fishydreams

The weedbeds and shallows of the Embalse del Ebro are full of carp and yet you wouldn’t know it. Most have the good sense to conceal themselves, many in the thickest parts dense beds of weeds. Occasionally they reveal rubbery lips at the surface or the arched surface of their backs between the head and dorsal fin. More often than not, you will not see them at all. What really really gives them away is the kissing sounds they produce as they slurp under a giant tangled green blanket. And those kissing sounds seem to be coming from everywhere. It is like you just walked in on a Roman orgy! 

I bumped into a very good fly fisherman on the river and we got to chatting for a little while. He told me that he fished dry flies exclusively and, even though there was no discernible hatch on and no evidence of trout feeding on the surface, that an attractor pattern could bring the trout up. I asked if he would show me what fly he was using and he was kind enough to open his fly box and show row after row of very similar patterns differing mainly in size. Generally those flies were pretty small – no bigger than a size 14 but perhaps mainly 16 or smaller. They each had a post, usually white, but often with some pink or orange added to enhance visibility.