The scene of our second day of fishing in the Auvergne region, guided by Geoffray Begard, the Etang de Chancelade is located in the Combrailles region, not far from the Ramade lake which was our playground the previous day. With a surface area of around 130 hectares, like La Ramade, the Chancelade pond dates back to the 14th-15th century, when it was built by monks to grow fish, produce carp and power mills located further downstream on the Chancelade stream, itself a tributary of the Sioulet.
An exemplary, forward-looking management policy
From the 1950s until 2008, the lake was leased by Aubert et Duval, a steel manufacturer. In 2008, management was taken over by the commune of Charensat, still on a rental basis. In the same year, the lake was drained, so that it was not reopened for fishing until early 2011, mainly for No-kill pike.
This may seem normal nowadays, but 10 years ago the practice of No-Kill was not widespread, especially on communal ponds. A rare occurrence that deserves to be highlighted! In July 2020, the commune of Charensat bought back the pond for 1,000,000 euros, with 800,000 euros in subsidies (50% from the ERDF, 25% from the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region and 5% from the département). It should be noted that the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) funding was granted because a management plan will be set up every 10 years, and valid for 10 years, led by the CEN (Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels) d'Auvergne, the aim of which will be to ensure the cohabitation of fishing and other nature activities, as well as the preservation of the water body and its biodiversity. Fishing here is privately managed, and you'll need to pay a daily fee to be able to fish (15euros/day, 10euros boat hire and 20euros carp night fishing).
Fish populations
Carnivorous fish are very well represented at Chancelade, particularly pike and zander, whose populations are very interesting. This is the result of very good management, there's no secret about it. Baptiste Carrat, in charge of site management, explains " In winter, we try to keep the water level as high as possible so that the fish, particularly the pike, can spawn in the best possible conditions. "
Baptiste Carrat adds " In recent years, carp fishing on the lake has become increasingly popular, as the fish population has developed very well. There's great carp activity on the lake, with little fishing pressure and beautiful fish. "A fish weighing 34 kg was hit the night before we arrived! Carp anglers beware... Chancelade is a very rich body of water where, despite the acidic waters, the fish grow rapidly, ensuring excellent fishing.
A session dedicated to pike
What struck us when we arrived on the banks of the lake was the setting. Chancelade is a magnificent site, wooded and wild, a setting worthy of the green Erin. Add to this the clear but acidic water typical of the Massif Central, and an Irish boat, and all the ingredients were there to create an illusion. For a moment, you might have thought you were looking for pike on an Irish lake!
Depth varies between 1.5 m and 5 m at the bung (which runs alongside the road), with an average of around 2.5 m. The bottom is predominantly sandy, with occasional rocky areas. As this session took place in May, we logically began our fishing on the edges, following the contours of the water. After a good 2 hours prospecting in this way, taking care to be complementary in our approaches in order to isolate the parameters of the day's pattern as quickly as possible, but without any convincing results, it was a first drift in open water in a wide bay that brought us our first fish. A fish that reacted to my spinnerbait, but which was caught with a swimbait on the next cast! What turned out to be the most productive approach of the day had now been found.
From then on, the pattern repeated itself wherever we went, so that after the lunch break we focused exclusively on open water fishing. We kept on following and catching fish, ending the day with 12 very fit fish (double the number of catches), including a dozen between 70 and 95 cm. Although a few of the 12 fish that came up to the boat were caught on big shads (Dexter Shad 250 and Daiwa Duckfin Shad), the majority of fish responded to big Glide baits (Illex Dowz Swimmer 220 SF and Deps Slide Swimmer 250).
If you'd like to discover this superb playground, don't hesitate to call on Geoffray, who will be able to guide you with precision on these waters. And for fly fishers, Chancelade is not only one of the techniques Geoffray will help you perfect, it's also a spot where potential streamer pleasure is guaranteed!
Practical info
Geoffray Begard
info@fishing-in-france.pro
0671781209
Etang de Chancelade
Baptiste Carrat
0688724373
