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# Fishing Spain

## Posts

- [My List for Summer: Five Lakes, Three Old Friends, and One Fish I’ve Never Landed](https://www.fishingspain.net/my-list-for-summer-five-lakes-three-old-friends-and-one-fish-ive-never-landed/) - Every year I tell myself I’ll do less driving. Every year I tell myself I’ll fish closer to home. Every year, usually sometime around May, I start looking at maps, checking water levels, messaging old fishing mates, and convincing myself that driving three hours before sunrise is somehow a sensible hobby. This summer appears to
- [Carp Fishing at Embalse de Orellana (Extremadura Reservoir Session)](https://www.fishingspain.net/a-morning-at-embalse-de-orellana-and-the-carp-that-wouldnt-give-up/) - I spent a morning carp fishing at Embalse de Orellana in Extremadura, one of the best-known big fish reservoirs in Spain.It started quietly, just before sunrise, with the water flat and no sign yet of the run that would wake everything up. I’ve fished Orellana more times than I can count since moving here from
- [What I’m Looking Forward to This Spring (Fishing in Spain)](https://www.fishingspain.net/what-im-looking-forward-to-this-spring-fishing-in-spain/) - Spring always feels like a turning point when you fish the reservoirs here in Spain. Winter never really gets as cold as it did back home in Cornwall, but there’s still a quieter period when the banks feel empty and the water seems almost lifeless. Then, usually sometime around late February or March, things begin
- [Spring Sea Bass and Dorada on the Spanish Coast: The Months When Everything Pretends to Be Easy](https://www.fishingspain.net/spring-sea-bass-and-dorada-on-the-spanish-coast-the-months-when-everything-pretends-to-be-easy/) - I always forget how optimistic the sea makes you in March. You stand there in a fleece that isn’t quite warm enough, watching a perfectly calm bit of Mediterranean that looks like it was laid out by an estate agent, and you think: this is it. This is the session where everything works. No tangles.
- [From Reservoirs to the Mediterranean](https://www.fishingspain.net/from-reservoirs-to-the-mediterranean/) - A Beginner’s Guide to Sea Fishing in Spain I’ll be honest. For years, I looked at the sea like it was a different sport altogether. Too big, too salty, too many unknowns. Give me a reservoir, a chair, a flask, and a set of alarms and I know where I stand. The sea, on the
- [The One That Took the Float (and Half My Patience)](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-one-that-took-the-float-and-half-my-patience/) - I was at the lake by seven. Too early for anyone sane, but the light looked good and the air had that cool stillness before the insects wake up. Coffee from the flask, bread already drying at the edges. The float sat clean in the water, just a faint ripple. Nothing for the first hour.
- [Orellana, Tuesday](https://www.fishingspain.net/orellana-tuesday/) - Lake looked fine at seven. Flat as a plate. I set two rods off the shallow spit opposite the pines. Method on one, simple inline on the other. 12ft 3.25s, 0.35 mono, fluoro links because this water is usually too clean for my liking. Washed-out yellow wafters, cage stuffed tight with crushed maize and pellet.
- [The Bar with the Fishing Photos Nobody Talks About](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-bar-with-the-fishing-photos-nobody-talks-about/) - I was just looking for a sandwich. That’s all it was. Took the wrong turn off the CV-something-or-other near a lake I hadn’t fished in years. The sign was bent, maybe hit by a tractor or just neglected. One of those villages where the shutters are always halfway down, even when it’s not siesta. There
- [Trevor’s Visit and the Fishing Rod That Snapped Like a Breadstick](https://www.fishingspain.net/trevors-visit-and-the-fishing-rod-that-snapped-like-a-breadstick/) - Trevor turned up wearing a sunhat big enough to shade a caravan and holding a rod tube that looked like it had been nicked from a skip. Hadn’t seen him in years. He used to come out every now and then with the lads, but life happened — dodgy hip, some drama with his daughter,
- [The Truth About Bait Alarms (and Why Half of Them Are Lying to You)](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-truth-about-bait-alarms-and-why-half-of-them-are-lying-to-you/) - Let me say this first: if your bait alarm costs less than your last takeaway, you're fishing with a lie. You can’t trust a shrill little beep from a knock-off unit you bought off a bloke called Kiko behind a petrol station. I learned that the hard way. Middle of the night, two summers ago,
