Before the stay, the news are not so good. The waters are low, but especially a proliferation of green algae drifting and on the bottom may well compromise our fishing parties planned with Patrice who will be pleased to invite me to fish this amazing predator that is the asp.
A first experience in Alsace
I took my first lures in 2006 with Mathias and Nico in Alsace. Two years ago, I wanted to try my first fly fishing. Invited by Jean-Luc to go to his "corners" of the lower Loire, my buddy Pascal and I spent a day and a half on the bank.
We knew it, the fishing would be complicated and intense. Armed with our two-handed rods, we had beaten the water for hours, but I will take a nice first asp on the fly and moreover on the surface with a gurgler!
This fish had made me want to go back there and here it is with the program of this fishing weekend on the Loire.
First day, in discovery mode
The two days were very different with a very hot (36°C) and sunny first day and the discovery of asp fishing in drift boat. Patrice quickly caught a chub on a black gurgler, as we were fishing mainly on the surface to avoid the algae. It turned out that finally the fishing was possible with the streamer especially in the morning with less algae in suspension.
The asps hunt here and there and encourage us in our quest. It motivates and the posts are so beautiful that we believe in them every time we throw!
They must be long and precise. Very active, intense and sporty fishing. I love it!
We will have nice follow-ups with sometimes a huge wave behind the fly, but still no contact with the asps.
Stay validated !
The next day, the weather forecast announced many storms and we thought we would not be able to fish as we wished, but finally, once again, the forecast was wrong and we could fish in better conditions.
Patrice will start with lures to see if it could make a difference and I will start with streamers in the morning this time.
After a little less than two hours of fishing, a beautiful asp takes my fly at the second strip and bim, validated stay!
This makes everyone happy and motivates us even more.
Then 40 minutes later a beautiful 50 cm chub will also take my imitation bleak stream (cut before under Lionel's advice, because asps seem to prefer short flies).
Patrice will have his chances and two asps will come to take his streamer, but at lightning speed without making a touch! Both times, it's an empty hole!
Another smaller chub for me at the stream and a few perch will chase our surface flies, an asp will come under my gurgler, but no more catches.
No matter, we spent two beautiful days in the company of a passionate guide who knows the Loire like the back of his hand.
For those who like the challenge, because a fly fishing asp is deserved, and who want to cast to break the arms, to see messy hunts, waves of displacement (of asp) in very little water, fish under the boat, you can contact Lionel Guirado who also proposes several lodgings all very close to the fishing sites.
Thanks to both of you, we will definitely do it again!
