Spanish Carp on the Fly

The invitation from our friends at the Flyshop in Madrid, along with the idea of spending a few days fishing with Paolo and Javier in Spain, came at just the right time. Finally, we had the chance to fish in these beautiful places I had often heard about.

The convenience of the flights — just two hours from Italy to Madrid — combined with the easy logistics for fishing in these areas makes everything even more appealing. Add to that the famous cuisine of this part of Spain, and I believe this fishing destination can only grow in popularity.

Less than two hours from Madrid, there are these enormous artificial lakes built to meet the water and energy needs of central Spain. The wilderness of the surroundings and the beauty of these vast reservoirs are breathtaking. Our fishing focused mainly on hunting for large common and mirror carp, and it was done entirely sight fishing — walking about a dozen kilometers a day along the banks, looking for these big carp as they fed near the shore. These fish are incredibly strong and highly sensitive to noise and footsteps along the bank, so the presentation of the fly must be perfect. We always fished with floating lines and small streamers in various colors, imitating the small crustaceans found in these lakes.

It’s a challenging yet deeply rewarding type of fishing, and the size of these giant carp adds to the thrill. I witnessed fish over 15 kg dart quickly from two meters away to inspect the fly, only to suddenly refuse it or pause to examine it for a few seconds before inhaling it — then ripping 100 meters of backing in under ten seconds. Pure adrenaline.

Having a guide like Javier and his partner Eris made everything easier; without the vast experience of this friend, it would have been much more difficult. Accommodations in the area consist of beautiful renovated rural houses, and the food is fantastic and inexpensive. I highly recommend everyone to try a fly fishing experience like this, ideally with an experienced guide who knows how to navigate the maze of small dirt roads where it’s easy to get lost. Personally, I will return soon to fish for big Spanish barbel on dry flies in some of Spain’s rivers and lakes, once again with the excellent organization of the team at the Fly Fishing Center of Madrid.