

After twenty four hours had passed the deadly duo had banked ten fish. It is fair to say that the lake was fishing well, but coupled with the pair’s obvious talent, they were making the most of the situation. After each capture the rod was soon back on the spot, and more bait was put out. This is how you need to fish in these conditions to take advantage of the volume of passing carp.
As night two approached, I commented to Mike that I thought we would be in for a very busy night as the conditions looked so favourable. Imagine our surprise in the morning when no more chances had come our way.

BlackHawk jackets kept the pair dry.

The weather seemed to be on the turn but the change was taking its time. The previous day was blowing an easterly with heavy rain, but the wind was swinging round and we were in for some rough weather. Perfect weather if anything, however, the influx of water that was entering the lake was to be the spanner in the works. The water temperature dropped and the water rose – quickly.

A lovely Brava example.

Hard fighter!

Mike and Jo were still plugging away and trying new tactics, and even tried casting two rods to new areas. However, when the lake is fishing, generally these tactics are not necessary, and both anglers knew it. The following day we did manage two more fish from the regular spots, but with cold water still entering the lake, and more bad weather on its way – I decided on the Thursday morning that a move was in order.
Mike and Jo wasted no time and within 90 minutes we were on our way. We had some wet terrain to tackle in the 4×4 and it would have been an impassible journey without my Navara pulling away. The loaded trailer is heavy and in some places, deep and treacherous gullies had formed. We even had to cross through two raging torrents of water – impossible in a car.
As soon as we had decided on the new swim, breakfast was on the way. Mike and Jo were so easy to get on with, and we were all enjoying each others company immensely. The wind turned as expected as we got everything set up, but none of us were really prepared for what was about to happen.

What a lovely pair of anglers.

After lunch we were hit by a bad storm. We all survived and afterwards the sun shone through. Fish had started to show in the area we were set up in, so confidence was high. The move had been a good move.

As we chatted away and the kettle went on for another cup of tea, another storm could be seen, making its way rapidly across the lake towards us. A white wall of water was fast approaching. We were hit by storm number two, yet this one made the first one look like its baby brother. Eighty kilometre per hour winds and driving rain smashed into the camp and all we could do was hold on for dear life. Some equipment took a proper battering!

Just a spot of rain then!!

We all survived and once we had put everything back together, and Flash my dog, had stopped hiding behind Mike, fishing resumed. Three chances came their way over the next twelve hours and apart from the first one that took Mike by surprise, the other two were successfully landed.

Action after the move.

What a mirror!

The BlackHawk Gore-Tex jackets that I kitted Mike and Jo out with, were certainly put to good use, and kept the couple dry. There is nothing worse than being wet and miserable. If you are dry – you can put up with most things.

Sunday was soon upon us and it was sadly time to begin packing up. In spite of the horrendous weather, the hardy couple really enjoyed the week, and certainly saw the potential of Sierra Brava. So much so, that they are both returning at the end of October to feature in the promotional film, being directed and shot by Mike Salisbury. Hopefully they will also be accompanied by their friend Paul.

Fast-rising water!

The photo above shows how quickly the water rose during our stay in the second swim we fished. When we arrived the water was at least 15 feet away from the trailer wheels! Once again my 4×4 saved the day as we were able to pull it out of the soft mud created by the rising lake levels.

Mike and Jo did bring some of their own bait with them, but half of their fish were also caught on the Vitalbaits Krillam boilies. I have been using these since the beginning of February, so I knew they would work well.
Mike and Jo ended the week with fifteen takes and fourteen carp landed to 28.5lbs. It could have been such a different result but in both ways. They could have caught more, they could have caught less. That ladies and gentlemen is why it is called fishing. The one thing I will say about the pair, is they never stopped trying, and never once did they look like they wanted to throw in the towel. I think the picture below sums up the week perfectly!

All that remains me to say is well done Mike and Jo. You braved the storm and you both came out shining!
See you both in October for round two.

Cheers Jake Langley-Hobbs and Flash.

39lb 7oz on the Krillam

Good Morning.

I am sat contemplating what to have for breakfast whilst watching fish roll. Birds are singing, the sun is shining and Flash is taking full advantage of that fact. It was a frosty morning to wake up to, but I caught my first carp of the session just before 9pm, so I woke smiling.

29lb from last night!

The purpose of my first Smartblog is to bring you all up to speed on events that have been happening of late. I have managed to get two sessions on the bank which both proved very worthwhile, and I am now back again, so I thought I would attempt the first Smartblog as I will call them.

I will stress the point immediately that these Smartblogs will be much shorter than normal. “Thank goodness,” I hear you all cry! Typing 2000 words one letter at a time would take forever so I will keep things brief and to the point.

My Samsung S3 has changed my life considerably. I now don’t need to talk to anyone! No. On a serious note I now don’t need to lug my laptop and leisure batteries around with me. I quite literally have everything at my fingertips.

