Hello Damien, can you first introduce yourself to the readers of Fishing.news?
Damien Rollin -My name is Damien Rollin, I am 37 years old, I was born and live in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, a small town at the end of the Camargue delta, more precisely at the mouth of the Rhône.
Docker by profession since 2011, I have been fishing since I was a child and started to practice sport fishing with lures at the age of 13. Driven by my passion, I have in parallel to my professional activity, passed a BPJEPS of "Fishing Instructor-Guide" with an extension "sea fishing".
Why did you become a fishing guide?
Damien Rollin -The first reason is to be able to transmit my passion and my knowledge in the rules of art. Indeed, what could be more gratifying than to be able to make discover a sporting practice which moreover, in a very particular environment of Camargue? To transmit values to different audiences, but who share the same interest for fishing, is a daily challenge.
What kind of guiding do you offer?
Damien Rollin -In my guiding activity, I have developed several styles and techniques of fishing corresponding to the various targeted species, and this, according to the seasons.
For example, tracking bass with buzzing or stickbaits requires totally different techniques, animations, but also observations, always in adequacy with the environment in which I bring my customers. Otherwise, for the tracking of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna, I propose to guide either on hunting with popper, or with sardines as bait.
What does being a fishing guide mean to you?
Damien Rollin -First of all, it is to adapt to the different levels of the fishermen I guide, and this, to try to answer their expectations as well as possible, while taking into account the constraints of weather, safety, or other.
To be a guide, you have to be a good listener, to be mentally available and above all to show patience and pedagogy even if it is clear that for me, it is important as much as possible, to gather on the same outing, fishermen of equivalent levels or almost. Indeed, this avoids frustrations, and favors the acquisition of particular technicalities.
In this Camargue which surrounds me daily, it is clear that for me, being a guide, it is also to sensitize the local fishermen or come from elsewhere, with this fauna and this flora still wild but so fragile.
Do you fish or not fish when you are guiding?
Damien Rollin -It all depends on the species sought and the appropriate techniques. For example, on lure fishing (wolf or tuna) I never fish, preferring to concentrate on the defects of the customers and if necessary to advise them to rectify them.
For the novices, I devote myself totally to the transmission of the gestures so that they acquire the proposed technique as quickly as possible. On the other hand, in order to track down the tuna in the scramble, I set up a very precise collaborative work with the clients. Thus, everyone participates in the different steps until the touch. There, I obviously give the rod to the clients for the fight and the sensations that come from it.
What do you do when you are not guiding?
When I'm not working on the docks or guiding, I created my own custom fishing rod manufacturing company (Rollin Revolution Rods) to meet the expectations of fishermen.
In this adventure, I have the chance to be followed by the company Rodhouse. For the fishing enthusiast that I am, this collaboration with the brand allows me to exchange with other experienced rodbuilders and to acquire other knowledge to allow me to improve.
Moreover, I'm also getting interested in boat building in a workshop based in Port-Saint-Louis. Finally, I am also part of a fishing club (Port-St-Louis-Fishing-Club) which sets up all year long, lure fishing activities for the schools of the city.
What is your view on guiding in France?
Damien Rollin -The profession of guide has evolved and developed, which totally democratizes the activity of fishing to new audiences. This allows people to discover this sport, but also to continue to progress, to learn new things, whether it is in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean and of course in the different freshwater rivers of the national territory.
The multiplication of guides and the competition it generates have a very positive effect in that they force the guiding professionals to continuously improve themselves in order to acquire new techniques, but also and above all, to follow the evolution of the different regulations.
What advice would you give to people who would like to start this adventure?
Damien Rollin -In view of my own experience, I can only encourage any future guide to take the plunge. Of course, one must be aware of the investment required (and not only financial), the commitment, the amount of work that it represents and of course the responsibilities that follow. On the other hand, I can also testify that once the challenge is taken up, the pleasure and the satisfaction of the customers, whether they are beginners or experienced, are the best rewards one can have.
I personally have made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point, but the excitement and joy of a child or teenager experiencing their first wolf attack on the surface, bringing it back to the boat before releasing it, leaves an indelible memory for them, but also always for me.
As a fisherman, what is your dream?
Damien Rollin -The question is both interesting and somewhat embarrassing to me, as I feel like I am living the dream I had as a child on a daily basis: to fish to my heart's content in an environment that I love and will never cease to discover. Having said that, it is true that going to fight a giant tuna on the coast of Massachusetts, off Cape Cod, would be the icing on the cake and would allow me to write a new page.