- [The One with the Bee, the Panic, and the Health Insurance Epiphany](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-one-with-the-bee-the-panic-and-the-health-insurance-epiphany/) - I don’t like to admit this, but I screamed. Not a little yelp. Not a manly grunt. A proper full-throated squeal. Like a goat falling off a cliff. It was a bee. Not just any bee—a mutant, sunburnt, Spanish demon bee with wings like bin lids and the attitude of a nightclub bouncer. It dive-bombed
- [The Night We Slept in the Peugeot (and Maybe Saw a Pike Ghost)](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-night-we-slept-in-the-peugeot-and-maybe-saw-a-pike-ghost/) - You ever gone fishing for a quick afternoon and ended up sleeping in your car because your mate left the radio on for six hours? We didn’t mean to. Honest. It was supposed to be a short one—pop down to Embalse de Mequinenza, chuck a few lures, maybe spot a zander if the water was
- [Sweat, Carp, and a Dodgy Extension Lead](https://www.fishingspain.net/sweat-carp-and-a-dodgy-extension-lead/) - I’ve made some dreadful decisions in the heat. Once welded a hull in Seville in August wearing jeans. Another time I tried to sleep inside a zipped bivvy with three mozzies and a gas stove. But that Saturday on Buendía—me, Glenn, and Rafa—takes the flan. The sun was mean. Not cheeky, not “ooh grab a
- [Lake Orellana – The Best Predator Fishing in Spain?](https://www.fishingspain.net/lake-orellana-the-best-predator-fishing-in-spain/) - I still dream about it sometimes. Not the fish, though that catfish bent my rod like it owed him money. No—I dream about the silence. That heavy, Spanish kind of silence that wraps around you like an old jumper soaked in olive oil and sun. Orellana. Embalse de Orellana, to give it the full church
- [A Brief History of Lake Fishing in Spain (and How I Got Hooked on It with Four Lads and a Leaky Tent)](https://www.fishingspain.net/a-brief-history-of-lake-fishing-in-spain-and-how-i-got-hooked-on-it-with-four-lads-and-a-leaky-tent/) - It started with a pub bet and ended with a sunstroke-induced hallucination involving a talking carp. Summer of ’96. Maybe ’97. Back in Sunderland, we’d just had the wettest June since records began, and we were sick of dragging our gear through ankle-deep mud for a shot at a single sad tench. Then someone—I think
- [Dave vs Español: The Day I Nearly Enrolled in Flamenco by Mistake](https://www.fishingspain.net/dave-vs-espanol-the-day-i-nearly-enrolled-in-flamenco-by-mistake/) - I thought I was doing alright, y’know. I'd nailed "una cerveza" years ago, long before I even moved out here. Throw in a few confident nods, a thumbs-up, the odd gracias… job done. Fluent-ish. That illusion collapsed on a humid Tuesday morning in June, when I accidentally told my Spanish neighbour I’d like to adopt
- [The one that got away (and the best excuses i’ve ever heard)](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-one-that-got-away-and-the-best-excuses-ive-ever-heard/) - It’s always the big one that gets away. Never the daft little roach or the suicidal perch that hooks itself before you’ve even settled into your chair. No. It’s the one you felt. Proper weight. Head shakes like a washing machine on full spin. The one that pulls line and your soul out in the
- [When the water vanishes...](https://www.fishingspain.net/when-the-water-vanishes/) - I once drove five hours for a fish and ended up staring at mud. Just mud. No lake. No shimmer. No waterline. No frogs croaking in the reeds. Just a bleached-out landscape and one dog chewing something it definitely shouldn’t have found in the heat. Thing is, I’d been there before. Same spot. Zahara-El Gastor.
- [Retiring to a Spanish Finca and Living the Dream](https://www.fishingspain.net/retiring-to-a-spanish-finca-and-living-the-dream/) - When I packed up everything in Cornwall and legged it to Spain at 60, most people figured I'd lost the bloody plot. "You’ll be back," they said. "Miss the pubs, miss the rain, miss proper bacon." I mean, yeah, maybe. Even I wasn’t entirely sure I wasn’t making a complete hash of it. Barely spoke
- [Catfish Fishing in Spain: Where's The Best Place?](https://www.fishingspain.net/catfish-fishing-in-spain-wheres-the-best-place/) - Catfishing in Spain? It’s next level. Forget the small rivers and ponds where you might pull in a decent fish if you’re lucky. This is where giants live. Wels catfish that break gear, pull you into the water if you’re not paying attention, and fight harder than anything you’ve ever hooked. If you’re looking for
