What's the fishing all about and how do I do it............

The river Ebro also known as Iberus : Length 565 miles : Width 200 to 400 Yards : The Ebro is the longest and only major river in the country that flows into the Mediterranean sea. The Ebro Delta area is where I focus most of my catfishing. I launch my boat from either Tortosa, Amposta or Deltebre, the fishing pressure here is not as intense as further up river at Riba Roja or Mequinensa. The latter is where the catfish were first originally introduced back in the 1970s. They can now be found all the way down to the Mediterranean sea and even in the vast network of drains and lakes where you can also experience some brilliant fishing. Here on the Delta Ebre Natural Park, you'll also find over 250 different species of birds that visit this vast wild life area including flamingos, a bird watchers paradise.

The fishing this river is probably one of Europe's best coarse fisheries, with over 22 different species, I've actually caught the following species Wild Carp, Mirror Carp, Crucian Carp, Chub, Barbel, Roach, Rudd, Dace, Black Bass, Gudgeon, Pumpkinseed, Eel, Wels Catfish, channel catfish, Mullet and Zander but this river is full of surprises as I've even caught sea species Dorado (Sea Bream), Lubina (Sea Bass) and Anjova (Blue Fish) and Herrera (Travally), but for there sheer size and strength its the wels catfish that's the biggest attraction to English anglers.

The law you need a fishing licence available locally from Amposta. The cost, a mere �15 Euros (�10) per year and is valid from the day you apply unlike the UK system. To apply you must have your passport and a credit card with you they do not accept cash. I can arrange a licence for you when booking a CatHunter holiday package. If you don't have a  licence the police (Mossa d'Esquadra,  Guardia Civil, Police Local and Forestalls) can all confiscate your tackle and getting it back can take a long time and cost you in the way of a fine. All night fishing is not allowed in Catalonia (Order No: MAB/91/04/03/2003) or Spain. You can legally fish from 6.00am to 12.00pm at designated areas (where they are I'm not sure) if you're caught night fishing they will confiscate your tackle. You must also carry your passport or a photo copy at all times to prove who you are. fishing permits none are required for this stretch of river but if you go up river towards Mora, Flix, Ribaroja and even Mequinensa you need a fishing permit (day ticket) the cost �2.5 Euros per day or �18 Euros per year. There are also some fishing rules too but here at the moment anything goes. 

The catfishing is basically stepped up pike fishing and I've been winter pike fishing for over 30 yrs, I have caught hundreds and hundreds of pike the biggest was this 26lb beauty from the river Trent. Predator fishing has always been my inspiration into fishing and these big catfish must be the ultimate fresh water predators to catch, so forget the specimen Pike and Carp, once you've hooked into a huge catfish you'll be hooked too just like me.  

The feeding as with most predators they tend to eat and sleep, When catfish are feeding the fishing can be awesome landing hundreds of pounds in one session, but when they're not feeding it can be hard work. This is why I recommend a minimum of three or more days fishing to allow for this factor. The water temp is another important factor as catfish only feed above 50 deg Fahrenheit unlike other predators. In January it was about 54 deg, February 49 deg, March 55 deg, August it was as high as 89 deg, October 66 deg and December 57 deg, and this is why the Wels catfish has grown to huge weights in just 25 yrs putting on around 15/20lb per year as they have a 10 month feeding cycle and with an endless supply of mullet only found on this stretch of river, I believe they will out grow the catfish further upriver beyond the weir and dams. 

Spawning takes place around May, the male makes a nest and a female lays 100,000 sticky eggs into the nest. He then fertilises these eggs and guards the nest until they hatch in five days and continues to attend the fry until they're strong enough to fend for themselves in two weeks time. Only 10% will survive. Catfish caught during this period will have loads of spawning scratches on their flanks, some really deep.

The best months are from March to June and September to November. During July and August the fishing can become difficult as the catfish and I become lethargic as it gets very hot at midday so sunset sessions are the best times to catch avoiding the midday sun. The cooler winter months, December, January and February can also be productive. During March, April and May the river normally will be carrying a lot more water due to the snow melting on the Pyrenees mountains which is the source of this river, during this period the current can be very strong. April is known as the wettest month so come prepared with light weight water proofs, but don't be put off as some of the biggest cats have been caught during these months.  

