French Fishing Blog

[frenchdub]

Hi there

I recently started my French Fishing Blog I've been after a few species this year and its been great fun.

Please feel free to comment.

Cheers

Gareth

[Steve Burke]

An enjoyable read, and a good mix. Good luck with the pioneering!

[frenchdub]

An enjoyable read, and a good mix. Good luck with the pioneering!

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your comment. Thought I'd write a blog about my general fishing in France. Naturally it includes carp, but for most that's all anyone talks about over here, and there are loads of specimen fish to be had of many species and not just carp.

Regrds

Gareth

[Sportsman]

Hi Gareth

A very interesting read, especially for me as I live in the Mayenne.

Next year I have planned to spend more time on the rivers. I have La Mayenne close by and the Sarthe about an hour to the South. The Loire is about 2 hours South.

The Mayenne is quite slow flowing and canalised. I know it contains a very good head of bream with large carp and silure. Don't yet know about other species. Sarthe is similar. The Loire has lots of barbel apparently as well as the other species.

I don't know much about the rivers to the North but would be interested in Barbel within reasonable driving distance. Possibly a nice Chambre D'hotes with some barbel on the doorstep for the odd weekend.

Edited December 11, 2012 by Sportsman

[frenchdub]

Hi Gareth

A very interesting read, especially for me as I live in the Mayenne.

Next year I have planned to spend more time on the rivers. I have La Mayenne close by and the Sarthe about an hour to the South. The Loire is about 2 hours South.

The Mayenne is quite slow flowing and canalised. I know it contains a very good head of bream with large carp and silure. Don't yet know about other species. Sarthe is similar. The Loire has lots of barbel apparently as well as the other species.

I don't know much about the rivers to the North but would be interested in Barbel within reasonable driving distance. Possibly a nice Chambre D'hotes with some barbel on the doorstep for the odd weekend.

 

I'm certain there are barbel & chub in the rivers you mention. In the summer they are really not difficult to catch, and no one fishes for them, so in your place I'd just go out and try. All your local rivers have good heads of fish.

 

This year as you've read no doubt, I've decided on a change from carping and set out to get some barbel. Tactics would work everywhere as they are really taken from those used by anglers on the Wye & the Severn etc. A large open feeder, filled with ground up pellets made into a groundbait & dry pellets. The most successful hook bait has been a drilled halibut pellet.

 

During the summer I've simply been looking for a decent stretch of river, and fishing two rods on the crease. I cast every 10-15 minutes for the first hour or so to get some bait going in, then every hour after that or after a fish. Usually you'll get all sorts of knocks and taps as the fish find the bait and attack the feeder or pull at the hookbait. When a barbel, chub or carp gets hold of it you usally get a decent bite. I engage the baitrunner as I've had even modest sized chub pull the rod right round, and barbel virtually rip it off the rests.

 

I think a few day sessions fishing a couple of hours in each swim and you'll soon find out the potential of your rivers. Barbel are often the first fish onto the bait and if they are there I usually expect to get a fish within an hour.

 

Bonne Chance

Gareth

Edited December 11, 2012 by frenchdub

[Neuvy]

Out here in Deux Sèvres we have Pescalis, the main site and the other exceptional 'ponds' dotted around the countryside that it owns. Not expensive and something for everyone. It could be seen as a 'commercial' but it really isn't, there is little angling pressure as the place is so big. Last year was a great year that included a 3 1/2lb Perch, a long, long, amazing European lake sturgeon, some great Rudd and Roach and carp up to mid twenties. No Tench last year and no big bream either but there are specimen fish of all species just waiting to fished for.

I'd like to find a barbel river for next but I seem to live in barbel free zone. Good luck with the blog.

[frenchdub]

Out here in Deux Sèvres we have Pescalis, the main site and the other exceptional 'ponds' dotted around the countryside that it owns. Not expensive and something for everyone. It could be seen as a 'commercial' but it really isn't, there is little angling pressure as the place is so big. Last year was a great year that included a 3 1/2lb Perch, a long, long, amazing European lake sturgeon, some great Rudd and Roach and carp up to mid twenties. No Tench last year and no big bream either but there are specimen fish of all species just waiting to fished for.

