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Fishing tours and holidays in France
General Information
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Fishing in France
There is no denying that France is a land of great contrasts, offering an
endless choice of enticing destinations, a rich diversity of landscapes,
cuisines, climates and peoples, with an exceptional cultural heritage and
and some fantastic fishing to match.
France, with its 10000km of coastline and more than 250,000 km of waterways, offers vast possibilities for aquatic activities.
From freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds to the salty ocean, there are many places to fish.
France presents a wonderful selection of fishing throughout the entire
country, catering for course and game on a wide range of rivers and lakes
and plenty for the sea angler too. Key
highlights are the large 40lb+ Carp that are found in many of France's man
made lakes, France has for many years now been the centre of European carp
fishing, offering world renowned carp venues, massive catfish that take all
day to land and some fantastic trout fishing deep in the alpine range
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Coarse Fishing in France
A Fishing Permit is a must!
You must carry a permit to fish on any public waterway. You can purchase it at local sporting goods stores, cafés or tourist offices. The approximate costs are: one-day permit--10 euros, for one year--60 euros, for children under 16--30 euros and a two-week vacation permit issued from June through September--30 euros. For trout and salmon fishing, there are limited times of the years that vary between regions.
For more information you should contact the mayor’s office or the local tourist office.
France has many waterways and lakes and is great place to go for a fishing
holiday. Natural lakes are outnumbered by man made lakes of which there are
literally hundreds, some created to provide irrigation and drinking water or
power as part of a hydro electric scheme. Others have formed from old sand
and gravel pits which were excavated to provide sand for the network of
motorways.
Carp fishing is very popular in France, it is almost impossible to pick
up an angling magazine without seeing pictures and articles about massive
French Carp. As well as the lakes previously mentioned, many of the old
Chateaux have their own lakes and rivers and although some are still in
private ownership many are now in public or club ownership. These lakes are
rarely emptied and thus the potential for big fish is there for the taking.
It is fair to assume that most if not all of the French lakes hold carp,
but it is not necessarily the case that they will all be huge or that the
biggest lakes will hold the biggest fish. It depends on the stock density
and the natural food available.
Pescalis--a fisherman's paradise
Recently opened in the heart of the Poitou-Charentes region, this international fishing center is dedicated to fishing and could definately be worth a look. Inspired by an American model, it is a one of a kind in Europe and welcomes visitors year round with 100 hectares of ponds. Everything is available on site including the fishing tanks (you can choose the type of fish), the rental equipment and advice from specialists.
Lodging, tennis, hiking and golf are also available. For more information: www.pescalis.com
Sea Fishing in France
Sea fishing off the Atlantic coast is excellent and you do not need a
licence.
Catch bass, conger and skate around the La Rochelle area. Further down
the coast in the Landes region of Aquitaine you can go boat fishing for Tuna
or surf cast for sea bream or bass.
Deep sea fishing fanatics will be thrilled to discover the companies that offer early-morning outings
to follow schools of tuna, sea bream etc. French fishing clubs www.ffpm.org/f-liens.htm, yacht clubs and the harbour authorities can provide information on the summer boat schedules.
They usually go out for a half or full day between mid-May and mid-October. The cost is approximately 50 euros for a half day per person for three to eight persons with equipment included. Night fishing is also a possibility.
Fly Fishing in France
There are no public trout or salmon fishing waters to speak of in France
apart from canals or navigable rivers but these also contain other fish such
as Pike. You will find that the fishing rights to all decent trout or salmon
streams, rivers or lakes are owned by individuals or groups. This
means that as well as buying a fishing license, you must pay the owners for
a permit to fish. Information can usually be found at the local tourist office.
The Trout season usually starts at the beginning of May and runs through
to October although the owners can adjust their own dates as they wish.
As with Course fishing you need a licence to fish public and most
private waters in France. The local French Tourist Office can tell you where
to purchase a license and also provide you with maps and information on
where you can fish. Rivers and streams are generally categorized as either
type 1 or 2. Category 1 waters are generally trout and salmon waters while
category 2 waters contain more rough fish.
Some of the best salmon fishing in France can be found in the Pyrenees
Atlantiques on the Gave d'Oloron River some 60-80km east of Biarritz. The
towns of Oloron-Saine-Marie, Sauveterre-de-Béarne and Navarrenx are good
places to start. Tributary rivers including the Gave d'Aspe and Gave de Pau
are also good for salmon. Here look out for the towns of
Lurbe-Saint-Christau, Peyrehorade, and Pau. Salmon also run up the rivers
Gaves d'Ossau and de Nive. The season is from June until August because of
the melting snow in earlier months.
In the Brittany region, the Elle River is very popular. The "Loge
Coucou" is one of the more famous stretches of the Elle River (between the
towns of La Logue Coucou and Le Quinquis just north of Lorient. It’s mostly
private and the season runs from 15 June to 14 July.
The Loire River and its tributaries is a major Salmon fishery for France
- over 800 kilometres in length. The Loire River is the longest river in
France and is said to be the last wild river in Western Europe. Originating
in the north-eastern part of the southern Cévennes highlands, it flows
roughly northward through Roanne and Nevers to Orléans and thereafter
westward through Tours to the Atlantic at Nantes. Its main tributaries
include the Nièvre, Maine, and Erdre on the right bank, and the Allier,
Cher, Indre, Vienne, and Sèvre Nantaise on the left bank.
If you like to fish for the European variety of Black Bass, in south
west France, the Lot River near Cahors is excellent along with the rivers
Gironde, Dordogne, and Landes. In the southern parts of France, the Garonne
near Toulouse, the canal between Aramon and Vallabreques, the Tarn River,
and the Lot River have a significant number of Bass. In the southeast, the
Rhone River is known as the premier Bass fishery in the region. In Burgundy,
the Saone and the Seille Rivers have the same reputation.
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