Now obviously these gadgets aren’t new. But for once in my life I decided to be patient so I waited till my internet stick on a two year contract had finished. Wisdom in my old age. I was also able to take advantage of a bundle offer tying my landline, ADSL, and mobile into one simple and better value contract. I even avoided the temptation to get a phone from my network provider over 24  months costing a small fortune. No! Ebay saved the day and over 200 pounds in fact. I just bought someone’s unlocked free upgrade which is now registered in my name on the Samsung website to take advantage of their two year warranty.

Flash is still going strong!

I have clients arriving soon. My first female client with her boyfriend Mike. Jo green is a well known figure on the UK carp scene and has also caught some monsters whilst fishing abroad. Talking of monsters! Jo recently attended the ‘Big One.’ A show for carp fishing and she uploaded a lovely photo of her pictured with Jeremy Wade – star of the hit tv series River Monsters. I look forward to meeting Jo and partner Mike on Sunday.

So in the meantime I have been fishing in keen preparation for my arriving clients. In fact nearly all of my fishing these days is done for this very reason – it’s for my clients. Finding the fish, seeing what method is working best;  and on the last few occasions, testing out a new bait.

Vitalbaits are based in Spain and owned and run by Nicky Hedin. I have had amazing results with all of his range to date. Out of all of my clients, none have blanked, and between them they have caught over 300 carp to 45lb 4oz. Not bad when you consider those results are just from 18 clients!!!

Krillam from Vitalbaits.

Krillam is Vitalbaits new creation and I began using it just two weeks ago. My first four night session produced eleven carp to 24lb 12oz. Nine of the eleven were over 20lbs.

My next session produced ten carp in three nights to 39lb 7oz. Five of the fish were over 30lb+. The last three fish in fact, went 30lb 1oz, 39lb 7oz,  and 31lb 10oz. Not bad for a February session.

33lb 3oz Brava Beauty!

My current session is now underway and I am already off the mark. I will be here till Thursday. I will certainly be fishing much more this year so please do keep an eye on my progress. The latter part of last year proves just how good this lake is. The 45lb 4oz mirror for Ian Gowar, and the 46lb 5oz common for myself.

I am confident Jo and Mike will have a great weeks fishing. I will blog their results and will also post on the news page of the Sierra Brava Dreams website and on Facebook.

Hope you enjoyed the first Smartblog!

Jake

I have been back in Spain since the 10th of January. I had a nice time back in the UK, but was pleased to get back to my house, my village, and my local lake in Extremadura. The do say that a man’s house is his castle and although I rent mine, it feels like home after living here for well over a year, and for more than two years in my village.

Two hares at Brava.

Just like the three kings, I returned to my village with gifts. It was pleasant to see my landlady and her daughter, and even more pleasant to see them unwrap some token gifts from the UK. I bought back some fishing tackle. New rods. A new shelter. A new bed. And better still – a new kindle to replace the one that broke last year. My dad kindly bought me a leather Kindle cover/case for Christmas, so hopefully this screen will last longer than eight months.

Within a few days I had planned to meet up with Craig. We planned to do a short session at Sierra Brava. The first one of the year. After we eventually got to the swim, after having to tow each other out of bother; we began to set up. There had been rain since I had been away but the levels weren’t much higher than when I left.

My new house let me down.

My Trakker Tempest bivvy and wrap is something I purchased over Christmas. I was keen to use it for the first time so imagine my dismay when one of the aluminium poles bent within a few minutes. It seems to have gone on a weak spot but for the price tag – should this bivvy have any weak spots? Anyway – I am pleased to say that Trakker are kindly swapping it for an Armo MK2 and wrap, in the two-man size but I now must wait for it to arrive in Spain (he says whilst twiddling his thumbs).

Needless to say – I had to carry on fishing, so I put the wrap up to give me more protection from the elements. My second personal moan about the Tempest is the size. This is a true one-man shelter. Small is the only word I can use to describe it. It isn’t big enough for my needs and a dog. Even with the wrap assembled it still doesn’t make much more space. The Aquatexx material is the bivvies strong point, and yes, it is quick to erect. However, I did find it very hard to peg down in 20km/ph winds. I had to get Craig to assist me, and I have never needed help to erect a bivvy before. It is because it is a brolly type shelter with ribs rather than the pram style of bivvy such as the Armo. I have put an Armo bivvy up in 40km/ph winds without any problems but that is solely due to the pram design. You can use the wind to your advantage in fact and peg the bivvy from the back whilst lying the shelter flat; before attempting to peg the front.

I love the Armo. Trakker’s best shelter in my eyes.

The Armo is the best bivvy out there in my opinion and I can’t wait to get my hands on my new one. The Tempest – sorry I wasn’t that impressed.

My new rods from Sonik on the other hand were fabulous to use. The SK4 XTR 13ft 3.5lb/tc versions were my choice and I love them. Much more ‘tippy’ than the NCT model, and certainly more of a ‘playing fish’ rod as well as still being able to chuck a lead a considerable distance, in the right hands.

New rods from Sonik. The SK4 XTR’s. They look and feel fantastic.

