A Catfish itch - Ten years ago......

[Fentiger01]

Just looking back and in a bit of a hurry before heading off overseas for a bit of work, I decided back in May 2002 that I wanted to catch my very first Catfish. Fishing two 48hrs sessions a week apart, I remember the weather was pretty crap with cold hard rain for most of the time, however as things cleared up towards the end of the first session, I lost a fish (first ever tangle with a Catfish) that left me absolutely stunned as to its power - I'd never experienced anything like it and was rendered speechless (those who know me will find that one strange for sure ). After this, I simply had to catch one and as luck would have it, a 22lb 10oz fish came a few hours before I left at the end of the second 48hr trip.

One of my very favourite captures, it was a really great fish and one I was over the moon to catch. The power of these fish in this shallow East Anglian lake was unbelievable and I had to have more.

The following spring I went over to the Lower Ebro delta to experience what some of the biggies could do.........

88lb

no beer belly!

83lb

Back then in the area that I was fishing, the guide reckoned that 130lb fish were toppers for the area. I had a stack up to 109lbs that week in 2003 but lost one the guide thought was a lot bigger after a long drawn out scrap. I went back for a week in 2005 and the day that Liverpool pulled the most unbelievable Champions League Final come back of all time, I had the biggest of the trip, a 138lber (which to this day, still fills me with awe - what a creature).

Great days, I know that now 80lbers don't tend to make much news but I found a few old pics on my PC and thought I'd put these up - as I recall, they fought like stink and like all big Cats they certainly have you straining to get them in....

I must go back some time. (very fond memories).

[kristian]

Nice memories and a top post... I really need to get myself one those!

[JV 44]

Fentiger is that Amposta/Tortosa perchance??

[catfish]

Fentiger is that Amposta/Tortosa perchance??[/quote]

One of my favourite places for boat fishing.

[catfish]

Fentiger is that Amposta/Tortosa perchance??[/quote]

One of my favourite places for boat fishing.

[JV 44]

Fentiger is that Amposta/Tortosa perchance??

One of my favourite places for boat fishing. [/quote]

The Chicken factory sluice outlet takes some sticking on a hot day when it`s flowing eh?? Years since i have been but love that part of the river...weir pool at Xerta ....drifting around Amposta...bloody great float...nothing is gonna pull that under...is that a bite?? No you will now when its a bite...Ok is that a bite...no it`s just the mullet bobbing the float....Holy s**t think i have hooked a speedboat...yep that is a bite give it some stick ...i am i realy am god my back hurts.....have to go back sometime

[Fentiger01]

yep that is a bite give it some stick ...i am i realy am god my back hurts.....have to go back sometime

Now that is the truth!

[Stevo]

Would make a good article for the pool bud.........

Steve

[JV 44]

Fentiger the Guide was it a guy called Dereck ??lived on the campsite above the bar??

The Ebro record catfish at the time



For the smallest the guide was an ex Hells Angel who didn't take no s**t off the Belgium Guides operating from the slip at amposta who at the time were tryting to intimidate the English guides out of it....He had a great big mastiff dog for gaurding his house the locals used to call it Ell Carnivore:shock: ...a real Charechter he was ,Fishing chicken legs uptide style in the deepwater channel below Xerta weir accounted for this beast8) .

With the exchange rate looking good i may have to see about another trip Steve

[davmut]

Nice postand nice fish matey, i have had several trips on the lower river, tortosa, amposta and delta d'ebre. cracking places all of them. my favourite stretch though is up at riba-roja, just drifting down the stretch clonking away - you can't beat it.

[catfish]

Those blokes who bank fish Meq. & Caspe dont know what their missing. Watching a mullet or eel under a big float drifting/bobbing around.

MAGIC..

[dropped_run]

i'd go back in a heartbeat, and i only bank fished at caspe

[JV 44]

Those blokes who bank fish Meq. & Caspe dont know what their missing. Watching a mullet or eel under a big float drifting/bobbing around.

MAGIC..

Sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[davmut]

i do a lot of bank fishing on the Ebro as well. Catch rates are much higher whilst pellet fishing but it does not have the same magic as clonking a livey.

[Fentiger01]

Somewhere on an old laptop I have the most fantastic close up picture of an 88lb Cat mouth wide open at the surface of the beautifully torquoise river in the sunshine, with an Eel wriggling around the corner of its chops. I'm going to search it out and offer it to the calendar if I can find it, it was a smashing pic.

The Eel was released to swim off strongly too!

[Dave Horton]

Nicely done Dave!

(Would have slotted in nicely in the Pool face)

[Fentiger01]

I'll maybe have a look at putting a few pages together Dave. As I recall we very nearly cobbled together a trip over to the Ebro, a couple of years ago.

Unfinished business perhaps???

[pete webster]

Those blokes who bank fish Meq. & Caspe dont know what their missing. Watching a mullet or eel under a big float drifting/bobbing around.

MAGIC..

Sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Just like a pike angler cant keep there own p**s

[pete webster]

Look at the head on this one from last week

[Spike]

Love the Riba stretch...had these two in a weekend there a few years ago...one on a big carp chunk and one on a big carp livo...loads a fun off the boat.....

[pete webster]

Jesus Spike they are belters,latching on to one of those is still an ambition of mine.

[Spike]

Indeed fella.....just need an Albino for the set now!

[Tony Pieater]

I'd give my left b*****k for a yellow un, maybe next week, ( were is the praying smillie )
Awesome Spike

[Tony Pieater]

Look at the head on this one from last week

I know that foot

[davmut]

I'd give my left b*****k for a yellow un, maybe next week, ( were is the praying smillie )
Awesome Spike

best of luck for next week Tony. I'm out the week after so save some fish for me.

[davmut]

Am off tomorrow for a week at caspe, if we get any like some of the stunners on here i will be well happy.

[Tony Pieater]

All the best Dave, hope you have a good week mate

[dannytaylor]

some beasts there! cheers for sharing

[davmut]

All the best Dave, hope you have a good week mate

Cheers Tone, hopefully we will smash it.

[davmut]

Not too bad a week really. 70 fish between the 4 of us, the best being 172lb. We also had another 5 100lb+ fish.