Ronny De Groote/Destinations/Mequinenza

Mequinenza It must be about twenty five times that I have been catfish angling on the Ebro river. The wide area of the little village Mequinenza, in Northern Spain, is without any doubt the place to be for every angler that has set his mind on Siluris Glanis. Every day catfish of 120lb+ get caught from this river system. The local record catfish weights more then 225lb. Catfish anglers from all over the world are travelling to this destination to target Europe’s biggest freshwater fish.
	Without knowing what to expect I made my first trip to this catfish country in September 1997. The Siluris Glanis was in those days still a mysterious creature and I had to learn the lot. Luckily I encountered some real catfish pro’s like Olivier Portrat, Peter Ölschläger, Jurgen Stegher, Gary Allen etc during this trip and they led me on the way to success. All these guys already had an impressive list of very big catfish under their belt and they were prepared to show a ‘ novice’ how to catch the fish of his dreams. Now, a decade later, I have my first catfish dvd on the market and this will open a exciting world for a new generation of catfish anglers.
It was not only the size of Europe ‘biggest’, but also its brute force that fascinated me straightaway. Broken rods, bent hooks, snapped hook links, disillusioned anglers, excitement, mystery, wonderful and fascinating stories are all connected with these giant predators. Some of these stories are pure fiction, others are the results of inexperience, but all of them have one thing in common…the mysterious wells catfish or Siluris Glanis.
It is true that fishing for Wels catfish has changed a lot during the last decade. I still remember my pioneering trips with the spinning rod, fishing for the first time with the float set-up, our first stalking sessions etc. Nowadays the pellet approach is ‘mostly’ the key to success.
	If you want to experiment the thrill of playing a hard fighting Siluris on rod and line and if you want to catch it on more than just the pellet approach alone then it is the Bavarian Guiding service the organisation you have to look for. During all my Spanish catfish trips the BGS has provided me with their help, boats, apartments, licenses etc. I can fully recommend them, because I know that you will receive a professional service.
Beside the enormous fish population, the valley is also very rich in wild life. Foxes, vultures, wild boars, snakes, buzzards etc … just name it and you will see them every now and then.
	Don’t waist any more time, Go out there and catch yourself a Ebro monster!
Useful links: www.bavarian-guiding-service.de www.cerespain.com/mequinenza