As far as the fishing went at Brava for the three night session – it was good fun. I am trying a slightly new technique this year and sticking to my guns, so as far as fish landed for myself, I had a stop start take at 5am on the second morning and that was all. The fish was probably unable to get my bait in its mouth, so the bait size did me a favour no doubt.

28lb 4oz for Craig.

Craig on the other hand had six carp to 28.4lb, using 20mm and 14mm size hookbaits, in double and triple bait presentations. We were both on Vital Baits boilies.

Moving with the times. Smart phone for working whilst fishing.

I am literally chomping on the bit to get back to Sierra Brava for another session, but unfortunately I have to wait for the new bivvy to arrive along with a few other essential items. I have decided this year to do away with my internet stick. I have been a big fan of these, for four years in fact; but I have decided to move with the times. I am converting to a smart phone so I can still function whilst on the bank without the need for a cumbersome laptop. I have to be able to access emails etc for my business, so a smart phone seems the best option. I have bought one off Ebay which is arriving next week.

I love my new bed!

One other item that I am pleased with is my new Nash bedchair. I am the proud owner of a new Indulgence Wideboy. Oh Boy! This is a serious piece of kit and I think it is probably more comfortable than the bed in my house! It really does bring comfort to a whole new level and I am now right at home, lying back and reading my kindle or having a good night’s sleep. Plus – there is now plenty of room for Flash to sneak on for a cuddle!

Continued rain and the levels keep rising

One great piece of news is the amount of rain we are having in Extremadura. For the farmers, livestock, and of course the lake levels. The levels are slowly creeping up and I would estimate that they are now where they were last June. I would love it if the lake filled completely and I will be keeping a close eye on the situation over the next month. I reckon it needs to climb another 5m in height to reach it’s capacity.

I am hoping to be fishing soon.

Cheers

Jake Langley-Hobbs and Flash

It has been a tremendous second year, guiding clients at Sierra Brava, and I am eager to launch into my third year. I have some new clients to look forward to, and of course my return clients – who keep coming back for more. With a new client record, fresh in my mind, and of course Ian Gowar’s, the captor, I think 2013 is going to prove extremely exciting for everyone concerned. My last fish myself was a new personal best and was a fitting way to end the year. Goodbye 2012!!

Merry Christmas Readers!

It just leaves me to say to all readers of my blog, Sierra Brava Dream’s clients, and any future clients: Merry Christmas and a happy New Year for 2013.

Jake Langley-Hobbs and Flash

I am sat in my chilly Spanish kitchen with a heater on. The construction of old Spanish houses means they retain the heat in the summer, but they are like freezer blocks in the winter!

I have just had a fantastic couple of weeks at Sierra Brava. Firstly with returning clients, Ian and Roy Gowar; and then fishing with my pal Craig Reid. The scousers Ian and Roy, sadly could not be accompanied by Neil on this occasion. The three guys, father and two sons, fished really well in March, with Roy taking an impressive 36.5lb common setting a new client PB in the process. The lads were keen to return.

Ian and Roy Gowar – return for part two.

They chose this week deliberately for the fact it would be late in the year and a full-moon phase – on my recommendation. Once again they chose to hire a car with Sixt – who do a very good deal with fuel and damage waiver included for 150 euros for a week. The Gowars had opted to stay on another day with me and were beginning on Saturday. It is not the best time to start a session as the lake can be busy with weekend anglers, but the pair were aware of this. They arrived on cue just before midday, and after greetings and a quick discussion, we set off for the lake.

We had a decision to make before we set off. We could target the area I had been focusing on since October – or try another area. One slight niggling doubt was whether or not we would actually make it to the swim anyway, as the track has got ridiculously muddy. The combined weight of my trailer and 4 x 4 is about 6 tonnes. No easy object to push once stuck. We all decided to go for it.

After one very sticky slow moment we eventually made it to the intended swim. There were anglers opposite but I told the lads they would no doubt leave the following day and it appeared there was a small competition happening. It wasn’t going to affect us though as they were being quiet and considerate and as it is a public lake – they have every right to be there. I also explained that the lines in the water would probably push the fish out to the middle so we all stood a chance of catching anyway.

I gave Ian and Roy their equipment and they got busy setting up. I advised them where to fish and at what distances and left them to it. Having repeat clients is always a joy as you already know their abilities. All they needed was their bait (VitalBaits OR-O boilies) and they were ready to cast out for their first night back at Brava.

The lads had invited me to fish alongside them. This is not something I do unless asked, so after sorting out their lunch, I got my own stall ready. I put myself in what I classed, as the least attractive swim, as I obviously want my clients to catch more than me!  We also decided to have a little wager! Most weight, biggest mirror, biggest common, and smallest fish.

Because the Gowars had rebooked – I gave them some free boilies, along with their bait for the week. They both started off with 15kg of OR-O boilies in 20 and 24mm, 15kg of particle mix, and some 15mm baits to add to their spomb mix. Because there were other anglers opposite, I told them to go easy on the baiting on night one. You never know how much other people have put in, and in all honesty I told the boys that the real session would begin the following day – once the other anglers had left. If we caught on night one, and on a Saturday night – it would be a bonus.

