Bivvied up.

Well, here I am , in Bergerac, France, just took a walk down to the river Dordogne for a glimpse of what local anglers do, and I was very surprised to find them casually bivvied up, and fishing up to 5 rods apiece for Pike or Zander.

Their gear is not that far removed from Engish style Piking, apart from them using fairly pokey telescopic rods, and not bothering with Delkims or suchlike, they just cast in, place their rods in a rest pointing at the sky and wait for a fish to come along....

I was in a town called Saumur on the River Loire a couple of days ago, and when stood on the bridge, with polaroids it was easy to see big shoals of Chub, big ones 4 or 5 pounds, waiting behind the bridge buttresses for passing food morsels, the locals seemed to ignore them,and were fishing for very tiny silver fish, using whips.

I have not visited France before,and so far am finding the local styles of fishing intruiging, to me it appears that maybe they take their sport far more casually than we British do, anyway,now Im of for T.

Cheerio.

Dave.

they ignore the chub because they don't eat them . the tiny silver fish will end up on the hook for the black bass wish i was there

Saumur is one of the great wines, don't miss it while you are there.

And most of the French fishing effort goes into catching small fish for pan frying for the table, what they call 'goujons' - where Gudgeons reputedly got their name ! - or Pike / Zander for Quenelles de brochettes etc.

Anything else, like your big Chub and decent Carp (exceptnear Easter and Christmas) will be frankly ignored by the locals and are a pleasure to fishfor !

Good luck....

a couple of years ago they(the french)thought we was mad fishing a pike lake for the carp and putting them back !

be ween out to taste the local wine.....very "hic" nice.

Could get used to his place.

and I thought you was fishing