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River Segre Spain

River Segre Spain is Probably one of the most famous parts of Spain, and maybe even Europe for large Wels catfish.
I used to read much material about the Wels being caught from the Ebro/Ebre system, but many of the fish I see photographed I’ve since discovered were not really from the river Ebro itself. Especially the big ones.
When I say big ones. I’m talking when I first set out to catch such an ugly strange creature in October 98, a big one to the hardcore cat anglers was one of over 100Lbs plus in them days.
On my third trip I was lucky enough to catch a 120Lb maybe albino in catfish terms, two at 136Lb, and a 153Lb, plus also some back up fish. My mate Dinger returned a year later to the same swim, and took over ten one hundred pound fish, including three over 160 plus, and many back up fish.

My 120 lbs albino cat



As I said, I read a lot of material on such beasts. Heard about anglers fishing around the Flix reservoir area or Ribarroja. Which is fed by five rivers.
At this time I had only heard rumours about Mequinenza, and cats sometimes going up to 150Lb.
In those days a 150Lb was a much rarer fish. Nowadays I know there’s quite a lot being caught each year over the 150 mark now. The hardcore big fish anglers now talk of 180Lb plus, to over 200Lb being the fish their targeting to catch.
Those fish have grown so fast in some parts of the system they live in, they have wiped out the shoals of carp they once fed on, and have moved on to the zander, also taking the occasional duck, and anything they can find dead they thinks edible. Like a baby wild boar. Some of the Wels have had to move to new areas to hunt for new prey. Eventually their probably start eating their own species. Then I reckon they are already anyway.

Me with a 124 lbs cat



I was luckily enough to get in contact with Griff, who at the time was the boss of Network Tours. Herman the German to you’s. What amazed me about Griff, or John to me, was he would pick everyone up in England. Starting from up North, and drive us all the way to the Segre.
When he got there, he was only interested in us catching. He rarely had time to fish for the cats himself.
I went on five Spanish trips. Four I fished, the last one was a massive social for me. I left it up to the newcomers to the crazy tribe we was forming to catch a big fish.
It wasn’t dead serious fishing like some of the outfits out there, but we usually caught more than them in just five or six days fishing.
I never ever fished a two week trip. I felt we did well enough in the short trips, but I see a lot of big cats pulled up onto the bank, and hand landed many big cats for others myself, and made many new mad mates from all around the country.
Some of the trips were just big piss ups, and having a laugh.
Sometimes taking the piss out of the over serious German camps catch rate.
I remember one trip a German told us the Segre was fishing really hard at the time. We’d already had about twenty cats on the bank, nearly five of them over the hundred mark in just a few days. If your fishing in the wrong spot you will blank.

Me with a 136 lbs cat



Though the Germans were either scared of the dark, or kept to the night fishing rule.
If you are going all that way, and want to be successful. You have to be willing to break such a rule, because the cats feed mainly at night.
Though nowadays quite a few seem to becoming out in daylight hours. I don’t know if this is down to the more anglers in Spain now fishing for the Wels. Or if anglers changing baits.
Like the big fish meal type pellets they hair rig straight, or the necklace hairs some are attaching to their hooks. The hair method usually contains about five or six pellets. Where the necklace hair some anglers are threading about eight to ten on in one go.
Though the size of a Wels mouth is enormous. I think it’s good to see anglers finding a bait that isn’t live to catch the cats.
I did get once smashed up while using a lure in the afternoon when the sun was beating down on my head hard.
All I returned was the metal lip of the lure. The body of it, had been ripped off.
I have had most of my Wels captures on small live eels, but I hate using live baits, but at the time they were the most successful bait on the Segre.
Though my mates Griff, and Dinger did like to wind me up, by using small live carp occasionally.
Though if you ever go fishing in Kazakhstan, to one of the more unknown areas. Your guides will expect you to eat carp straight from the river. Either barbequed or boiled.
It’s one of their main food sources. If they find a dead carp floating, and it smells ok, it will make it into the pot.

Me again with a 153 & 136 lbs brace of cats



Back to the Segre Spain though I know Griff and Dinger would probably not be up for the pellet method so much.
I hope though the Wels don’t just grow fat, and lose their hard fighting spirit.
I have been told by many Wels anglers, The river Wels usually fights much better than the Wels catfish in a lake.
Maybe this is because they like to jump into the current, and run with it, giving them much more power.
It will be interesting to see if the cats keep growing long, and not become much slower, and fatter.
I believe you should never fish for them though, while spawning or just after spawning.
I’ve see anglers catch such fish, and they reel in like wet sacks. But control on such waters isn’t really that strong.
The police are more interested catching you for night fishing, and I was told more than once that all cat captures are supposed to be killed, Though I reckon if there was some kind of culling used on such waters. I think the biggest fish would get even bigger, but I think their big enough anyway without changing nature in Spain once again.

Derek "The don" richie with a 150 lbs cat



I believe the Wels wasn’t originally native to Spain until I believe sometime in the sixties.
Some I think now regret it, especially those who fish for other species. Like barbel, and bass.
That’s why I hope no one ever puts them into rivers like the Trent. Eventually I believe they would cause a wipe out of all other species nearly in such waters.

Dinger with 162 lbs cat



We caught most of our fish in an area known by many as the Orchards, High Bank or Slope, Bird Island, and the Pumphouse.
Many angers are now going much further a field.
I’ve seen cats to 220 plus in Kazakhstan photos, and 260 plus in photos from Italy, and Czech Republic.
Though Bulgarians, Yugoslavians, and Russians I have met have all spoke of 200 plus Wels.
The Danube always gets a mention. Before the Yugoslavian war a lake we used to hear a lot about was Vransko.
Some used to speak of Wels to 300Lbs. I have never seen any photos to back this up, but it is possible it could contain such monsters at the time.
Though Tony Davies-Patrick once spoke of a Wels catfish of 13ft 6inches long of 403Lbs caught from near a village area known as Kopacevo.
He also speaks of seeing photos of catfish from the river Dunav of shorter Wels in length, but that went up to 546Lb.

griff A.K.A Herman the bad ass german



Apparently the largest official recording of a Wels catfish was 793Lb from Russia.
Though Tony claims to of met a Greek angler who lives in Alexandroupolis claims to of witnessed a netted catfish of 959Lb caught in the nets on the Maritsa river.
It sounds a little far fetched, but when you read deeper I’m now not so sure. It could be possible, but many net anglers, hand line anglers might have prevented most Wels around the world growing to their full potential weights.

a italian guide with a 220 lbs cat



One of the most popular places for 200Lb plus cats these days seems around the River Po regions Italy.
Last year I see a few 200Lb plus Wels on the internet. One guide who caught one, but his scales only went up to 220Lbs I believe. So he don’t know the true weight. Then did he really care. I doubt it.

Tight Braids S.Kibble

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