Posts Tagged ‘trakker’

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Thank You Everyone!

January 16, 2011

Good Evening.

I would like to begin this post by saying how grateful Flash and I both are for all your kind and sincere messages about the passing away of Charley. It meant a great deal to me and has certainly helped me deal with the whole process of adjusting to being one man and his dog! Flash, bless him, has adapted quickly to being the ‘only’ dog in my life, but Charley won’t ever be forgotten by either of us, and during our long walks together, he occasionally looks around for her, and I am sure I can hear her trotting beside me, watching out for her master. Thank you once again.

Charley at the mighty Orient.

I am now back in Spain and have been for the past week. I am settling back in but my feet haven’t really had time to touch the ground. My plans are going ahead for my guiding business but much has changed and it is now a sole independent venture. In a nutshell anyone who chooses to book with me will get professionally guided and catered for – completely by myself. That will mean quality fishing using quality tackle whilst eating quality food!

Over the next month I am gradually putting everything in place. The new website is already underway, a suitable house for myself and my clients, within close proximity to the lake, has been found and is being transformed into a fishing lodge, and high quality tackle is sat waiting to be used. I have been in talks with two bait companies (Quest and Vital Baits), to deliberately give clients choice; but rest assured they will work, and they will be priced to offer options for different pockets. Whilst I was in the UK my trusty van was sold and I returned with a 4 x 4, and a large, secure, box trailer. This transport will be used to safely get clients to the lake with enough space to carry equipment, and the kitchen sink.

All the tackle for hire has been chosen very carefully and is specifically for use at Sierra Brava, where boats incidentally are banned, but close range fishing is very effective. Having fished the lake and after catching many Sierra Brava carp from 10-90yards from the bank, I know what is required, and this is why certain tackle choices have been made. However, as everyone is different, I also carry alternative stock to cater for specific needs or requests – bigger reels, stiffer rods etc… For a list of the tackle you would be given during your trip take a look below:

  • Sonik Sk3 Marker rod combined with a Shimano Navi 7000 *
  • Pram style shelter
  • Nash Indulgence Bedchair
  • Venture XL Recovery Sling
  • Reuben Heaton Scales
  • Nash weighing tripod
  • JRC Defender Landing net

Plus a host of other Trakker Bankside goodies such as stove, kettle, cookset, utensil pack, 10l camo bait buckets, cool boxes etc…

As you can see you will get provided with a brilliant selection of the latest tackle available, and if certain products do turn out to be unsuitable, for whatever reason – a better product will be sourced. More importantly specific items will be replaced every year anyway, to ensure customers are always using gear in great condition, rather than some old tackle that looks like it needs to be binned!!

One crucial aspect that I have looked at closely to ensure quality control is I only intend on catering/accommodating a maximum of four anglers during any one week. This is purely to keep standards high, and to ensure everyone gets equal attention, and professional guidance. I am more than happy to teach certain skills, help with rigs, or casting techniques for example, and I will always stay with clients for the duration of your holiday. Whether I actually fish with you myself will be purely down to the clients preference. Personally, I will be more than happy just to guide, cook, and take photos of your catches. Flash will obviously be on hand to serve and protect, so if the alarms don’t go off one night, you can be guaranteed of a safe nights sleep!

With regards to packages available there will be no restrictions or limits to what I can offer. Sierra Brava will be my offered water for year one as it has so much potential and I am addicted to the place; but if you are interested in other waters I can pass you onto another very experienced guide in the area. In year two I myself will be stretching further afield, allowing clients to explore other waters, individually guided by myself. I will specifically tailor individual holidays if necessary, and I will also cater for single clients if that is requested. I fully understand that any client who books a fishing holiday expects just that – a holiday.

With regards to staying on the bank at night there is good news that has been made official at Sierra Brava. Legal night fishing is now being made possible at SB and after speaking to the president of the local club, he confirmed this as of March 1st 2011. You were allowed to stay on the bank at night in the past, but whether you fished or not was down to your discretion or balls! This is great news for anyone wishing to book, worrying about getting caught, as now the path has been cleared. It is good news for the tourist trade and local economy.

As for the delicate subject of toilets and showers – well you know me! I have all of this in hand and suitable solutions to these facilities ‘bankside’ are being looked into. They may be a little Heath Robinson, but if it means you can take a hot shower every few days, and use a spotlessly clean toilet in private, whilst you’re fishing, that can’t be bad can it! I know some anglers are happy to nip behind a tree and go without a wash for a week, but firstly there is too much human waste on display at carp fishing waters around the world (Cassien for example) and it is disgusting and unnecessary, plus there is nothing like having a shower every now and then to freshen up or to get rid of the smell of carp slime!!

I have plenty of fishy tales of the ones that got away, and ones that didn't!!