- [Zander Fishing in Spain: Mastering This Elusive Predator ](https://www.fishingspain.net/zander-fishing-in-spain-mastering-this-elusive-predator/) - Zander fishing in Spain? It’ll break you before it rewards you. These fish aren’t just another predator—they’re calculators. They don’t smash lures like bass or fight dirty like catfish. They wait, watch, then strike when it’s perfect for them—never for you. I’ve lost count of the number of sessions where I’ve marked fish on the
- [Top Tips for Pike Fishing in Spain](https://www.fishingspain.net/top-tips-for-pike-fishing-in-spain/) - Spain is a beast when it comes to pike fishing. Forget your small weedy ponds back home—this is big water, deep lakes, endless structure, and some seriously big fish. I’ve spent years figuring these waters out, learning the patterns, switching up my approach when the usual tactics don’t work. Pike here aren’t like the ones
- [Black Bass Fishing in Spain: Tips from Aficionados ](https://www.fishingspain.net/black-bass-fishing-in-spain-tips-from-aficionados/) - Black bass fishing in Spain? It’s different. Big, aggressive fish, huge reservoirs, clear water that makes you work for every bite. If you think you can just show up, chuck a lure, and start landing trophies, think again. These fish have seen it all—you need the right approach, the right tactics, and a lot of
- [Carp Fishing in Spain: Best Lakes and Tactics](https://www.fishingspain.net/carp-fishing-in-spain-best-lakes-and-tactics/) - Carp fishing in Spain isn’t for the impatient. You can’t just chuck a bait out and hope for the best. These fish are old, smart, and have seen it all. If you want to catch the big ones—the real Spanish monsters—you need a plan, the right gear, and a lot of time. I’ve spent years
- [The Essential Gear for Lake Fishing in Spain](https://www.fishingspain.net/the-essential-gear-for-lake-fishing-in-spain/) - Fishing in Spain isn’t like throwing a line into some quiet little pond back home. You need the right gear. Doesn’t matter if you’re after bass, zander, carp, or catfish—if you don’t have the setup to match the fish, you’re wasting your time. I’ve learned this the hard way. Tried using my old setups when
- [Best Fishing Seasons in Spain: When to Plan Your Trip](https://www.fishingspain.net/best-fishing-seasons-in-spain-when-to-plan-your-trip/) - Fishing is all about timing. Right place, right time, and suddenly that one fish you’ve been chasing is finally on the line. Get it wrong? You’re just standing there, wondering why nothing’s biting. Spain’s got a ridiculous variety of fishing opportunities year-round, but not all seasons are equal. Some months, the fish are practically jumping
- [Fishing Licenses & Regulations in Spain: What You Need to Know ](https://www.fishingspain.net/fishing-licenses-regulations-in-spain-what-you-need-to-know/) - How to Get a Fishing License in Spain If you’re gonna fish in Spain, you need a license. No way around it. Doesn’t matter if you’re here for a week or moving in for good—you can’t just show up, cast a line, and hope for the best. Spain’s got rules, and if you ignore them,
- [Top 10 Fishing Lakes in Spain for Anglers ](https://www.fishingspain.net/top-10-fishing-lakes-in-spain-for-anglers/) - Spain’s got lakes. A lot of them. Some famous, some hidden, some that’ll make you wonder why no one talks about them more. I’ve fished a lot of them, made some bad choices, found some absolute goldmines. If you’re coming here looking to fish, you don’t want the fluff. You want the places that actually
- [A Beginner’s Guide to Lake Fishing in Spain](https://www.fishingspain.net/a-beginners-guide-to-lake-fishing-in-spain/) - Fishing has been my thing for as long as I can remember. Some people pick up hobbies as they go—me? I never needed to. This was always it. I’ve spent years on lakes and rivers, figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and what you only learn from hours of sitting by the water, watching, waiting,

## Pages

- [About](https://www.fishingspain.net/about/) - Welcome to FishingSpain.net—my little corner of the internet where I get to talk about what I love most: fishing. And, let’s be honest, probably ramble a bit about life too. I’m Dave. 65. Retired welder. Originally from Cornwall, but these days? Living the dream in Spain. Fishing has been a part of me for as
- [Contact](https://www.fishingspain.net/contact/) - Hi there. If you're looking for local advice on the best spots to fish in Spain, licenses and regulations, or just want to share your own stories, contact me and I'll do my best to help. Tight lines & happy fishing! dave@fishingspain.net

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