The opening of the trout in France is a real institution. The river and its landscapes go hand in hand with the tracking of our speckled trout. Between overcrowded rivers and capricious weather conditions, my choice is naturally towards a lake fishing.
If you have this kind of biotope close to your home, especially in the mountainous regions (Alps, Vosges, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Corsica...) it is quite possible and very relevant to make the opening in lake.
By lake, we mean the lakes of plain or mountain classified in first piscicultural category, likely to shelter a beautiful population of salmonids. I voluntarily exclude the lakes of altitudes which are the object in several regions of a specific opening staggered and which are the majority snowed and imprisoned of the ice in March.
A friendly fishing team
The lake offers a linear bank and an accessibility without comparison with a river. As long as it is a dam lake which is not at its maximum level, it is almost possible to fish everywhere. This is not the case in a river where it is difficult to move around and to fish with several people.
What I like in the lake is the possibility of fishing with several people and in team. On the one hand for the conviviality. We are happy to get together with friends, to share a day and chat while we try to catch a trout. It is important to be together at the water's edge.
And on the other hand for the fishing strategy offered by a prospecting with several fishermen. Indeed, it is easier to locate the area where the active fish are held and to release lures or animations that make the difference. It is also more practical to take pictures or to put the fish in the net.
We don't just meet and talk at a picnic, but during the whole session.
It is also a good way to introduce beginners to trout fishing, where the river has its share of difficulties.
Less dependent on the weather
Opening in a lake also means freeing oneself from making delicate choices about the river to be fished. As long as the rivers are of nival regime, that is to say mainly fed by snow melt water, they are very delicate to fish. Indeed, the water flow will surely be strong and the temperature extremely cold.
In the lake, there are no such worries about level or temperature or at least rarely. There is almost always a comfort zone for the trout.
As for the wind to which the lake can be exposed, there are also solutions. It is almost always possible to find a bank or a conch sheltered from the wind.
Finally, in addition to the weather, if you don't go too far away from famous rivers, you will surely come across many fishermen who have had the same idea as you. And as mentioned above, the possibility of moving properly on the banks is very limited in rivers.
A relevant lure fishing
In the lake, lure fishing is legitimate, even at the beginning of the season. The piscivorous fishes have regularly phases of activity and do not deign to attack a lure after several months without having seen any.
In rivers, water flows and cold temperatures make fish apathetic and more receptive to natural baits than to imitations. Moreover, the presentation of a lure in currents too violent for fish posted on the bottom or in caches is far too tedious.
The possibility of hitting big fish
Finally, putting aside the weather and the accessibility of the banks, at a given altitude, it is more frequent to find beautiful fish in lakes than in rivers, especially at the beginning of the season.
Enough to dream and hope for a striking capture for the opening.
My choice will therefore naturally be in dam lakes. I reserve the streams and rivers for later in the season. The landscapes are still natural and the return to the water's edge a feast.
