Hello Thierry and Sylvain, could you introduce yourselves to Fishing.news readers?
Thierry: I'm 54 years old, from Guerlédan in Brittany. For the past 5 years, I've been working with Sylvain Catteau, a fishing guide instructor in Brittany. As well as lure fishing for predators, I also fish with flies (trout, carp and pike). I tend to fish with hard lures (crank, jerk...).
Sylvain: I'm 41 years old and I'm a fishing guide in Brittany in the Côtes d'Armor region, mainly on Lac de Guerlédan. I'm a Sensas, Gunki, Illex and Garmin partner. My specialty is lure fishing from boats, and I also fish with feeders.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
Thierry: I started out as a child fishing with bait before quickly moving on to trout fishing with lures (swimming fish and spoons). Being lucky enough to have a wide variety of rivers (Le Blavet, L'Oust and their tributaries, the Nantes-Brest canal) and lakes (Lac de Guerlédan, numerous ponds) close to home, I was able to alternate between different types of fishing, trout, pike, perch and zander, mainly with lures.
Sylvain: I started fishing with my grandfather at the age of 4 on the banks of the Marne. Like many people, I started with the basics of spearfishing and gradually developed an interest in predator fishing.
When, how and why did you decide to take up competitive fishing?
Thierry: I started competing about ten years ago in float tubes and kayaks, thanks to some friends. I like the fact that I'm up against opponents and that there's something at stake, even if it's symbolic. My aim in competitive fishing was also to see and exchange views on the techniques used by other competitors, in order to improve and discover new techniques. Competition fishing allows us to get away from our usual habits and discover bodies of water and rivers that we wouldn't necessarily visit as a hobby. I think competition has saved me time and opened me up to techniques that I might not have gone into if I'd stayed in my corner.
Sylvain: I started competing in float tubes about fifteen years ago, thanks to an acquaintance who gave me a head start. I was immediately hooked! I really enjoyed the conviviality of competing. You learn something new every day when you're competing, you have to be able to challenge yourself, it's physical and mental. It's a sport! And I love it!
What do you think of competition in general?
We take a positive view of the world of competition, it's a good way to learn and evolve, we're competitive yes, but we love to share. Although the Mercury Fishing Cup is an incredible event, we regret not having a championship over several dates. You can't judge a team's consistency on one date.
What did taking part in the first Mercury Fishing Cup mean to you?
Competitions of this magnitude are rare in France, so it was an obvious choice for us to take part, especially as we had competed in the French championship in previous years. It was a real challenge for us to get a decent result on the Seine, which we discovered on this occasion.
What do you think of this first edition?
A very tough first day for us, with only one fish. With the Seine in flood, the fish had deserted the positions we'd validated during training. The second day was a little better, with 4 pike-perch and two perch, including the biggest of the competition at 51 cm.
In terms of equipment, we're on a Finval Rangy 510 boat with Garmin electronics (fishfinders and motor). In terms of technique, we mainly fished vertically and linearly during the competition. Gunki's Mosquito was decisive on this pretty perch.
Your fondest memory, or anecdote, from the Mercury Fishing Cup?
Catching a 51-cm perch in competition is an unforgettable moment.
Will you be attending the second edition on Lac de Vassivière?
Yes, we'll be there, for the same reasons as the first edition. To take advantage of a great organization, to get some good results and to see our friends again.
Any advice for anglers hoping to take part in the Mercury Fishing Cup one day?
It's a great event for discovering competitive fishing, but if you're there to hope for a result, don't go in with your hands in your pockets! We're not here to string pearls!