The first fish from long-range.

Not surprisingly it wasn’t till 4pm the following day when we had our first take. I told the lads to decide out of both of their two rods, one to put out long-range in the day. The wind started to hack into our swim and it looked prime for some action. Roy was off the mark!  The lads were happy!

Roy with a funny shaped mirror!

The guide with a 27.5lb common.

Roy with a stunning 25lb mirror.

Over the next 24 hours another five or six fish were landed. Roy started to get a good average size of fish and caught a stunning mirror on his long-range rod weighing 25lb+. I was picking the odd fish up and it was just Ian who needed to get in on the action after sadly losing his first fish to a snag. The fish very kindly deposited the hook into a branch. That’s fishing on a public lake!

Ian was off the mark.

I suggested Ian move his rods out another ten yards as I figured it might produce more action. It worked and he was soon off the mark with two carp in quick succession. The wind was continuing to lash the shoreline and it was turning into a good winter session.

Half-way through a week session I normally return home to pick up supplies and requested items for clients etc. On Tuesday evening after a good meal I got my head down for some sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day. I was woken by Roy at 2.30am informing me that Ian had caught a 45lb carp. Normally I hear most runs and in fact I heard Roy’s earlier fish. Ian’s however I didn’t. With new clients I try to help as much as possible during the night, but I told the competent Gowars to work as a team on this trip as I knew it would make the whole experience more memorable for the pair, without the guide whinging advice in their ears!!

45lb 4oz – well done Scouse!!

As it turned out – Ian had landed his new pb carp all on his own and I am sure he was pleased he did. When he noticed the tail was still hanging out of the net, he knew he had landed something big and with his previous pb being 31lbs – he was sure he had a new one in the net.

I was soon assisting and we weighed the fish to confirm and got it safely into a retainer in deep water. Ian and I shared a celebration cup of tea; then I left him with his thoughts for the rest of the morning. Not surprisingly he didn’t sleep at all, as he was checking his prize was safe and well!

After the photos were done at first light the fish was returned by the proud captor. Roy was the previous holder of the biggest fish for an SBD client; now his son holds the title, and I am sure father Roy is proud to keep the title in the family. The Gowars are returning for their third trip next year so maybe Neil will lift the crown in 2013?

A gift for Ian – red wine. An Iberica Paleta. And the OR-O boilies!

I returned from my village with fresh supplies. The lads decided to go for an Iberica Paleta – a cured shoulder of the black pig – famous to Spain. This isn’t included in the package but it is an optional extra. I am fairly competent at preparing and cutting fine slices and it was enjoyed to say the least.

A mid-twenty common for Roy.

A 25lb mirror for the guide.

Sunset at Brava.

Another odd-looking 25lb+ mirror for Roy!

Another sunset shot.

Roy with a 5.7kg piece of cured Jamon!

Roy in action again!!

Full-moon phase at Brava…

The action continued almost all the way to the end of the week. In total between the three of us – we caught 30 carp to 45lb 4oz. The biggest common was 27.5lb. The total weight was shy of 560lbs, and Ian had the smallest fish – a successfully spawned fin perfect fish weighing 4lbs odd. Don’t forget – Sierra Brava is a public lake and the fish spawn successfully each and every year. The number of fish in Brava reaches the tens of thousands. You can’t guarantee every fish is a stunning 45lb 4oz mirror and I would never print otherwise! I don’t sell my holidays on the size of fish…

Final fish for guide Jake – 34lb mirror.

This now brings me onto part two of this blog. My final session at Sierra Brava with my pal Craig Reid. We planned to do a Christmas session together to see out the end of the year. We have both worked jolly hard over the last few months, all year in fact, and a session at my local lake was the planned destination. I joined Craig at Orellana before the scousers arrived and Craig had a red letter session landing a 53lb common, a 47, a 45, a 42, and 16 others to 36lb+. Top bombing Reidy!! This guy truly is a phenomenal fisherman.

The funny thing with Craig is at the start of last year, he still hadn’t broken the 40lb mark after years of carping, although he often helped clients catch new pb’s to 50lb+. I said to him last year – I bet you start catching the big ones. Within a month he had banked a 48, 44 and 42lb’er. Then in September of last year he caught a huge 59lb common from Orellana. This year just speaks for itself. The guy is on a roll and I am sure a 70lb+ isn’t that far away from his local lake which he knows so much about.

Sierra Brava is my local water however, so it was time to fish my water. Only a short session was planned but we wasted no time in getting started. Craig has a slightly different approach to myself at SB, in that I prefer to sit it out with bigger baits, hoping to fend off the smaller fish. After Craig had lots of action on night one (but in fairness he did land a very strange, short, fat, odd-looking, yet pretty at the same time mirror weighing 29lb 15oz), he was soon asking for some of my larger 24mm baits.

29lb 15oz for Reidy!!

