Yesterday was the second day of the New Year but offered me the first chance to spend a few hours on the Río Guadalhorce and, fly rod in hand, I was keen to see if I could open my account for the New Year. The river has been fishing very well recently and I was hopeful that the fish might put in an appearance.

There is lot to be said for spending a few hours at this river, or at any river. Just think of all that water and all that air! And think of all the birds and stones and trees and maybe of a few fish, borrowed for a little moment, just so we can be reminded of how pretty they are.

Why would you want to be anywhere else?

On the stretch I like to fish a grassy island splits the river into a couple of branches each carrying about the same volume of water, but one passing through relatively open country while the other seeks out trees and shade. In this sheltered branch and the fish seek out the sanctuary of branches and roots. But barbel like current, and where the surface is broken up in fast water there will be fish too, even if the stretch of water itself is pretty open provided the river depth is adequate. This is certainly true of other more “exposed” branch but if you want to extract a fish or two form this one you would be well advised to keep as far from the water as you can.

I approach the island from upstream and walk down the middle. You have a chance of taking fish in either branch when water levels are suitable but the hazards of the “shaded” branch encourage me to leave the fish there undisturbed. But yesterday I fished it and it was here I took my first barbel of the year. It took my nymph a little way upstream of the trees and I had to hold it pretty hard to prevent it working downstream and getting in and among the trailing branches and other snags.

The best of the fishing is just downstream of the island where the two branches rejoin. There is fast water here, rarely above knee deep, and the fish hold hard onto the bottom. If you look carefully you can make them out but it will not be a “fish” that you see. It is more likely to be a discoloration of the substrate or the edge of a fin or, sometimes, a flash of a golden belly. Sometimes you see a fin cut through the surface perhaps the dorsal fin or, more likely, the top of the tail and creating a rip in the fabric of the water.

It is well worth stopping here. At first glance the river seems empty but there is likely to be a greater concentration of feeding fish here than anywhere else in the river and, if you go about your business carefully, and are patient, you have every chance of taking a fish or two.

The first of the year! further downstream I managed to catch a carp and another 8 gypsy barbel.

The first of the year! Further downstream I managed to catch a carp and another 8 gypsy barbel.

This is the "branch" of the river where the first fish was taken. Further downstream there are a lot of snags.

This is the “branch” of the river where the first fish was taken. Further downstream there are a lot of snags.

In the foreground you can see the pale bellies of several fish. Close to the far bank a number of fish at the surface were regularly rising to tiny insects in the film.

The shallow run empties into this relatively deep pool and large numbers of fish congregate here. In the foreground you can see the pale bellies and conspicuous anal fins of several fish. In the middle of the picture a fish is turning and “flashing” its belly. Close to the far bank a number of fish at the surface were regularly rising to tiny insects in the film.

Back at Café Europa the African Grey was in sparkling form. I learned from the lady there that he is called Gregorio.

On the way home I stopped for a coffee and a tapa of boquerones en vinagre. The resident African Grey was in sparkling form and he and I discussed fishing and other subjects. I learned from the lady there that he is called Gregorio.