Fishing in Spain is yet another major tourist growth area with many new facilities and resorts being opened annually. However, fishing is a national sport too with thousands of men and children regularly to be seen at the sea front or at rivers and lakes. Not so many women yet! With Spain’s wonderful mountains and lakes and its extensive coastline both sea and freshwater fishing are available-even on the same day if necessary. Freshwater fishing is more limited in the boiling hot south mainly because most of the smaller rivers dry up in summer.
Spain is a bureaucratic country so working out what license you require can be rather confusing and time-consuming. For sea fishing you need to acquire a maritime recreational fishing license for fishing from the shore or a small boat (1st and 3rd class.) These can be used all over Spain and can be obtained from the “Delegacion Provincial de la Conserjeria de Agricultura and Pesca” in all provincial capital cities e.g. Malaga and in larger fishing towns.
However, the rewards are worth the effort. You can catch a wonderful selection of fish in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Swordfish can be found along the coast from Almeria down to Cadiz and you can charter a boat from any of the main ports. Many good companies exist who will arrange the whole business for you –boat, tackle transport and accommodation!
One of the major items on restaurant menus in Cadiz province is the delicious fresh tuna (tunny for the more traditional and atun in Spanish) either in a sauce or just lightly grilled. This is because the main tuna fishing grounds are located in the Straits of Gibraltar, Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes and Conil. In fact one of the main beaches in La Linea is called Atunara and its fishermen Atunantes! The tuna are of a magnificent size and fierce competition is the order of the day!
Other catches can include bass from the beaches of Cadiz, frigate mackerel, blue fish, bogue (like bream) and grouper. For the divers amongst you La Linea is excellent for octopus. A highlight of any fishing trip may be a sight of the beautiful dolphins outside Gibraltar and along the Atlantic coast.
Freshwater fishing is popular in Andalucía; in rivers, lakes, and more frequently nowadays, in reservoirs. Catch range from the humble barbel and carp to pike and black bass and the glorious trout! There are many fishing preserves in Jaen and Granada provinces including in the Sierra Nevada, not an excessively long drive from the Costa del Sol!
The main fishing rivers in Andalucía include the Guadalquivir in Seville and the Guadiana, the Tinto and the Odiel in Huelva. The Rio Frio in Granada is renowned for its trout and has a longer season than most rivers .It is normally March to September.
Yet again, a license is required for freshwater fishing which is available from the Medio Ambiente offices (like our Department of the Environment) and also, for once, from branches of the CajaMar bank.
