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Hi, can you first introduce yourself to Pêche.com readers?
My name is Jean-Baptiste Barrere, and I've been a professional fishing guide since 2009. I've been fishing since childhood, and grew up in a family where nature, water and transmission were central. Very early on, fishing became much more than a hobby: it became a refuge, a means of expression and a strong link with the living world. I trained in Lozère, a region of rivers and lakes, where I acquired the technical, educational and safety skills that are essential to this profession. Over the years, I've developed a global approach to fishing, combining technique, teaching, observation of the environment and human relations.
Why did you become a fishing guide?
I didn't become a guide to "fish more", but to pass on my knowledge. At a very young age, I realized that what made me tick wasn't just catching fish, but explaining, accompanying and watching others progress. Competition has given me a lot of technical knowledge and a better understanding of fish behaviour. But above all, it taught me humility and to question myself. Becoming a guide was an obvious choice: it was the logical continuation of a career built on passion, commitment and sharing.
What kind of guidance products do you offer?
I offer guides to suit all profiles: beginners, experienced anglers, children, families or people with reduced mobility. I work on rivers as well as lakes, mainly freshwater, with different techniques depending on expectations and conditions. Each outing is designed as a tailor-made experience. It's not about applying a recipe, but adapting to the person, the place and the time. Guidance can be technical, educational, contemplative or simply focused on the pleasure of being at the water's edge.
What does being a fishing guide mean to you?
Being a fishing guide means above all providing support. It's not about showing what I can do, but about helping others to understand, to feel and to become more independent. A guide needs to know how to read the water, but also how to read people. To understand their expectations, blockages and emotions. Fishing then becomes a support, a pretext for learning, refocusing and sometimes revealing oneself.
Do you fish or not when you're guiding?
Very little. My role is not to put myself forward, but to make myself available. I sometimes fish to illustrate a gesture or a technique, but most of my energy is devoted to the customer. When I'm guiding, I'm there to observe, correct, encourage and reassure. The success of an outing is not measured by what I take, but by what the person leaves with.
What do you do when you're not guiding?
When I'm not guiding, the work goes on. There's equipment preparation, maintenance, communication, administrative management and thinking about future projects. I also sometimes fish for myself, far from any notion of performance, simply to reconnect with the water and the primary reason for this passion. These moments are essential for maintaining balance.
How do you see guiding in France?
Guiding in France is changing. Expectations are changing: people are looking less for raw performance and more for experience, meaning and authenticity. The profession is becoming more structured, but it must remain demanding. Being a guide can't be improvised. Teaching, ethics and safety must be at the heart of the profession. The guide is often the first contact between the angler and the natural environment, so his or her responsibility is an important one.
What advice would you give to those wishing to launch their own business?
I'd tell them to take their time. Don't rush things. Being a good fisherman is not enough to be a good guide. You have to enjoy passing on your knowledge, be willing to question yourself and understand that this profession requires a great deal of personal investment. Training, exchanging with other guides and remaining humble are, in my opinion, the keys to lasting success.
As a fisherman, what's your dream?
My dream is not a record fish. It's to continue to pass on this passion in a way that respects the living world. To see children, adults and people in need reconnect with nature through fishing. If, at the end of an outing, someone leaves feeling calmer, more confident or simply happy to have spent a moment by the water, then the dream is already there.
