Sea Fishing
The Atlantic and Mediterranean shorelines are ideal for fishing and many of the marinas provide everything required for a day of sea fishing.
From July to September swordfish are found off the coasts of Almería, Granada and Málaga, as well as in the Bay of Cádiz.
The tunny fishing grounds are Barbate, Zahara or Conil in Cádiz, and Isla Cristina in Huelva.
There are mackerel, blue fish, sea bass and spotted bass on the Atlantic coast as well as some 150 types of shark.
Eels, some quite large, are plentiful along the coast and they put up a good fight. Rocky outcrops – such as on Torrecilla Beach in Nerja – are the best places and after dark is the best time to catch them. A good bait is strips of mackerel.
A maritime recreational fishing license is required for fishing from the shore or from a boat near the coast. It is obtainable form the offices of the ‘Delegación Provincial de la Conserjeria de Agricultura y Pesca’. There is one office in each of the provincial capital cities.
Sports shops can often arrange for a license. The cost is €22 and you need a copy of your passport or NIE.
Sea fishing is permitted all year from one hour before dawn to one hour after sunset.
Freshwater Fishing
Trout, pike and black bass, barbel and carp are found in the rivers and reservoirs. There are 64 fishing preserves in the Nature Parks of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas and Sierra Nevada
Rio Frio is a small town between Málaga and Granada, just off the motorway in the foothills of the Sierra de Loja. and trout fishing has been traced back to 1664. Record catches include a brown trout weighing 5.2 kg. There is an all year round season here.
Permits can be obtained from: Alberge de Pescadores de Rio Frio, Riviera de Rio Frio s/n, 18300 Loja, (Granada) Tel: (0034) 958 32 31 77. Barbecued trout is served in many of the local restaurants.
The open seasons for freshwater fishing are:
Salmon: First Sunday in March to 18th July (limit: 3 fish a day)
Trout: First Sunday in March to 15th August (limit: 20 fish a day)
High mountain trout: 16th May to 30th September
Sturgeon: 1st January to 31st July
River crab: Thursdays, Saturdays and public holidays between 21st June and 31st August.
An angling licence is required for fishing in reservoirs, rivers and estuaries in Andalucia. They are obtainable from an office of the ‘Delegación Agencia Medio Ambiente’ (AMA). There is one office in each of the provincial capital cities. Licences are also obtainable from branches of the ‘Cajamar’ bank.