The discovery
It was in summer that I discovered a huge playground with equally huge possibilities, not far from Marennes. When I go on vacation, I always have two rods in the boot of the car, which take up a minimum of space and enable me to fish with lures or natural bait. As a versatile freshwater angler, I'm always able to adapt to the fish I'm after.
On the other hand, I'm a poor candidate for sea fishing. My knowledge of the tides - high, low and slack - is very poor, which means I'm often at a loss for words, despite the pleasure of going to the water's edge and breathing in the sea air. As it happens, this summer's summer rental was not on the Ile d'Oléron, but on the mainland near the citadel of Brouage.
A little history
Founded in 1555, the town was a major trading center with access to the sea via the Gulf of Brouage. In the seventeenth century, 4,000 inhabitants, mostly wealthy merchants, lived here. I used the imperfect tense, implying that today nothing is the same. Today, the three communes of Marennes-Hiers-Brouage have a total of 6,175 inhabitants.
Today, the marshes around Brouage stretch as far as the eye can see, and you have to travel a few kilometers to see the ocean, or rather the Marennes basin. The Golfe de Brouage is no more, it has silted up, seawater has turned into freshwater and the once-exploited salt marshes have become a mixture of canals and fields. Carp and birds have taken over: this is our playground!
Time for action
The scouting took place in July, by chance, and my father-in-law and I are going to take a tour of this area with its many canals. At first, there were no fish in sight, as the water was rather tinted. A few bubbles later, however, and we can make out some nice-sized carp. All that's left is to lure them in.
Now for the action. A 3.50 m telescopic rod, a size 3000 reel with fairly strong line (25/100), a 2 g Toulouse cork and a classic leader with a size 8 hook. In fact, this is what's in my tackle box when I go on vacation, the bare minimum...
As for the bait: a good old tin of cheap corn from the local supermarket will do the trick. The morning after this discovery, it was time for some miraculous fishing. In glorious sunshine, we baited our lines with a handful of corn kernels.
A few moments later, a few pretty specimens came to visit the simple and effective set-ups. The absence of trees and roots makes it easier to control the fish, but it's also a disadvantage, as you have to keep away from the edges. These are all common carp with beautiful scales. Of course, they don't grow to astronomical sizes and weights (although I did see a few solid specimens), but they are rather long-limbed and above all very dynamic. It's worth pointing out that there's also a sizeable population of carassins, also of good size.
So, if you're heading to the Charentes-Maritimes coastline, think oysters, but don't forget the potential carp.