I am no stranger to using ‘donkey-choker’ set-ups because they work. You get less runs, but you can also get false pick-ups as smaller fish unsuccessfully try to get the bait into their mouths. A few beeps from your alarm usually means you can cross another small fish off your list. I don’t mind getting up at 3am to do battle with a big carp – a 12lb’er I would rather try to intercept!

I therefore sometimes use two 24mm baits, or a 24mm and a 20mm bottom bait or pop-up. It still isn’t a guarantee against the smaller hungry mouths, but I also think how you bait up can deter smaller fish. Bait up with 24mm baits only, for example.

When I was fishing/guiding the Gowars I sadly lost a very good fish. It is sometimes difficult at SB to tell just exactly what is on the other end. Small fish fool countless anglers. Bigger fish likewise. Sometimes however, the way the fish takes line at the start of the battle is mind-blowing. On this occasion this was one of those circumstances. I was fishing at 80-85 yards and the fish took another 40-50 yards, give or take a yard or two. I turned the fish, I started to bring it back, it felt slow and heavy, it then took more line. I commented to Ian, stood beside me, that this was a better sized fish. It took me approximately ten slow minutes to draw the fish in towards me. It barely kited, and then suddenly started coming towards me. As I wound down to keep up with it – the line suddenly broke on an object in the water – undoubtedly a sharp piece of rock. After doing all the hard work and probably being minutes from seeing the fish, and netting it, I was gutted. Really gutted. Both my big 40lb commons have gone off like this and so have some of my upper-thirty mirrors. Ian and I knew that I had just lost a good fish.

My session with Craig didn’t fare to well to begin with. My first take came at 8.30am, when I expected one. With baitrunners set tight the tip pulled over and line pulled off the reel. On picking up the rod, immediately something felt wrong. In the strong winds the day before the line had obviously bowed around a branch, several yards out, and the fish was between myself and the obstruction. Suddenly the fish decided to take line powerfully. I moved left and right, hoping the line would ping clear. I could feel the line pulling against wood and I knew I was in trouble. I continued to walk left and right, up the bank, and continued to bring the fish towards me. I decided to walk right and appeared at Craig’s bivvy door with a rod doubled over in my hands. Obviously a strange sight to see but the desperation was evident on my face. Moments later the hook pulled, as the fish made the snag in between us, and I had lost fish number one!

Craig and I have been discussing a tactic to overcome the odd snag in Brava and Orellana. It is something I actually made up in March 2011 for my first clients, but we didn’t need them, but Craig’s idea was identical to mine. We obviously think alike and after he trialed it at Orellana, losing no fish, it was time to put it into action at Brava. We haven’t reinvented the wheel – we are just using our brains!

I stuck the device on one rod and cast it back out. Later that day as dusk was approaching, my second take arrived. After slowing the fish, it then took line in a determined fashion. I eased the pressure but didn’t do anything different to what I normally do – the hook pulled. Aargh – two takes – two lost fish.

By the following morning Craig had had eight takes and six carp. So far for a winter session – everything was looking good. Sadly however, some new arrivals had appeared on the opposite bank. I call them the minority. You get them on all lakes and they annoy the hell out of you. Noisy, ignorant, and oblivious to anyone else around them. Within ten minutes Craig and I both decided to move swims. Would it be a good omen?

We packed up quickly and fortunately there was another swim we had both fancied fishing close by. By three pm we were setting up and unperturbed by the earlier events of the narrow-minded individuals, we decided to make the best of the last two nights ahead of us.

I used my marker rod and found three different depths to fish to from 18-30ft. I baited up accurately and cast my rods, spot-on, first time. I used my big bait approach and attached a stringer to each hook-bait. I also used our ‘new’ snag free technique as it seemed the perfect opportunity in the new swim we were presented with. Sharp jagged rocks were evident, but the lead-weight of the marker rod revealed a soft and fairly clean lake-bed.

Craig had two fish in the next 18 hours. I was awake when he had his second fish at 9am and we sat and shared a morning coffee, enjoying the peace and quiet in the new swim, free from other anglers. I wandered off to my bivvy and laid on my bed with Flash for company. The best fishing companion who only wants for a few scraps of food, and his dinner each day. Wondering whether I would get my fish, after already having the story to compliment it – having to move swims, losing two already, it all seemed to fit together nicely.

Suddenly my left hand rod beeped once and the tip pulled over. I put on my wellies and was soon holding the rod as I heard Craig give a few words of encouragement. Immediately I was giving line and the fish slowly plodded forwards. I stopped its run, disengaged the baitrunner, only to be faced with another burst of slow, turbo-charged raw power. This was what I had been waiting for – could I set the record straight after my last loss with a possible lump.

I could see my line-marker forty yards from my rod-tip and I was already five minutes into the bout. The fish was plodding towards me, not kiting, shaking its head, and staying deep. This was one of the rods with our new device attached to the line, so I was thrilled that the fish had taken the bait regardless. Another few minutes passed and the fish approached towards the bank, painfully, inch by inch.

