Spain

by John Bailey

I’ve got a quandary for you this week, a real dilemma and I’d really like to hear from anybody who might have an opinion on this. Here we go…

There is a lake in Spain that I have grown to adore over the years. It’s a reservoir – as nearly all Spanish stillwaters are – not far from the Costa del Sol. In high water conditions it’s around five miles long, generally about half a mile wide with many engaging creeks running off the main body of water. It’s enchantingly situated within a cradle in the mountains with magnificent views at every twist and turn. Fish stocks are extensive and there is a large population of carp and Andalucian barbel – both species catchable on the fly. And there is – or there was, and that’s the crux – a stunning population of black bass.

In later 2005, this area of Spain suffered a severe water shortage only recovering in the early part of 2006 and the lake in question shrank pitifully to around about fifteen percent of its normal volume. Probably four miles of the lake disappeared and the fish were all forced down to compete for living quarters at the dam. When the rains came and the lake refilled we were all very hopeful but the fishing throughout most of 2006, was very, very, dour indeed for the bass. The carp and the barbel were still there in much the same numbers but not so the bass.

I had two long and virtually fruitless days in May 2006. Normally, at the water, we only fly fished but so poor were the results that we resorted even to trolling spinners behind the boats. The very occasional bass was caught – certainly nothing over a pound and a half where three and even four pounders had been relatively commonplace.

Now the obvious assumption to make – and one made by most who know the water well – is that in the period of low water the bass had found oxygen levels so depleted that the majority of them, certainly the big fish, had succumbed. Whilst carp and barbel are designed to live in the most abject of conditions, perhaps the black bass just could not cope. There’s a lot of sense in this conclusion and perhaps I just have to admit that it will be a time before the lake recovers and fishing for the bass will be like it once was.

BUT …last year the margins all round the lake absolutely teemed with bass fry – fish of an inch or two in length. And I mean teemed: there were millions of them. These had evidently been produced by at least a good number of mature, spawning bass. Bass that had presumably been alive in 2005.

And even on those fruitless days back in May 2006 there were occasional, big, mature bass in the three or four pound bracket to be seen. Admittedly not in anywhere near the numbers that you could watch previously but, at least, some had apparently survived. And now, in February 2007, I hear from an angler who fishes there frequently that he has seen one or two very large fish indeed.

Now, what I’m asking is this? Could it be that when the lake refilled, the returning waters swamped acre upon acre of previously dried out lake bed? When the waters had diminished perhaps these fertile areas had been colonised heavily by all manner of insects and reptiles. Could it have been that when the lake filled up again, the bass simply adapted to a new style of feeding? Perhaps they were very deep down feeding on the new, lavish larder that had grown up during the period of drought. Perhaps fishing our normal poppers or near-surface lures was just not the answer. Perhaps the bass were there as they’d always been but were feeding thirty, forty even fifty feet beneath our flies. Perhaps as 2007 progresses and these unexpected food sources begin to dry up, the bass will once again return to their former habits and be catchable in the upper water column.

I’ve got some experience of all this. Many years ago, when I was a child, I had a favourite perch lake. The dam burst and at least eighty percent of the water disappeared away down the valley. In fact, there were just large puddles left for many months while the dam was repaired and the lake filled up again. Once again, much like my Spanish water, these big perch were absolutely uncatchable. It was assumed that they had died as a result of the flood and it would be a while before the species would return. In fact, twelve months down the line, the big perch were back strong as ever. Once again, they were taking anglers’ baits and flies and they had obviously been there all along. What we decided, way back, was that in the period of low water, the bed had become the home for countless insects – certainly trillions of small frogs – and when the water rose again those perch had no need to rely on our maggots and worms.

So, could I be right? Is there any foundation to my incurable optimism? Perhaps some of our friends in America have experience of shrinking ponds and bass populations that have survived? Perhaps there’s a precedent for what has happened down in Spain? Once again, any possible answers gratefully received.