Whether you just want to come to pick my brains whilst fishing and listen to fishy tales about Cassien and beyond, or simply to spend a week in mine and Flash’s company, or you are just in urgent need of sampling some fantastic Spanish Extremadura carp fishing – it doesn’t matter as we are both looking forward to seeing you soon.

 

My boy - happiest when in the sunshine!

Flash incidentally is making waves in the village and everyone is making a fuss of him wherever we go. I think he realises there are big advantages to be the only dog, as he now gets all the strokes and titbits to himself! I myself am settling in well and last night I went to a small Spanish gathering for some food and had my palm read. The results were very interesting indeed…

I will be doing some fishing very soon and will update you of any developments when they happen. My new website will include full details of everything you will ever need to know, such as what you will need to bring with you, travel options, other activities on offer, and lots more.

Catch you soon.

Jake & Flash

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Posted in Sierra Brava | 7 Comments »

Consistant Action at Brava – Bravo!

November 27, 2010

Good Morning.

I have been fairly busy since yesterday’s post. The cold winds were not exactly inspiring for hard graft, but needless to say, I got the spod rod into action and delivered the goods to the spot. Spodding when your body and hands are cold is not the easiest task, and I actually think it would have been better to warm up first. With the first few attempts falling short, or going left or right, I eventually took off some layers of clothing and finished the job to some degree of satisfaction. I was rewarded with a common a couple of hours later, so it made the effort seem worthwhile after all!

Back on duty!

My little tree spot to my left has been consistent since I started fishing this swim. I was therefore surprised that it took so long to nab one and the fish was only caught after making a subtle bait change. I fished with a choccy malt and tiger nut pop-up to start with, and as no takes had come my way, I switched to a monster tiger nut variety in the 20mm size and this got me my fish. There is little difference between the two to be honest, but possibly the paler looking pop-up was preferred by the carp in this instance. My second carp from this spot came at 4.30am this morning just to prove my point!

Jake's Sierra Brava spod mix special!

I am using a spod mix that I knocked up especially for this rod. It consists of tiger nuts, hemp, and krushed monster tiger nut boilies. I add some liquid attractor to the mix and it spods out nicely. This rod is being fished locked up, and the MV Nick’Ettos have coped fine with the aggressive takes. Undoubtedly it is the double pronged footplate that helps keep the whole set-up in place, and I suppose a sideways take is probably the best test in my opinion. There is more force in the initial take which keeps increasing as the fish moves away. If the Nick’Etto wasn’t up to the job it would be one rod and reel lost – that’s for sure.

Buy a good one - worth every penny.

My curry I cooked last night was rather tasty. I do most of my bankside cooking in a very good quality non-stick frying pan. You can even cook toast with it, along with any other dish you like; it cleans very easily, and heats evenly which is important when cooking. I don’t think I have seen a single frying pan on the fishing market that is really suitable for frying. The problem lies in the base of the product. Most are too thin, which in turn means the pan gets far too hot and everything burns. Most pans are too small too, which restricts how much you can fit inside, and you get annoying spillage. My advice is ignore the fishing market frying pans, and nip to your local home store. Spend a minimum of £25/30 Euros, and you will get a quality product that lasts. My Tefal model was purchased in France, it cost 50 Euros, and providing you look after it, it will look after you! I bought mine a year ago and as you can see from the picture, it still looks in good condition. I also have a lid which fits mine, which makes it suitable for slow-cooking and steaming. Cooking should be enjoyed and not rushed – the slower you cook things the better things usually taste.

I knew cub scouts would come in handy for something!

The hot-rock oven!

I have also created a wind-break for my Trakker stove. Trakker make a folding metal wind break, but I personally prefer to use what’s around me, and rocks or stones don’t blow over. You can really go to town when making a cooking hide, and fill in the gaps between rocks with wet sand or earth to help make it air-tight, and you’re left with a great addition to your bankside kitchen. Sierra Brava is littered with rocks of all shapes and sizes, plus the stones get hot which creates more heat, meaning you don’t have to use as much gas. I have made mine so the kettle fits snugly inside, and my frying pan sits on top of the flat stones, slightly away from the flame.It is a work of art, I tell you!

At 6.30am this morning my open water rod took off. I am also surprised it has taken this length of time to catch one from what was my most productive spot the last time I fished here. I think the cold winds that were pushing out of the bay area yesterday may have something to do with this, as there certainly appears to be less fish activity than normal. As I type this the lake is flat calm, and I am hoping the winds will turn more in my favour, and blow from my right with some added warmth. The fifth carp of the session was another small common. These small fish are in abundance at Sierra Brava, but they are a very good thing as they keep you active. They do fight very hard for their size, and they are growing very quickly indeed. I guess the real challenge at Sierra Brava is to catch a big carp; it is what most of us want, and after seeing a great many carp caught since I arrived, I know some real lumps have been landed in that period – just not to my rods yet. I am delighted with the cracking mirror that I caught at the beginning of this month, and there will certainly be more of those to come. Sierra Brava in a nutshell is a numbers water. If you are catching carp then that is the first step, as eventually a big fish will put in an appearance. If you successfully land it, then that is the final step; however, if you lose it, then you are back to square one again! I am patiently waiting for my chance…

His big ears get cold!!!