We began to see bubbles break the surface thirty yards out. Lots of them. The fish finally revealed itself but we were still none-the-wiser. I coaxed the fish in, bit by bit, and my left leg was starting to shake! With Craig at the helm, and in broad-daylight and trusting him to do the job, I started to walk backwards. The fish rose to the surface. A common. Big shoulders. I inched backwards. Craig held the net steady. In she went, and he made her secure.

It’s a funny thing. I caught so many big fish in my first 18 months on the road, that I got blase about size. In fact in the last two weeks during my first Cassien session, I had caught so many 40lb+ fish up to 60lbs, I didn’t even photograph anything under 40lb. It is all relative to the water you are fishing though and a 40lb prize from Brava means the world to me these days. We both looked at the fish in the net and estimated it to be 40lb, maybe more. A 20kg fish has been my aim at Brava for a long time. Would this do it?

When we lifted her from the water in a cradle, she suddenly grew. Only the week before, a client had caught a 20.5kg mirror. Could this in fact be bigger? We slung her up onto the scales and the needle hit a settling point – 21.05kg. I had done it. It has taken a longtime to get here, and you can’t imagine how happy I was at that precise moment. Having my new fishing pal present made the moment even sweeter and I know he was made up for me.

New PB – Awesome!!!

With the fish looked after, I prepared a site for the photos. In low light I made sure the big flash was on my Canon camera and the fish was carried to the spot. She barely moved as Craig fired off some good shots. After a couple of release shots, the fish then woke up and thrashed her tail and was gone. It was truly a magic moment and one made purely by the events of the session. I thank the noisy anglers concerned – you contributed towards the capture!

Our session finished with a day-time carp for Craig. We celebrated my capture with my mulled wine and good food, and although the last night failed to produce, despite plenty of activity – we packed up happy, knowing it had been a good session. I witnessed Craig have a blinding session at Orellana, he shared the joy when it came to my opportunity at Brava – that is what fishing is all about – share the joy. Craig caught eight carp to 29lb 15oz from ten runs. I had three takes, lost two, but my one fish was the best fish to end a cracking year at Sierra Brava.

Check out my website at www.sierrabravadreams.com for more details about Sierra Brava and look at www.extremafishingspain.com for Craig’s business on Orellana.

Merry Xmas!!!

I will be back in 2013. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all of my clients this year, and as always, my readers of my blog.

Merry Christmas from myself and Flash.

Jake Langley-Hobbs

Last weekend saw Chris Best travel to Extremadura from Madrid. Chris had booked a last-minute weekend break with Sierra Brava Dreams. He had intended on coming to Sierra Brava a few weeks earlier but family commitments meant he had to delay his plans.

It’s not his teddy bear! Chris bought his little dog Rio with him.

Arriving at my house at 3pm we immediately made our way to the intended swim. It now gets dark at 6pm in Spain so we didn’t have masses of time to get things set up, however, it was achieved.

After cooking a curry for dinner, which was to Chris’s liking, after requesting a not too spicy version, we said goodnight and got our heads down. It rained fairly consistently during the first night and at 1am Chris had his first take. The fish was a scrappy 14lb common.

A few hours later Chris was away again. Sadly this time the line got caught in some rocks during the fight. The fish had taken some line and then managed to get the line lodged in between rocks. Not Chris’s fault, just one of those things. I could feel the fish was still on, so I left the rod in the rests with the baitrunner on. The hope being it would pull free the trapped line.

In the morning Chris had a take on his other rod. We sorted that one out and returned it quickly. I tended to the other rod and being confident the fish was now gone, I walked over to the opposite bank to either pull the line free or to pull for a break. The line broke.

The rod was set up and after getting both rods back to the spots, baiting up was done and we had breakfast. The rain fell throughout the day. Just before dinner the rods were recast and more bait was added. I wouldn’t normally recommend the rods are recast twice in a day but as it was Chris’s last night, I wanted to ensure everything was perfect.

A happy customer.

The plan worked and he had a run at 9pm. A 19lb common was landed and photographed and Chris was a happy man. Chris in fact hasn’t caught a carp for eight years (due to lack of fishing), so with four runs and three carp in 24 hours, he was very satisfied. I am yet to have a customer who has blanked on one of my holidays. It either says lots about the lake or the guide!!!

At 11am the following morning another run developed on his right hand rod. After a few minutes the hook pulled which was a shame as it would have ended the session on a real high. I recast all the rods long-range for the last few hours, in the vain hope of bagging another chance for Chris, but our luck had run out. Chris’s previous PB was a 20lb UK fish and it was quite possible that one of the two lost fish may have beat that. However, lost fish always appear bigger than what they often are. Nevertheless, Chris returned to Madrid, smiling all the way; and he now needs to work out his plan to return next year for another go.

Chris used VitalBaits SB-X boilies, combined with my particle blend.

If you are interested in a holiday with SBD click on the link Sierra Brava Dreams and look at my website.

Cheers.

Jake Langley-Hobbs

My three Bristol clients from March returned to Sierra Brava to do battle once again. One is a good friend, one I know through friends, and the final member of the group – I know from earlier this year. We all got on well, and I expected it to be no different this time around. In fact it was even better, and it was more of a holiday for myself, rather than work. I do love my job!

