/ 
Live fishing
I know that some fishermen catch them when trolling. But it's a practice that doesn't appeal to me. The other reports I've had of pike being caught on lures have been totally accidental. It's all very anecdotal.
However, in a chat with an angler last spring, I learnt that thanks to his echo sounder fitted with a "live" probe, he was able to target these trout specifically. This much-discussed technology could be the way to catch these mysterious fish...
I confess I'm not a fan of this technology. But this fish is so bewitching...
The idea is slowly gaining ground. I did some research and watched a few videos. Notably those of a famous angler, Will , a technology specialist, who successfully targets these famous trout. Information, however, is very scarce. All I can remember is the shape of the echo, which in the case of a trout would resemble a "waving flag"...
It wasn't until several months later that I had the opportunity to visit this great lake again. The period reputed to be favourable has long since passed, but nothing ventured...
I'm on the boat of a friend who is very familiar with llive technology. However, he's not too confident about our chances of catching salmonids. So we're going to prospect as a team. He'll attack all the typical pike echoes and I'll try all the echoes qualified as "trout not excluded".
I might as well say it straight away: we'll never see this "flag" or "wave" shape described.
Whatever the result, the day is already a success. What a setting!
We move forward slowly, sweeping the probe in front of and around the boat. We target a depth of up to 15 m to get good definition. Echoes are rare and tend to be in the lower zone, between 10 and 15 m. I've chosen to use soft lures and the main difficulty will be to get my lure down fast enough on the fish I've spotted.
The sharpshooting game
After several trials of lure weight, shape and texture, I feel I'm becoming more effective. But the only result obtained from these first attempts was a timid follow-up, which was quickly aborted.
Until this echo, no more significant than the previous one. We take the time to observe it, then decide together to believe in our chances. So I cast. I'm right on target, my lure comes close. The fish spots it and follows it for several meters before stopping. The sharpshooting game quickly takes hold and my heart starts pounding. I let my lure drop, which again arouses the fish's curiosity. He comes back, follows again, accelerates and it's the touch, followed by an endless rush. My reel spool spins again and again, so much so that we start the internal combustion engine so that I can recover some of my line. The fight now takes place right under the boat. It's heavy but not very nervous and I'm thinking catfish. It goes on for a few minutes, then the fish comes to the surface... Stupefy, it's really a trout! I'm convinced that the sight of the boat won't please it at all and that a new rush is imminent. The landing net is already in the water. I keep the pressure on and slide it gently into the net. And there it is. Joy erupts on board. It's amazing the emotion that can come from catching a fish.
But what an incredible fish, a true marvel.
We won't have another opportunity that day, as the wind will soon pick up making prospecting impossible.
No matter, I'll always remember this day, this fish.
Thanks to this famous beginner's luck!
