Cheers to Chira's Lovely, Scaly Carp

Billy Flowers and Jamie Londors, the Mainline and Korda-backed duo, are regulars in the Mail. This week Billy heads for the sun… and a storm!

- Billy Flowers and Jamie Londors

WITH the weather in England being very on and off – one minute mild with a few fish caught, then snow flurries and blanks – this meant only one thing for me… the sun of Gran Canaria!

I run trips to famous Lake Chira, and good friends ‘birthday boy’ Nick Bourdon and Dave Light joined me for a three-night visit to try to catch the scaly carp that swim in the depths, 900 meters above sea level. Another three clients were from Oxford – Craig and Steven Paris and their dad, Chris – there for a full week.

We set off early from London Gatwick and, after a four-hour flight, arrived at Las Palmas, grabbing our bags off the conveyor and making our way up the mountains in a journey of many twists and turns.

We wanted to get down the lake before it was dark, to set up base-camp, and we were gunned up with everything, including plenty of boilies and hemp, along with some tiger nuts.

The news was that carp activity was down a bit, though the lads the week before managed fish to 42 lb, so we started with just a small parcel of bait over each rod. The plan was to fish for a bite at a time instead of filling it in and maybe killing it for the short period of time we had.

Short range

With the Oxfordshire lads at the dam end, we three opted for the middle part of the lake. And, knowing that the lads the previous week caught most of their fish only 20-30 yards out, we started with one rod short each, a rod halfway out and the last rod to the far bank marginal shelf. I know from previous trips that this long range area is a good patrol route.