How did the competition go for you?
Eric and I do a few competitions a year, fewer than we'd like because I've moved to the Gard and he's in the Paris region.
As a result, it's a bit complicated for prefishing, but I was still able to free up a few days during my son's vacations at the end of September. Prefishing had been complicated, the lake was already very high and although we had located a lot of fish, we had great difficulty getting them to bite and finding mesh fish.
However, this enabled us to validate a number of points, with structures and areas that held forage fish or pike-perch and perch, so we didn't start off blind.
A few hours of echo-sounder sighting on Friday and feedback from the "fisherman's radio" confirmed most of these points, but also that fishing would be difficult.
We were therefore able to refine our strategy with Eric. The fishing would certainly still be difficult, and so the premium on big fish would pay because of the square-mesh system. So we decided to go for a pike with the aim of catching several, but figuring that with two or three, we'd probably be in with a chance.
We started with a power fishing session, I fishing the edge with a spinner and crank and Eric offsetting with a shad. The rim didn't give us anything, but we soon landed a nice 83-cm fish as fat as a pig and with magnificent colors.
Almost 7000 points, we'll be ranked, we're happy. We're going to insist a little on this peach, but we're not going to achieve anything.
We decide to get back early to check in at lunchtime and pick up our packed lunches, then change zones to see if the pike-perch are biting more than at prefishing. The area spotted is occupied by another competitor, so we find a very similar one, also holding pike-perch. But as with prefishing, they push the lures and pull the tails, making it impossible to get them to bite.
We insisted a little on another area, then decided to spend the last two hours in the same bay as in the morning, but only fishing offset, in depths of 8 to 9 m.
We're going to move several fish, on aggressive bites, on 20 cm shads, and bring in a second 65 cm one hour before the end of the round. Measure, we'll go back, but that'll be all.
On the way back, the forecasts were confirmed, the fishing was difficult for everyone, as always there were a few aliens, but it was very close behind. We're tenth, great.
The next day, weather conditions had changed, but we decided to stick to our strategy and return to the same bay and the same fishery. It was to be the same as the day before, with a few aggressive touches, and on a more straightforward touch, the fish was hooked, estimated at 70 cm, but it was to be unhooked.
A big blow to morale, we know it was worth a lot of money, a 5000-point ranking would have put us almost certainly in the top 20, and overall we would have done very well.
As on the previous day, we return early at the midday check-in and try to find perch or pike-perch to pick up, without success. We end up fishing for pike at the end of the session, but without success.
We're very disappointed with this Sunday, having missed out on something really nice, but it's fishing. We'll be back!
Technically, we mainly fished linear with 20 cm shads. Vertical fishing for pike-perch and a little cranking, lipless too.
For rods, Eric and I are rodbuilders professional assembler .
I've used several NFC blanks (North Fork Composites, Gary Loomis' brand), cranking with the CB704, an extraordinary blank, and the MB809, which is one of my favorites and perfect for shad and swim fishing up to 20 cm, i also fished with other blanks for perch (a Rainshadow 62MX extended with an NFC XO handle, an NFC SJ762), I also had prototypes in development, including one for vertical fishing.
Eric is very NFC too, with the SJ705 and 706 Delta and the MB767 Delta for the various pike programs, and others in common with me, CB704 and SJ762.
What are the difficulties encountered during the MFC in terms of fishing?
The main difficulty was getting organized for prefishing, and we'll do better next year.
During the competition, we're both mental fishermen, the doubt part exists, but never attacks motivation or concentration. As always, when fishing is difficult and few fish are caught, this makes it difficult to understand and therefore doesn't help guide us towards what is the bass of fishing: adaptation.
We were able to find something that paid off, but we had trouble changing channels when it didn't fit in. We need to make progress on this aspect, we know that, we talked about it at the debriefing.
The good things about your participation in MFC?
I did the MFC I with another crew member last year, and I really like the format. I'm one of those people who believe that the value of a competition is proportional to the number of entrants. Taking part in, or even winning, a competition with 12 boats doesn't have the same flavour as with over 50 last year or 100 this year.
For me, adversity is the very essence of competition. In this context, I'm a big fan of the MFC and hope with all my heart that the format can be perpetuated. And getting to know everyone is also very important!
Is there anything you'd like to see improved in the way MFC is run or organized?
It was really very good. Fluid, well thought-out, the novelty of pointing at noon is a good idea, it adds an extra strategic dimension, very good.
While I welcome the fact that the rules have been applied rigorously - for me, this is the key point concerning sporting fairness, which must be the basis of any competition - I think (and I've already discussed this with the organizers) that certain aspects of the sporting rules could be simplified.
It also seems that the application has been in its infancy, and given what's at stake, there's room for improvement, I think.
Will you be back for the Mercury Fishing Cup?
Most probably, yes, even if it's a big budget. The competition is really beautiful and the site magnificent, both aesthetically and in terms of fishing.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Eric for supporting me, and Goulven Dollé for his support in creating Rodhouse to enable us to fish with unique and exceptional rods. The pleasure is multiplied tenfold, every day, all year round, but also in competition...