We had nine days planned and that meant a good session was ahead of us. The boys arrived on time at Madrid airport and I soon had them back in my village and we were raring to go. As always with a repeat booking – expectations were high within the group, and I was as excited as they were when we reached the lake.

I put the boys in a bay area which always has plenty of fish present. I myself caught a 40lb common from the swim, just a few weeks earlier, so I was hoping the big girls would arrive at some point during the week. As always with a massive public lake, you may only get one or two nights when the opportunity arises to catch a big fish, as their movements can’t be predicted.

I am not going to write a long report about how they fished and what occurred during the session. They used 90kg of Vital Baits boilies combined with maize and tigers. They all followed my advice and remembered what they learnt from last time, so really it was easy from my point of view. Sometimes a guide just needs to be present, and available when needed. That was my role for the session really, and it seemed to work for everyone concerned.

Henry struggled last time, in March, so I was very keen to see him conquer. I put him in the last swim at the end of the bay and he reaped the rewards taking lots of fish. The two Pauls caught carp, but the action was less frequent for the pair. As a guide you sometimes have to try new strategies and I realised towards the end of the holiday that this particular bay wasn’t the best swim for three anglers. The reason being that most of the fish seemed to be held up in Henry’s swim, so the other two guys had to work extra hard to join the action. Fishing is always a learning curve however, so after suggesting one of the Paul’s put his rods out ten yards further, he suddenly had an active day’s fishing. Sometimes that is all it takes.

Positivity was one of the group’s strong points and we all worked as a team. The weather was very inconsistent and we were greeted by everything the elements could throw at us. One morning the wind had changed direction and rain was pelting the guy’s bedchairs and sleeping bags. We worked as a team and soon had the shelters turned around, meaning they were dry and comfortable. You can’t expect to come on a wild, public water holiday, and not be prepared to get your hand’s dirty. The 4 x 4 and trailer got stuck at one point during the week, so once again, we all worked as a group, and soon had the Navara hauling the heavy trailer through the thick mud. Attitude and spirit is all part of a Sierra Brava Dream’s holiday.

The final tally of fish was 35 carp. Henry had a new personal best common which put a big smile on his face. At 29lb 8oz, it might not be the biggest carp caught at Sierra Brava, but his smile told a thousand words. The experience is often more important than pounds and ounces.

The odd fish was lost, and as always at Brava, they always feel big. However, fishing is called fishing for a reason, and it is very possible that none of the lost fish were bigger than Henry’s PB. You always hope for a big fish, but when the carp have thousands of acres to travel in, there is no guarantee they will visit your spots. There are no big fish swims in Sierra Brava – it is a public lake. Effort and patience brings those results. This is why the lads are returning next year. They love the whole Sierra Brava experience. The service, the food, the lake itself, the fight from the fish; and the fact it is a proper holiday. There wasn’t a crossed word between the four of us all week. It was a laugh a minute, and a pleasure from start to finish.

Sierra Brava

It rained…

and rained…

No Complaints.

A happy Henry with a typical Brava mirror.

A good common carp.

Harris in on the action!

Another one for Henry.

And another…

Sunset Brava Style.

A 24lb common for TP.

Spanish oranges as part of your lunch!! Sweet…

Back at the lake after a supply top-up!

These small carp fight SO hard.

Henry napping while he has a chance!!!

TP into a fish.

What a lovely mirror.

Photographs for Henry’s PB.

Getting it from the water and allowing it to release some energy first.

Well done Henry. 29lb 8oz and a new PB common carp.

Jamon break at 4pm!!

Hauling….

Hinged stiff rig working for TP.

Through the rain…

…he kept hauling!!

A genuinely happy angler.

Moody weather.

Henry netting one of his carp.

…and spombing to his spot after a capture.

TP, Henry, Mole, and Flash.

The 4×4 and trailer are the keystone of my business. Without them – Sierra Brava Dreams wouldn’t happen.

Cheers guys. See you in May.

Jake Langley-Hobbs

What a lovely way to end the session – smiles all round!

On January the 9th 2009 I began this blog. The idea of “The Big Carp Hunter” website was to allow other anglers, sat in homes and offices, to join my journey fishing. To follow the highs and lows associated with carp fishing. To witness the sometimes hellish conditions and ordeals I would put myself through. And to share in the joys of carp captures, amusing occurrences, and weird and wonderful characters I would often meet along the way.

The idea for the blog was actually that of my first sponsor. Unfortunately he wanted it to be a promotional train for his company and products, and although I was happy to give him the odd plug, I never wanted it to be a blatant platform for his merchandise. “Anglers will see through it, for what it really is. I want to give them the real deal. I want them to feel like they are actually on the bank, fishing with me.” I began writing it whilst fishing at Cassien, and immediately gained a loyal gang of followers. I think you could say it has been a success. Some of the original band of readers still catch up on my sessions from time to time; and although it isn’t written with such regularity these days, that just reflects on the amount of time I spend on the bank these days, compared to how I used to fish – 24/7/365.

