River Lot France

[Gav Barbus]

Hello chaps I would like to know if any of the budget airlines fly into this area as it looks nice and the fishing sounds fantastic .Any information on the best areas and what to expect would also be appreciated, I am really interested in the barbel and carp fishing .Please help thanks Gav.

 

[EC]

It would help if we knew where in France it was Gav!

 

[Gav Barbus]

South West EC near Toulouse it sounds the bees knees.

 

[EC]

Link me up man!

Suss out the nearest airport and see if easyjet/flybe/ryanair or whoever fly there!

 

[Gav Barbus]

I have had a look but sometimes like Reus near the ebro you can get closer to the fishing than say Barcelona but I am not sure if there are any of these little airports near by or what they are called .

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

I have knowledge and pictures...but will I share them????????

 

[Gav Barbus]

Don't make me beg on this forum posh.Its all about sharing information with your fellow anglers ,come on you know you want too and it will give you a warm glow inside knowing you have helped me fill my boots with wine and fish.

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Pull yourself together man, can't abide the sight of a gent of the angle begging. Only reason to do so is when fleeing one of them ruffe slappers!

I have sent information!

Posh

 

[Evan]

I haven't fished it but I stood and had a long look at the Lot and Lot valley on my way to pick up my wine from St. Emilion (hem hem....) and it is just gorgeous, absolutely fishtastic.

Two minutes looking in the margins with polaroids on = enough fish to restock most british rivers twice over.

Definitely interested to hear how you do and what and where on your return....

(And whatever else you do DO go visit St. Emilion....
Have a pichet of local red in one of the high street bistros sitting out on the pavement in the sunshine. It will almost certainly be just about the best red wine you have ever drunk at the price.
The reason ? St. Emilion only bottles their very very best.
The second best it doesn't bottle or sell in case of the unscrupulous labelling it up as if grand cru and thereby ruining the appellation's reputation.
So what happens to the second best ? it is kept for local consumption at 2? a pichet.... (and the undrunk remainder goes for brandy distillation)
And Second best St. Emilion is better than 99% of everyone else's best of the best, even without years in the cask and bottle. Seriously, an Omlette fines herbes, green salad and a pichet of red there is one of the really great meals of my life. Do your tastebuds a favour !)

 

[Gav Barbus]

Cheers Posh got the mail but can't get the attatchmemt to work but it could be my inept computer skills .Cahors is the region were I was thinking of going too were abouts did you have a look Evan as it sounds alright there too.The area in general looks beautiful add fish filled rivers and bingo.I have found some cheapy flights to limoges about 90 miles from Cahors so thats not too bad its looking like I can sort it for next to nowt even if I have to kip on the bank or in the car.Any more input would be great .

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

I'll see if I can send the attachment in another form to you.

I prefer upstream of Cahors to Carjac and beyond. This is the Lot carving through some stunning scenery. Although it is a big river it is generally relatively shallow up to about 5 - 6 feet.Locals seem to focus on Brochet and Sandre (Pike and Zander to vous et moi)

In terms of piccies for you Gav I'll try to set up an album here on FM to give you some flavour.

As I said contact me if you need any advice. Just to confuse matters if you were flying into Limoges you could also consider fishing the Viennes, the weir in Confolens is crawling with fish!

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Sorry Gav,

All my piccies are too big for the FM gallery, not sure how I can make them smaller in size?

I'll try the attachment again

Posh

 

[Gav Barbus]

Will do Posh thanks mate ,Limoges looks like my best option price wise from this area you can't get to birmingham peak time for what I can get over there for .If there are other more productive areas I would definatly consider them as well, Viennes would cut down the travelling too.Put some piccies up Posh just to wet the whistle so to speak.

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Gav,

I've just emailed the attachment to you through another route. Hope that works.

Posh

 

[GrahamM]

Paul, send a few of the pics to me and I'll send them back ready to be uploaded to the gallery.

 

[Evan]

Cahors looks good too mate ! Big envy....

Sorry to say I can't say the same about Cahors wine tho. 'Robust' is the usual tactful description.... though there are one or two better than average.

If you're out that way then don't miss Roccamadour (Roche d'Amour) - both the town and the cheese !

The town is a beautiful miracle of architecture piled on architecture up the side of a sheer cliff, and the cheese is a goaty pat of tart but also creamy delicacy. And if you're a twitcher take your binocs, watch the huge eagles soaring and flying in the updrafts and over the cliff. Oh, and don't miss Roland's sword buried in the hill.

BIIIIIG envy. *Sigh*

 

[Evan]

Mind you, I know nothing at all about the French rules (if any) about rod licences and permits and similar. Would be interested to know.

Maybe, given my state of ignorance, I should take a fishing holiday in Poland this summer. Repay the compliment, as it were.....

Now, off to Google to find the largest, poshest and most public ornamental lake in Warsaw. That might help get a bit of reciprocal press attention out there ))

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

The French are big on licences, and pay a lot more per annum than we do. The money then goes to local associations. There are a few departments where no licence is necessary, mainly in the North. However most of France requires a licence. The exception tend to be the plein d'eau - small lakes on the edge of villages and towns. You can normally fish these without a licence. Check first.

If you fish a river you need a licence.

The local tourist office normally holds details of where you can fish, normally with a useful map.

I always get a "Carte de Vacances" which is a 16 day licence available from June to October (check dates).

Where you can get them from is always an exciting challenge? The larger towns have tackle shops - the one in Cahors is on an alley off the old market square! Otherwise start at the Post Office and work your way around. In Entraygues( on the Lot) it's the shop that sells ladies dress making materials, hats, a bit of fishing tackle!!

Ironmongers and seed merchants are always worth a try.

I have never been asked for a licence or ticket ever in France (mind you the last time I was asked for my licence in the UK was when I was 15 - reverse numbers for current age!)

I have no problem paying the money - the quality of the rivers and lakes is superb.

You can fish anywhere you can access the river. There are separate rules for premier and deuxime categorie rivers and YOU MUST CHECK LOCAL CONDITIONS FOR NIGHT FISHING.

Hope this is of some little use.

Posh

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Evan,

You must have some bad examples of Cahors! I found lots of lovely stuff.

If you are in the region visit the Saturday afternoon/evening market in Carjac (upstream of Cahors). There is one whole road of local Cahors producers to sample and buy. You can taste at each stand and be pissed by the end of the row.

Careful though for the French are getting very hot on drinking and driving

Posh (hic)

 

[Smokedodger]

Bit late coming in to this thread but Ryan Air and Flybe go into Bergerac airport,which is,I think,about 60 miles from Cahors.I'm lucky enough to be working in France at the moment just outside Villeneuve-sur-Lot but have not had the chance to fish the river yet but the sport I've been having in the local lakes has been really good. Had a trip to Cahors the other day and the Lot in places looked "mouthwatering" to say the least.When are you thinking of going Gav as might be able to arrange a meet up etc.