Good Afternoon.

I woke this morning after another uneventful night, and to another identical dawn. I therefore decided to make the most of my time and packed up my equipment. I could sit it out, but looking at the weather forecast does nothing to get me excited. I have a great advantage in that the lake is on my doorstep and this means I can act on changes in the weather. I don’t mind trying in poor fishing weather but I also know when to throw in the towel, so that’s exactly what I did. However, the next two hours were spent doing a very useful job indeed – especially for my clients for the coming year?

At the moment the water levels are low. The level has started to rise a little but there is still another 4-5 metres required to be at the same level as January this year. This can happen very quickly and as an example, I left for the UK in December of last year. I returned a month later and the water had risen – 5m in height! When you consider the size of Sierra Brava that is an incredible amount of water and the majority of this influx comes from the river/canal system after prolonged and heavy rain. Taking all of these factors into consideration I have decided to act early, so after I packed up my gear I headed for several swims dotted around the lake.

As I said above Sierra Brava is a huge lake, but I have a few areas that I fish and take clients to. I can fish anywhere on the lake but I have my favourite spots and I also have my ‘quiet’ spots. Once the lake fills up, access becomes more tricky, and unless you have access into certain parts of land, which I do, then it is impossible to reach them. Many anglers try with normal cars and they get stuck, but in some cases you need more than a car, you need keys to open gates!

You would not want to fish this swim when the water levels are high - jagged rocks equals hazard and cut offs.

Once I arrived at the first swim I started to take photographs, showing what the lakebed looks like with the water levels low. I take these pictures lining up landscape markers so each photograph makes sense. When I have clients they can then look at these pictures and get an idea of what is in front of them. There are some really nasty areas around the lake which you would never want to fish in a million years. Tall sharp jagged rocks, trees, and other hazards can be a few yards in front of you, submerged by water once the levels increase, yet silently waiting. It is this knowledge that gives me a great advantage and I do this kind of thing for my clients so they get the best from their holiday.

Small branches can cause big problems.

I dragged this large branch out of harms way - look at the line on it.

Another activity I did was swim clearance. In some of my favourite areas there are lots of branches and stumps on the bottom. You are sure to lose some fish as the line will get trapped under a branch resulting in snagged line/tackle, and potentially lost carp. I have dragged these branches up to a safe distance, out of the water’s reach once it rises, knowing the swim will be clear when this event happens. One thing I have to say, is I cannot guarantee the swim will be 100% clear as when the water rises, new driftwood can arrive and existing driftwood can move, but in my mind’s eye, I can do no more. It only takes the smallest branch to cause big problems and I now have a dozen areas that are nice and clean, complete with photographs, matched up to landscape markers that you can see at night – a distant mountain range that is visible from most areas of the lake!

A nice hard patch loacted in a large mud-lined bay. I know where it is and how far from the bank in yards.

I am a guide. I want my clients to catch carp, and I don’t like it when I lose fish, and I always get disappointed for my clients when they lose fish. If you can try to prevent this by doing some of the above, then as a guide you should do it. It is the same as maintaining tackle and equipment, so clients are using quality gear in good condition. It is all part of my job, and if this post helps me secure an extra booking or two, then everyone benefits.

I will be back soon with another session, once the weather looks more favourable!

Thanks for reading my blog – your support, as always, is appreciated.

Jake Langley-Hobbs