Carp fishing certainly appears to be more popular these days. It has literally exploded and when I started the blog, Facebook was another fairly new creation. I do like Facebook but it does seem to have created various breeds of angler. There are the anglers who like to sit at home and guess the swim, the name of the lake, or what the fish is called. There are anglers who don’t seem to be able to do much else other than criticise others. There are anglers on Facebook who probably aren’t even anglers. Then there are the real bunch. The anglers who get out there and fish. They get on with it regardless. They celebrate their successes, and they nurse their failures. Everything to do with carp fishing seems to be done through Facebook these days. 99% of tackle companies and companies involved in fishing have dedicated pages and generally use it for spamming, sorry, promotion!! I don’t know exactly how many carp anglers use Facebook, however it does allow anglers to show off their catches to their genuine friends, and other people on their contact list. It is, when used correctly, a fantastic porthole.

Quite why some individuals feel the need to expose their jealous nature and have a ‘pop’ at people is beyond me. However, it isn’t just in carp fishing, as many seem to think. This negative attitude, and the green-eyed monsters sadly lurk in all forms of sport. In cycling, athletics, boxing, and horse racing for example. I am sure Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins has his fair share of backstabbers and envious critics. Sadly society is to blame for the downfall in manners and etiquette. Things won’t improve though. We just have to live with it, and the best way is to turn a blind eye to those sorry individuals.

Not everyone has writing skills. Not everyone is a whizz behind the camera lens. Not everyone is a naturally gifted angler. Not everyone will make it into magazines. But everyone deserves the chance to have some limelight and Facebook gives anglers this opportunity to shine. Be happy for others and they will be happy for you.

The reason I have spoken about this subject in my 500th post is not because I feel like I get any negativity. If I did I would simply chuckle and turn the page, so to speak. I have mentioned it because I have seen the attitudes in the sport change dramatically from about the time when I began writing my blog. I guess it is a sign of the times but it’s still a sad fact. Five hundred posts is a significant number in case you are trying to do the maths. Over a million words are included in my website, and when you consider an average book contains 100,000 words – my blog amounts to ten books with thousands of pictures.

The Big Carp Hunter blog has brought me tremendous pleasure. There were periods during particularly tough sessions, when my readers got me through the pain. Knowing there was this loyal gang of followers, who would often post comments of encouragement, really meant the world to me. I take this opportunity to thank you all.

I will write a book one day. I may even turn this blog into a large diary style book. Perfect for reading during sessions to give you motivation, or simply to laugh at some of the amusing events that often happened to me and the dogs. As and when this will happen though, I can’t currently confirm.

The conclusion of the Orellana session.

It now brings me to the part in the blog when I will bring you up to speed with how the Orellana session turned out. When I last blogged I mentioned that I had caught a 22lb common, and Craig Reid had managed three takes and landed one fish. The fish were being very picky and although we knew the fish were there, and often showing over our spots, they just didn’t seem to be feeding with much gusto.

Things didn’t really change for me for the rest of the session. I kept fishing my spots, I occasionally changed my hook bait variation, but I stuck to my guns. I generally had a recast at midday, baited up, and left things at that.

35lb for Mr Reid.

Craig however, started getting slightly more action. Fish could regularly be heard over his spots as darkness fell, and he went on to have nine takes in the six night session, landing five carp. On the day I wrote my blog from Orellana he caught two more carp during the coming night. The first fish was a lovely common turning the needle to 35lbs. It was great to see a larger fish on the bank and moral was high.

The biggest of the session at 42lbs. Well done Craig.

Last night Craig received two more takes. The first fish came shortly after 1am resulting in a upper twenty common. His final take though, at 6am, produced the biggest fish of the session – a fine common weighing 42lbs. I woke at 8.30am, made a coffee and sat on my chair, wondering why on earth my rods weren’t producing. No sooner had I sat down the middle rod’s alarm beeped once and the tip pulled over. How considerate of the carp to let me have a good night’s sleep.

Yours truly with a magnificent looking specimen from Orellana.

The fish came in like a dog on a lead and I was convinced it was a small carp. Bubbles then started appearing as it got close to the bank, then it showed itself and I commented to Craig that it actually might be bigger than my first fish. Craig was already convinced!

The fish then plodded around the margins, occasionally taking line, and often coming to the surface, pretending it was beat. I took my time though, enjoying the moment, and only when the fish surfaced and stayed there, did I guide it into my net. A cracking fish to finish the session with. I have been told that the fish in Orellana often have a pink tinge to their bellies and this was no different. Although you can’t really see it in the photograph, this coloration  is caused from their stable diet of signal crayfish heavily present in the lake. We weren’t bothered by them at all however, during our stint at the lake.

Had I just caught the one carp as it was looking likely at 8.30am, I probably would have called it a day on Orellana for the rest of the year. Not surprisingly though, after the last knocking’s capture, I now can’t wait to do another session, and one is planned for mid-November.

Till the next post – number 501 – thanks for reading, and catch you soon.

Jake Langley-Hobbs & Flash