Hidden fishing

While true voyages into the unknown are harder to come by in the modern age, there are plenty of remote waters where the spirit of adventure remains intact

- John Bailey

MY YEARS of angling adventures began in the Himalayas in 1989, when the fishing world was full of secrets and mystery. My last journeys to Mongolia and Tibet took place a quarter of a century later when the internet had laid pretty much all of the angling world bare. In the 1990s my companions and I set off with hope in our hearts and little idea what was in store for us but knowing that if we got to our destination, we’d probably be the first foreigners to wet a line there. We plunged into the unknown, trusting to fate and what little information we could find from any possible source. Today, though, the most far-flung waters are served by outfitters, guides, cosy-bedded lodges and superb kitchens. Every item of tackle or clothing that you might need you can now research and buy. Every method and technique you can check on YouTube, so you arrive with all the veils of wonderment pulled aside. So, are there any expeditions you can mount today where the adventure remains intact and the internet hasn’t revealed all?

Spain

Andalusian barbel on the fly

Where and why: Spain hardly sounds like a voyage into the unknown but the rivers that flow south from the mountains around Ronda into the Mediterranean between Gibraltar and Malaga are crystal, fast flowing and hold the fabulously coloured Andalusian barbel that can be stalked and fooled into taking a nymph or even a dry-fly. These are fish routinely between two and six pounds, so a 5wt floating line outfit will do. Keep mobile, expect to walk and wade, and enjoy the thrill of finding hidden valleys rich in golden orioles and wild figs.

Adventure score: 8/10. You’ll have to find your own beats along volatile, everchanging rivers and roads little travelled. Obtaining a licence isn’t easy and you’re on your own when it comes to fly choice.