I'd like to find a barbel river for next but I seem to live in barbel free zone. Good luck with the blog.

I know of Pescalis, but its a long way from me and not my type of venue.

I'd be surprised if the rivers to the north or you don't hold barbel. The Loire is know to have them in abundance and the Vienne is a tributary of it.

I know there are areas of France not known to have them and they do seem more numerous in the northern rivers, Seine, Marne, Meuse, Rhone, Aisne etc.

I think part of the problem is that the French just don't fish for them, and the few that catch them accidentally are probably carp anglers, as most pleasure anglers fish too light to land anythng but a small barbel. I guess you'll just have to try modern barbel tactics to see... even if you don't catch babel you'll certainly get some chub, bream & possible carp.

cheers

Gareth

[Neuvy]

I know of Pescalis, but its a long way from me and not my type of venue.

I'd be surprised if the rivers to the north or you don't hold barbel. The Loire is know to have them in abundance and the Vienne is a tributary of it.

I know there are areas of France not known to have them and they do seem more numerous in the northern rivers, Seine, Marne, Meuse, Rhone, Aisne etc.

I think part of the problem is that the French just don't fish for them, and the few that catch them accidentally are probably carp anglers, as most pleasure anglers fish too light to land anythng but a small barbel. I guess you'll just have to try modern barbel tactics to see... even if you don't catch babel you'll certainly get some chub, bream & possible carp.

cheers

Gareth

Thanks Gareth, the Loire is pretty near actually, I'll have to go to Niort and get some local knowledge in the tackle shop there. Been reading the blog, some nice pieces on there!

[frenchdub]

Thanks Gareth, the Loire is pretty near actually, I'll have to go to Niort and get some local knowledge in the tackle shop there. Been reading the blog, some nice pieces on there!

All the best with your quest for barbel.

I think you'll find its pretty pioneering stuff, and you'll not get much help from local anglers or tackle shops. No one in my area directly targets barbel... Most will tell you they get caught on live baits or supple lures, that you should use cheese and maggots.

Naturally all will catch fish, but if you are the first to tackle stretches with a feeder filled with pellets (timebomb style) and use a hair rigged halibut, you'll no doubt get right in amongst them.

 

Pacific peche online, does some reasonable heavy cage river feeders, as my local tackle shops only stocked wimpy little 25g & 35g jobs. The Marne has needed 150g at times.

 

If you grind up some small halibuts to use as ground bait and fill the feeder with that an dry pellets, the fish find it really quickly. I've slowly upped the size of my hook bait too, I started off with 12mm on a size 12 hook, but I've been using a 18mm pellet on a size 8 in an effort to limit the numbers of bream. These tactics have produced around 75 barbel to 7lb 8oz and numerous chub to just under 6lb since mid September.

 

Glad you enjoyed the blog.. feel free to leave comments

 

Good luck & tight lines

Gareth

Edited December 18, 2012 by frenchdub

[Neuvy]

All the best with your quest for barbel.

I think you'll find its pretty pioneering stuff, and you'll not get much help from local anglers or tackle shops. No one in my area directly targets barbel... Most will tell you they get caught on live baits or supple lures, that you should use cheese and maggots.

Naturally all will catch fish, but if you are the first to tackle stretches with a feeder filled with pellets (timebomb style) and use a hair rigged halibut, you'll no doubt get right in amongst them.

 

Pacific peche online, does some reasonable heavy cage river feeders, as my local tackle shops only stocked wimpy little 25g & 35g jobs. The Marne has needed 150g at times.

 

If you grind up some small halibuts to use as ground bait and fill the feeder with that an dry pellets, the fish find it really quickly. I've slowly upped the size of my hook bait too, I started off with 12mm on a size 12 hook, but I've been using a 18mm pellet on a size 8 in an effort to limit the numbers of bream. These tactics have produced around 75 barbel to 7lb 8oz and numerous chub to just under 6lb since mid September.

 

Glad you enjoyed the blog.. feel free to leave comments

 

Good luck & tight lines

Gareth

Thanks for the good advice and I certainly fancy a 6lb chub! Congrats on that. Do you ever fish with a rolling or bouncing ledger à la Fred Crouch?