First château de plaisance
The aplomb of the rocky spur is severe, and the high-perched castle seems even more impressive. The immense gourd that bathes the feet of this majestic ensemble offers a breathtaking view. It was with this approach, fly rod and waders immersed in the water, that I discovered the Château de Lavoûte-sur-Loire. Boldly built close to a loop in the Loire, just a few kilometers from Le Puy-en-Velay, it marks the end of a beautiful gorges course. Erected in the 13th century, fortified for a time, then embellished in Renaissance style, it was abandoned by its noble occupants during the French Revolution. It reverted to the Polignac family in 1847 and became the first château de plaisance on the wild Loire.
A great day
This first time was a glorious day, almost blessed by the gods. From the outset, I positioned myself on the edge of the current entering the deep, dark gour. As soon as I started drifting, my two nymphs recorded flurries of hits. Spirulina bleak! Encouraging for a start. I took three steps towards the pit. Another hit. The tip of the tip curved beautifully. A stubborn fish split the water column and tried to reach the opposite bank. Brought to the surface, I promptly pocketed a beautiful fario trout, black, golden on the sides and studded with beautiful red dots. Another step, another. Then several. Suddenly, worried and suspicious, I took the precaution of stepping out of the water to check that there was no reserve sign planted beside me. But no! No inappropriate signs.
Resuming fishing a little further upstream, I attacked a superb vein with a promising depth. This time, the touch was discreet: barely a slight displacement of my indicator line. I pulled the line taut and, after a fierce battle testing the fine nylon tip, a beautiful metal-grey grayling found its way to the landing net. Others suffered the same fate, then were freed and returned to the granite pit. No, I didn't deploy their magnificent dorsal fin, just for the pleasure of the eyes.
The festival continued for most of the day. I also caught two big copper-coloured barbel, not very expansive, but very hardy. Fish were everywhere, from the smallest flipper to the largest master cast. The river glistened with a thousand sparkles, like the first day of creation, if ever there was one.
Different opinions
As you can imagine, this manna, heavenly or not, has never been repeated. Time and again, I've hoped to experience this euphoric catch again. With the exception of a few spirlins, I've never found such abundance. Everyone will have their own opinion as to the causes of this mirage: the season, the weather, the moon phase or even the alignment of the planets, etc... The list of suppositions is long.
The last time I came back to Lavoûte-sur-Loire, I didn't bring my rods and reels. Instead, I took part in a tour of the château's interiors. The tour was led by an old gentleman, who was not at all out of place with the ancestral furniture of the large, dark and coldly furnished rooms. He was a staunch defender of the pleasures of this Renaissance château. From the balcony of the grand salon, I was able to contemplate the full height of the granite spur, and admire in detail the "voulte" of the Loire, as attractive and promising as ever.
