The choice of the river to fish
The river I chose to fish this year is called the Gapeau. It is in fact a small river of the Var managed by the AAPPMA La Truite du Gapeau, of which I am a member of the board. The Gapeau is one of the many rivers threatened by recurrent droughts and the lack of water in the water tables.
Its trout population is very beautiful, producing fish over 50 cm frequently and especially a very large quantity of small fish between 15 and 18 cm. The reproduction is however complicated because of the lack of floods, preventing the substrate to free itself from the different algae and sediments that clog the bottom. Thanks to actions carried out in partnership with the federation, reproduction goes rather well when gravel is added to the spawning areas to facilitate the work of the fish.
On-site inspection
As soon as I arrived at the water's edge, I noticed that the level was very low and that the currents were invaded by filamentous algae. A large quantity of trout fry, from this year's reproduction, are agglomerated against the edges. Some minnows are feeding in the currents and few trout are visible. The weather is favorable, the temperatures are mild and a small fresh wind is blowing from the northwest.
The spot I chose to fish is a no-kill run that has been in place for 5 years now and is extremely fishy. In each water hole, we find dozens of fish of all sizes, an important sign that our actions on this river are beneficial to the fish populations.
Fishing
So I start my fishing in the early afternoon, prospecting the small currents of the no-kill course, hoping to bite a mesh fish. Despite my efforts with the spoon and the soft lure, only a few fish of about 15 cm attack my lures, without biting. The attacks are of a territorial nature, the fish come to strike the lure violently without trying to eat it.
At about 4:30 pm, the sun finally passes behind a hill and the luminosity drops. I change my tactics and put up a small yellow soft lure, very visible in this very clear water. After a few casts, I start to take hits one after the other. The fish are small, but it's a good sign for the future.
A as I approached a beautiful stream bordered by a stone slab, I passed my soft lure against the current and a fish came out of its hiding place at full speed. After a nice fight, I seize this fish with superb colors that I estimate at about 35 cm, my biggest fish with the lure on this river! Very happy of this catch, I continue my stalking after having released this fish gently.
During a very similar action, in another current bordered by a hollow slab, I hooked another fish, still with the same lure, of about 30 cm. This is undoubtedly my best session on this river which is known to be complicated to fish with a lure!
