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Shortly after the opening of trout fishing in the river, Jean-Baptiste Vidal decided to organize two Masterclasses in the company of Stéphane Legentilhomme, an Ariège fishing guide and competitor.
Two groups of 4 anglers took part in an "intensive" course on all aspects of nymph line fishing, alternating explanatory and practical phases, with the aim of helping them make rapid progress with targeted content adapted to each individual.
Two turnkey courses with full-board accommodation in a single room, teaching, support and organization.
Cohesion evening
Each course begins the evening before with an evening get-together at an aperitif-dinner, so that participants and instructors can get to know each other and "break the ice".
The aim of this evening is to get to know the fishing career of each participant, as well as their level and expectations. It's in an excellent atmosphere that these moments of sharing will take place!
On this occasion, Stéphane will explain the course and its content, which we have been able to adapt and modify on the basis of the information gathered during this first evening.
Participants will be staying at the charming chambres d'hôtes in the organizer's home town of Elliant (29), where breakfast and table d'hôte dinners will be served. Lunch will be served on the water's edge under a beautiful Breton sun! The weather was very pleasant and perfect for these four days.
Revision of the throw to get off to a good start
Each first morning will begin with a review of casting techniques specific to wire nymphs, which will also take into account the angler's positioning in relation to the target, and then the setting of the imaginary drift. This part will take place on grass and a tarpaulin to eliminate other factors (current, riparian vegetation, etc.) which may disturb this learning and perfecting phase of casting with small, light nymphs.
Each participant takes a turn to demonstrate his or her technique and validate or compare his or her approach. Stéphane will then correct and add other important points in this very important phase of setting up the line, to help each trainee fine-tune his or her technique.
Straight casting, back casting, inclined casting, with or without anchoring the fly at the back will be worked on and analyzed. The cast is crucial for setting up the line and the flies, and needs to be worked on and executed with precision and accuracy.
It's really interesting to work on this whole phase so that we can then tackle throwing in real conditions and get off to a good start.
Setting the scene
The trainees will then be put through their paces individually in front of the other trainees by tying their own line, so as to see how they manage the depth of the station and therefore the positioning and spacing of the flies, use one or two flies, choose their nymph(s) and their weight, and start prospecting.
It's a good idea for everyone to observe how the others approach this phase, to draw conclusions and compare notes. Stéphane will of course take the opportunity to validate or correct their approaches with his experience as a guide and competitor.
Participants will then move on to different fishing spots to tackle different fishing profiles and situations that require them to change rigs and adapt their fishing.
Stéphane will give a few demonstrations, and will also answer questions that arise at every stage of the day, as it goes along, but also at the end of the day during the debriefing at the chambres d'hôtes, during the aperitif (in moderation) and before the evening meal.
Review and practice by job type
The second day is devoted to reviewing what has been validated and/or what needs to be worked on. First of all, each participant takes a turn to share with the whole group the gestures and parameters to be improved and worked on. For the rest of the morning, they will be put through their paces with or without a trainer, depending on what they feel like doing.
Throughout the day and especially in the afternoon, trainees will be able to practice and see how to modify every detail that is important for fishing with one nymph, two nymphs, but also dry nymphs. Stéphane, and the organizer, will spend time with each trainee to give them personalized advice and help them progress, show them other facets of casting, how to achieve beautiful drifts, position themselves, tackle a more technical corner, etc...
The corners chosen by the organizer on the Odet river enabled us to work on numerous situations and types of positions, as well as approaches and techniques.
At the end of the day, a debriefing of the day, then a final one, will take place at the water's edge to take stock of the entire course, answer any final questions and hear their opinions on the organization and satisfaction of the group and individuals.
These two Masterclasses, the first of their kind in Brittany, were a great success. Participants were unanimously delighted with the initiative and the content of the courses. Another Masterclass took place last January on reservoir fishing, led by one of the world's fly-fishing champions, and was also a great success.
Jean-Baptiste plans to organize other Masterclasses, as these events are very popular, particularly in Brittany for the many anglers in the Grand-Ouest region, where they have never before been set up and offered. These highly specialized courses enable participants to make rapid progress and benefit from the experience of the speakers, in particular a specialist in each technique.
