Fishing on the River Ebro
Cat and carp fishing are the main interests on the River Ebro and here, in the Lower Ebro, the fishing is perfect for the serious angler.
The best catfishing experience is to be had on a guided boat trip which can work out to be great value if there are a few of you. The price of around €200 a day for up to 3 anglers (less than €70/£60 per person) is for 8 hours on the river with all the bait you will need and specialised cat fishing tackle (rods, reels, lines and hooks).
There are a few choices for local guides. Rob, our regular contact, has lived in Benifallet for 6 years and possesses a wealth of information on the fishing in this area. The timing of his boat trips will largely depend on fishing conditions at the time, so could often be from 2pm until 10pm. Catches of feisty 100lb+ catfish are regularly achieved resulting in exhaustion and exhilaration as can be seen by this photo of Bert after a 30 minute battle with his Wels Catfish which weighed in at 155lbs at 10.30pm on 9 September 2010.
For the casual angler, wherever you chose to stay, you are never more than a few minutes from the river where you are able to bank fish at any time. If you are staying at the Riverside Lodge (coming soon) you will have the benefit of some of the best private swims along this stretch of the Ebro. If you are staying elsewhere, you may be able to fish at these swims for €10 per person per day provided no one else is staying there.
It is recommended that you bring your own fishing tackle as, if you are not taking guided fishing, there are no rental facilities in Benifallet. The closest rental is the nearby village of Ginestar, 15 kms away, and you would need to make arrangements beforehand by emailing John at john@ebroboathire.com. He also rents boats and his current rates are:
Rod hire - €10 a day or €50 a week
Boat hire - €50 a day or €300 a week
Before you arrive, we suggest that you email us with all your details so that we can obtain your fishing licenses thereby wasting no time once you get to the Ebro River.
The 2011 license fees are:
1 year - €18
2 years – €29
3 years – €41
4 years – €48
The latest news story tells of a 35 year old guy from Sheffield who landed the biggest albino catfish every caught by an angler - 8ft long and 194lbs. Another of the big Ebro River news stories was when 11 year old Jessica Wanstall caught a huge 193lb catfish, more than twice her own size!
The current European record of 226lb (102kg), 8ft (2.4metres) is held by Carl Smith from Owestry who actually caught it on his first trip to the Ebro!
Daily Mail 23 November 2006
The Wels Catfish isn’t a native of the area. It was actually introduced in the 1970’s for sports fishing and has no natural predators, with the result that the Ebro is now considered by most anglers to be the best catfishing area in the whole of Europe. With their long lifespan and a huge carp population to feed on, they are growing to massive sizes (at a rate of 10lbs a year), making fishermen very happy but the Catalan authorities, not so much!
So be prepared for the messy and mighty task of landing one of the 7ft monsters …… remember, catching one may not be the biggest problem, you then have to be able to land it!
If you’re not interested in the hard work involved in fishing for “cats”, relax and enjoy a day by the river or on the river ……….you will be amazed at the quantity of other fish waiting for you.