The tour starts late morning, you will get approximately 7 hours catfishing in the boat. We will fish with up to 3 rods depending on how many anglers. The first day you will receive some training on how to fish using the live bait drifting method as this can involve a lot of rod swapping and of course how to set the hooks and get these large cats under control, because of the method used I normally suggest with 2/3 anglers that you take turns in playing the cats either by deciding who goes first or by the toss of a coin at the start of the session.

The boat an American built 5M Carolina Skiff with console which has been totally customised for catfishing, a low freeboard makes it perfect for landing big cats, drifting in windy conditions and sneaking along the margins, powered by a new Mercury 40Hp four stroke outboard with electric start, top speed of over 30mph which will take you to the hot spots quickly and reliably, Minn Kota electric trolling motor. The latest Hummingbird 787C2 echo sounder with GPS, speed and water temp, adjustable rod holders, cushioned seats, stainless steel grab rails, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, life jackets, fully insured and registered with the British authorities.

The methods float fished live baits, Carp, Mullet and Eels are the baits I use as there are plenty available. Most of my boat fishing involves drifting down the margins and any shallow weed beds in the middle of the river covering as much water as possible. This method is a very productive and also the most exciting way of catching these catfish at close range. When conditions make drifting difficult or impossible I will go to known catfish hot spots and anchor up and wait for them to come to us, some times it doesn't take long before you get a take. There are some very deep holes in this river up to 70ft deep. I have been experimenting with clonking these holes in search of the biggest catfish, the record stands now at 184lbs but I believe a 200lber is possible and not a dream, it could be yours!

The take is aggressive as you would expect from using live baits, just imagine this, you're sat in the boat absorbing the fantastic scenery as you gently drift down the river but keeping an eye on that big float when............................ suddenly it speeds up bobs a little and then bang it disappears. After a few seconds you strike and then you just hang on as all hell lets loose, I will try to get the boat away from the margin and any snags while you're hanging on trying to stop the catfish running and once into clear water you can relax a little and enjoy the rest of the fight. This is another advantage of fishing from a boat as too many big fish are lost fishing from the bank as they tend to go down the margins and into the nearest snag and cut you off.

The tackle all my tackle has been tried and tested and won't let you down. I use the latest 7�6" Fladden Maxximus 30lb class boat rods fitted with large Shimano BTR6500B fixed spool bait runner reels loaded with 106lb Powerpro dyneema braid, this may seem like heavy gear but  believe me these catfish are powerful and take some stopping, a 10oz sliding ball floats stopped with two stop knots made of 1mm power gum I use two knots as this tends to stop the knot moving up the braid because of the large weights used, a 5oz inline lead and a large 4/0 snap swivel, rubber beads fitted above and below the float and lead to protect the palomar knots.

The rigs I use 200lb Hart dyneema trace or hook link around 18-24" long, which is very subtle but has high resistance to abrasion. This prevents the teeth of the catfish wearing through the trace during the fight as the catfish teeth pads are very abrasive, I use a single hook when using Eels 6/0 hooks designed for this bait and hook them in the tail. For Carp I use two hooks a 1/0 single to go through the nose and a 5/0 treble with 2 barbs crushed mounted in either the root of the dorsal or pectoral fin with a gap of 4" between them I use a similar rig for Mullet but with a gap of 6" between the two hooks, anything else I feel is over kill I have seen similar rigs with 2 trebles and the flying treble can cause unnecessary damage to the fish and can also make landing the fish by the gloving method a very dangerous practice. The rigs above are fairly standard and are the type I started using which do work well, but over the years I have developed my current rig that presents the bait much better, less prone to snagging and lost fish.

The landing, weighing, photos and the release I use industrial type gloves to land the catfish. When its ready and at the side of the boat I will grab the trace and ask you to put the reel into bait run at which point with my other hand grab the catfish under the bottom jaw then with both hands haul it into the boat and straight into the custom made weigh sling, once out of the water these monstrous cats are unbelievably placid to handle. I will then  proceed to unhook the catfish,  which is made simple as I only use semi barbless hooks then with my 240lb Reuben Heaton scales and big T bar weigh the catfish, then take high quality digital photos and video clips which are later transferred on to CD for you to take home with you at the end of your holiday. Because catfish fight to the end, I allow larger catfish to recover before releasing the catfish fit and well to fight another day.

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