Back to the riverside
It's been 6 months since our first-category rivers were closed, and it's always a great pleasure to put on our waders, set up our rods and prepare our equipment for the big return to the water's edge!
Some anglers, including myself, are mainly river anglers, and even though I personally fish almost all year round and for many species of fish, always with a fly, the first river trip in search of trout is a special moment that I can't miss.
The aim is not to catch fish, but above all to go back and see how our favorite fishing spots have evolved. If the trees haven't fallen over too much, with the storms we suffer a little more each year, see the water levels, if the first insects are starting to come out and smell the atmosphere that reigns around a beautiful trout river.
Locating fishing spots
Personally, I also go there to scout out my fishing spots so that I can go fishing myself, but above all to take my clients there afterwards. As a guide, every year you have to go back to each spot to see the state of the waterways and check that nothing has changed so that you can take your trainees there in good conditions.
Rivers change from year to year. Right of way, river maintenance, sometimes river configuration, etc., are all part of the process.
I like to visit several rivers or spots in the same day and go for walks. Being in nature and on the banks of beautiful Breton rivers.
Of course, the desire to fish is great, and I take advantage of it to fish as much as possible, but I pass many areas to cover ground and see different corners.
The first trout have arrived
This year, I was only able to go for a few hours for family reasons.
The weather's great and it's nice to be out on the water. Unfortunately, it's very windy on this Saturday, March 8, and not ideal for fly fishing.
The gusts can reach over 50 km/h, making fishing difficult. Casting is less precise, drifting more complicated to manage and bite detection less detectable.
For a few years now, I've been fishing mainly with nymphs on line, because this technique allows me to fish close to the bottom and slowly, which appeals to trout that don't move much in cold water and will only be out for a few hours at most!
Levels are much lower than in the last two years, despite a wet winter. But where is all this water going? Rivers are becoming real flushes. Levels are rising and falling much faster than in the past. Wetlands are becoming rarer. Urban areas are expanding, and the water flows straight into the river and then out! In short, for a guide, having water in the river is becoming a luxury! Remember 2022. Even in Brittany, we had to cope with a terrible drought.
It would be a while before I caught the first trout of the season. A nice fish of about 25 cm that will take my nymph in a hare's ear in the edge of a deep hole where they like to hang out at the start of the season.
She'll make beautiful candles and go off in all directions! It's always a pleasant moment to feel that characteristic wriggling. The same tension when it's time to put the fish in the net! The first one counts for a lot! Even if Breton trout aren't as big as in limestone regions, they're plentiful and very combative.
The season is launched!
Nothing happens in the currents. I always look for different types of post, but the trout are often concentrated in the slower, deeper areas to save their energy. Sometimes, I'll do several on the same spot, as happened to me last year at the opening.
Later, after chopping down a few branches and scouting out different routes, I caught a second trout of the same type, which was also very combative and gave me a few acrobatic jumps!
In any case, the season is off to a great start and it feels really good to be on the banks of these rivers!
This week, I'm going to continue to visit almost every corner where I take my customers to do an "inventory of fixtures" and see if everything is in order.
I'll be taking the opportunity to test out some new equipment, the last flies I've tied during the break, and fish for my own pleasure before devoting all my time to my trainees who will be coming from all over France.