My dogs are really enjoying their time with me on the bank. It has been a while since they have been my bivvy companions, and I can tell by the way they are behaving, that they have missed my company, as I have theirs. I certainly haven’t missed their night-time farts in the bivvy, but you can’t have everything in life. I know they are enjoying the luxury heater and Flash has been quite greedy, in that he takes the bed nearest to the heat-producing machine. Charley in her old age has turned into a proper fidget, and she wakes me up every hour or so, as she turns round and round in circles looking for a more comfortable position to lie back down in. I may have to invest in a special waterproof bean bag product for her, but then you can guess what will happen – Flash will steal it, and she and I will be back to square one.

Click picture for details how to buy me!

The lake is very busy this weekend. Competitions are common-place in Spain, and this weekend is no exception. I have to hand it to the Spanish carp anglers – you are all very keen and I admire your fishing spirits. Good on you!

I will be back tomorrow.

Cheers

Jake and the dogs.

 

 

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Posted in Sierra Brava | 4 Comments »

Two Takes – Two Carp!

October 21, 2010

Good Morning.

After the previous day I could not wait to return to the scene of the high drama!! I set up in the same spot and eagerly got the bait delivered, the hookbaits aimed and fired, and then wound in my marker rod. Now it was time to wait. I take my laptop with me now as my new screen has been fitted (by myself) and it works a treat. The problem around the lake is the poor signal that you get or rather can not get! I am going to make a telescopic arial to attach the Internet stick to, and see if this works any better. I will probably fashion one out of a beachcaster rod I own, and slot it into a pole attachment on my roof rack. A long USB cable will be needed, and then fingers crossed, I will be online whilst angling.

The van solar system for charging 12v and 240v items.

I have now fitted a super solar system in the back of my van. Rather than having to charge my laptop from an inverter attached to the cigarette lighter (which would need the engine running); I have put one of my solar panels (the flexi one), and now have a 120A leisure battery, and a 150W inverter, neatly fitted into the rear of my van. This will be charging all of the time, and the regulator (the little black box with green led) stops it overcharging or draining back through the solar panel. I figured as I am no longer undertaking long sessions, I may as well put the panel to good use, and the sun is still strong in Spain (and hot, and rather nice for sitting in)!

My first take came at 22.48pm. I had fallen asleep, and was alerted by a few bleeps from my alarm. I decided to fish locked up (rather than have the baitrunner tightened to the max), and I was soon landing my first carp of the session. A very cute common was unhooked and returned, and the hook was bang in the centre of its lower lip – lovely! A Chocolate Malt and Tiger Nut pop-up doing the business. The hook was checked, a new stringer was attached, the reel was clipped up, and the rod was then sent packing to my night-time distant landscape mark.

I made a cup of tea and that was followed by some curry! I have funny eating times and I tend to eat when I am hungry, rather than follow set meal times. My mum commented when I was home in the UK that I graze like a native – whatever that means! I was expecting more action but I had to wait till 5am, when the same rod was away again. This rod was positioned in the place where I had no fish from the previous night, after realising my lead shot had come off! I pulled the rod from the rests, wound down, and ran to my right to stop the fish getting into the tree. I felt the sensations of snags coming up the line, but fortunately the fish was not quick enough. I kept the pressure on and the fish boiled in front of me. I let him have a little display of eagerness and then slipped him into the net. A quick ‘mat’ photo was done, and the fish was released to fight another day.

Fin and scale perfect.

Despite the fine weather the night’s have suddenly developed a wee nip to them. Yesterday I inserted the additional lining that comes with the 365 sleeping bag from Trakker, and I was relieved I did. A quick cup of tea got the toes tingling and sleep quickly followed. Could I make it three carp in a night?

 

"It's far too early in the morning for any of that darling"!

I was expecting a run just after first light but it did not happen. I am wondering if the fish are coming from the left hand side, and my rod to the left intercepted the fish as they came through. It is too early to speculate, but it’s a theory I will go with for now. I am also in two minds about the lead release system. Why? Well the lead releasing does send the fish to the surface, and the upper layers are where the branches of the trees lie. At the base is a trunk that is clean. If the fish is up on the surface it is more likely to get into the branches, where as if it is hugging the bottom, then there is more chance of pulling it back round the trunk of the tree; if it makes it that far of course. I am going to play around with a few options and see which works out the best.

That’s all for today.

Cheers

Jake

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Posted in Sierra Brava | 2 Comments »

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