Carp fishing in Portugal

Most of the reservoirs where we take our clients hold carp to 34.5kg (76.05Lbs)! So there is agood chance of you catching a fish of a lifetime in Portugal. The mirror carp are not that unlike those caught in the UK. The common carp, on the other hand, are rather different to those found in the UK! The main difference in these commons is their length. They seem to be far more streamlined and longer than those found in the UK and other European countries (Some seem so long that they are often thought to be barbel at first glance!). In some ways they resemble giant wild carp. There are also some good size wildies to be had too. The one in the carp gallery, which was caught in October 2001, weighed 6.1kg (13.42Lbs). It was caught with a single 18mm fish-meal boilie, which had been in a dip for a few weeks, on a staight-forward bolt-rig. There had been no pre-baiting and there were no free offerings either. Andy Little was over here during October 2006, to read what his what he wrote in one of two articles for the Angler''s Mail go here

Fishing for Carp

Any good carp rod with a 2.5Lb test curve, fitted with a good strong and reliable reel, will do. But, due to the size of most of these waters in Portugal, rods and reels that will enable you to cast big distances (although not always necessary) might be a good idea. As for what type of line to use, any decent mono will do. Mind you, braid really works well here in Portugal!

When it comes to what type of rigs to use in Portugal, you do not need to worry. Because most of these Portuguese carp have never been caught, you do not have to worry about fancy rigs/hook links in Portugal.Straight forward braid or mono hook links are just the job. A basic bolt-rig with a bottom or poped-up bait will get the results. When it comes to what hooks to use, well, just remember that these carp are a lot tougher than their British cousins, so good strong carp hooks are a must. Something like Fox''s "Series 2XS" in the following sizes will do: #4, #6 and #8. It would be a good idea if you were to use barbless hooks due to the fact that these fish have very tough mouths and lips! One thing that you will not have to worry about is too much weed in the waters. The only weed that we seem to come across is nice and small, just covering some of the lake''s bed.

Baits!

Now this is easy. As mentioned above, most of these carp have never seen a hook, let alone a bait! Sweet corn, luncheon meat, pellets and even paste all work well. But, by far, the boilie is the best! What''s more, the Portuguese carp take to them straight away without having to do loads of pre-baiting. All types of boilies work, but for the best results, fish-meals are a better choice, they are rather partial to them. We have found that Nutrabaits "Big Fish Mix" range do really well! By the way, the "Method" does extremely well over in Portugal!

There are two things that might be worth taking into consideration. Although we do not have to contend with "Poison Chat" here in Portugal, we do have two terrors to deal with. Red-Signal Crayfish and Terrapins! Once these find your hook-bait they will destroy it. Sometimes, if you are using smallish baits, you might even end up with a terrapin actually on your hook! So if you are going to use boilies, we recommend that you use sizes from 18mm up and really hard ones. Air-dried boilies would be a safe bet.

If you are now wondering as to what tackle to bring over, don't worry too much. The same as you would use in the UK will do for carping over here in Portugal.

Night Fishing

At long last, some fantastic news. As of the 1st of January, 2018, the laws surrounding night fishing have been lifted, but not on all waters. Please go to our FAQ pages to find out more. 

Yes, there are Wels Catfish (145 Lbs and above) here in Portugal too!

For many years we have been telling people that they are here, but because of the lack of photographic evidence, many called us liars etc and so we decided to keep quiet about it until we could prove it. Lets just say we've proved it. If it is Wels that you are after please get in contact with us for more details.

We will say this, as fishing for them is very new over here, you could look at it as pioneering. We really can not say for sure what there is out there, but by what has been found out so far, there could well be some very big surprises install.

Barbel fishing in Portugal.

The barbel in Portugal are not like those found in the U.K.. There are at least 5 species which are found in Portugal. They are the Iberian Barbel (Barbus bocagei), Southern Barbel (Barbus sclateri), Small-Headed Barbel (Barbus microcephalus), Steindachner Barbel (Barbus steinbachneri) and the Snouted Iberian Barbel (Barbus comizo) otherwise known as the Comizo Barbel. Some of these fish can grow to weights which would smash any barbel records in the U.K.. The fish in the photo on the bottom weighed 12kg (26.4Lbs!). Catches of fish around the 12kg mark (26.4Lbs) and above are often reported and back in 1996 a fish weighing 18.7kg (41.14Lbs) was caught by a local angler on one of the rivers where we often go.

Fishing For Barbel

To go for these barbel we would advise you to use tackle which will be capable of standing up to the sort of fight which these fish will give. Any good barbel/specialist rod with a test curve of 1.5Lb or above fitted with a strong reliable reel would be a wise choice. Although, saying that, when Andy Little was over here back in 2006, he used his carp gear (2.75Lbers) while fishing for the barbel. To read what his what he wrote in one of two articles for the Angler''s Mail go here.

As to what line, well a very good mono will do of cause, but in our opinion the humble braid would be a far better choice! Hooks? Well, that is a good question! The local anglers in Portugal use hooks that you would use for sea fishing! Maybe that is why they do not catch as many as they could. We would advise you to bring along good strong specialist hooks in the following sizes: #8, #6 and #4 (Barbless would be a better option because these fish tend to have very tough mouths/lips.).

What style/method to use for these barbel? Well, the local Portuguese barbel anglers just use straight forward ledgering methods to catch their fish. But, in our opinion, what really works well is good feeder or "Method" tactics!

Baits! Now, this is how those of you who live and fish for barbel in the U.K. can gain the upper hand! Over in Portugal the barbel anglers tend to use very basic baits. Worms, maggots and worms! The bait technology has yet to reach Portugal. So, good strong smelly fish-meal boilies, pellets, nugets, pastes and even the good old sweet corn and lunchon-meat etc. will really make a difference. Also, hardly any Portuguese angler uses ground bait when going for barbel! Maybe that is why a simple hemp and fish-meal mix really pays off.

Night Fishing

At long last, some fantastic news. As of the 1st of January, 2018, the laws surrounding night fishing have been lifted, but not on all waters. Please go to our FAQ pages to find out more. 

Trout Fishing.

Portugal has quite a lot to offer in terms of wild trout waters, in fact there is something very special to be found over here.

To find out more, that is if big Wild Brown Trout is what takes your fancy, please get in touch with us via our "Contact Us" page