Good evening.

Following on from the last post: on the Saturday morning I decided to pack up and headed to a different part of the lake for the last twenty-four hours. This area is only accessible with a 4 x 4; due to the heavy rain in the past few weeks, and the fact that the water levels are very high. Tranquility beckoned as I drove the 20km or so to the other side of the lake, and I was greeted by the usual scene – an empty bay with no-one in sight. This is part of the appeal that Sierra Brava delivers, in that you can always find a quiet part of the lake at weekends; it just requires a little knowledge and effort, and it’s all part of the guiding service I will be offering.

The weather has certainly been a mixed bag the past few weeks. It has made the fishing slightly unpredictable but the results are still there to be had. As usual in fishing, and when fishing these big lakes, location is very important. The carp certainly aren’t that hard to catch when they are in front of you, and fortunately there are so many carp in Sierra Brava, you can pretty much guarantee that fish will swim past you quite regularly. The challenge of late has been whether to pick deep or shallow water, and having the confidence to fish at arm’s length. The first time I clapped eyes on this magnificent lake back in September, the inviting margins were the first thing I noted, I fished them from day one, caught from them on day one, so therefore I always have the utmost faith when fishing close in.

I soon had the rods out and settled back to continue with book number two of the session. The first one I read ‘The Partner’ had a slightly disappointing ending after wading through 385 pages; only due to the fact that the female character ‘Eva’ stitched up the main character ‘Patrick’, at the very end. It was a predictable twist that I hoped wasn’t coming – never trust a women!

Suddenly rain moved in from the west and it sounded like a torrential downpour was coming right towards me. Fortunately I had the sides folded up on my SLX, so in no time I pegged them down to prevent Flash, his bed, and my bed, getting soaked. I was confident of a fish after the rain, but instead had to wait till 6am the following morning for a mid-double common to tear off with one of my margin traps. I enjoyed the fight as dark turned to light, released the specimen back to his home, and returned to bed.

At 8am my long-range token effort took off. You may recall I have been launching small pop-ups with a pva stick into the horizon, and after losing one to a sneaky drop-back, and then having the hook pull on a possible second, this time everything went smoothly. My lead had released and I saw the fish appear on the surface about 90 yards out. Confident he was coming all the way to the net, I gently retrieved line until a perfectly formed mirror, with shoulders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, lay before me. This carp had not been on the steroids however, but similar to many of the young mirrors in Brava, he will be a cracking looking carp when he bulks out.

I called time on the session after my two morning captures and headed back to my base. With a demanding work schedule beckoning, I needed to start organising my trailer for my first clients, due out next week. Right from the beginning, my plan has always been to keep clients on the bank for the duration of their trip. With all my ordered equipment sitting in boxes, it was time to begin fitting out the trailer and that is exactly what I have been doing for the last four days – from dawn till dusk. The old technology teacher skills have been put to good practice, and I even think my head of department would be proud of my efforts!

My trailer now boasts gas fridges, hot water, water-tank and a shower system, gas stoves, and storage for cooking utensils. More importantly I can still get all the tackle for four anglers inside, with room to spare for angler’s personal belongings. The trailer has also been fitted with eight re-lined brake shoes, after discovering they were: ‘let’s just say a little worn.’ I can now confidently apply the hand brake without fear of the whole lot ending up in the lake!!

I have actually had a bit of a nightmare with brakes this year. Firstly my 4 x 4 had severely worn brake pads and a damaged disc as a result. A phone call to the garage I bought it from had them reaching for their cheque book, and new ones were duly dispatched and fitted. Then I had the issue with the trailer. Once again I called the seller and they agreed to contribute. (If you don’t ask you never get, and they can only say no I suppose!) The upside of course is my transport is all in tip-top condition, and safe; you will all be pleased to hear! How I made it down to Spain (2000km) in one piece is beyond me, and I thank my lucky stars I never had an accident, or worse still – injured or killed someone in the process? Finally my Suzuki 50cc scrambler bike (if you can call it that) is being prepared for sale. I decided I don’t need it anymore, so it is now sat in the mechanics, having a new kick-start fitted. What did he tell me today when I saw him? It needs new brake pads on the front wheel!! They do say it comes in threes…

Tomorrow I am off fishing I am pleased to report. The weather is looking consistent for the next couple of weeks, and I have been praying for some sunshine – my prayers have been answered and I can’t wait to get on the bank and set up.

I will be blogging from the bank.

Cheers

Jake & Flash.