River Lot, France - a February barbel

[Steve Arnold]

Struggled this month but I am determined to get a barbel every month of this year - lockdowns allowing!

My third short session on the river this month, the first two blanks. A lot of water this year after so much winter rain, the flow is still too strong most places, but finally a couple of fish were feeding in an undercut bank swim.

Biggest only about 4.5 lb but it was a relief to get the February fish chalked up!

Both fish came in the first 15 minutes and in the next three hours I missed a couple of more bites.

This has been a difficult year so far but, if it's possible to get close to the river, there are still fish to be caught!

 

[mikench]

Well done.

 

[john step]

What bait did you use? I struggled in France to catch a barbel on anything until I put on good old sweetcorn then bang!

 

[Philip]

Well done. With temperatures rocketing up & a rare free day for me I plan to have a bash after a Barbel tomorrow.

Going to a venue that I always felt had the potential to throw up a big one but its rock hard. The upshot being its supposed to be a nice day so the thought of blanking in a bit of sun sounds appealing.

 

[Steve Arnold]

My first barbel, when I moved here, came on whole crevette.

I could not catch on boilies until my mate in Scotland sent me some Slayer Triple S 20mm (krill, glm). They worked a treat, with many chub and barbel since, best chub 5lb 14 ozs (if memory right!) and best barbel over 8lb. My best carp just shy of 20lb, think that was Triple S and "the Source" doubled up.

Since then I have found other boilies with fish bases and sea flavours work well. Krill, green lipped mussel and monster crab in combinations, glugs, soaks etc all work well.

Bait sizes from 10mm to 25mm catch anything from bream to carp. A slightly dumbelled 20mm is probably the best and avoids the occasional hordes of tiny barbel in the summer. That's the problem with sweetcorn - too many tiny fish!

I still use crevette baits and catch barbel and silure on them. Cooked or raw does not matter, my wife caught this silure on half a cooked prawn - she would not touch it!

 

[Steve Arnold]

I found a new information board near the barrage at Cajarc a few weeks ago. It gives a good picture of the wonderful river Lot and explains, in part, how the river has been tamed. Not sure if I shared it on the forum recently, but it's a useful map if anyone ever fancies to try fishing this river.

My usual fishing is done along the Cahors to Cajarc stretch. After three years I still have so much to learn about the fishing here, suits me just fine!

 

[mikench]

Catching a catfish would be my worst nightmare and I wouldn't touch it either.

 

[waldi]

What's the water temperature where you are?
My local river was full of big Chub and Barbel untill the water went below 7 degrees. Then they all disappeared.

According the local river authority the stretch I fish is a balmy 4.1 degrees at the moment but dropped a lot since last week so I'm tempted to give it a go on Sunday.

 

[Steve Arnold]

The Lot is a funny old river regards temperature! Getting a thermometer and charting catches and temps is my next part of the learning curve.

What I can tell you is that in December we had a lot more rain than usual and the river was high and felt very cold (expected).

In early January we had a spell of warm southerly winds and more rain. The river felt considerably warmer and I caught barbel.

February now is seeing warmer weather but the water feels much colder - my excuse for two blanks before this catch!

I think the warmer weather might now be causing snow melt from the Cantal Massif to feed and chill the river.

That's my reasoning but maybe the next year, and my buying a thermometer, will confirm how things work here. Always something new and fishing related for me to do!

 

[mikench]

Stop moaning it could be worse- you could be here. One day I'll be back and if I pop over to see my mate in Lauzerte I'll look you up.

 

[Steve Arnold]

Stop moaning it could be worse- you could be here. One day I'll be back and if I pop over to see my mate in Lauzerte I'll look you up.

That's not me moaning! Just me being engrossed in my very fortunate location ?

I follow this forum and see UK anglers have a lot of problems to deal with. English waters are more crowded than I ever experience here and you have to find out who owns/runs the fishery and spend a fair bit if you fish several waters. Not to mention the general flooding situation you have had in recent years!

Here I just buy the annual Carte de Peche for 100 euros and that gives me access to most of the rivers of France. I have seen one other angler fishing in my last three sessions and not one on my several walks over this winter. It's even more of a bonus to find what anglers there are around here are not that interested in barbel, chub and bream! There are a few fish for carp and pike but that's about it, I have gone months without seeing another angler on my favourite sections of the river!

I have been very fortunate to find this place, memories of fishing articles in the Creel (I think) magazine stuck and led me here.

 

[mikench]

Envy isn't a nice trait but I plead guilty.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Envy isn't a nice trait but I plead guilty.

Me too . . . . .

 

[eel611]

And me!!

 

[Steve Arnold]

Sometimes I show too many "sunny" photos and everything on the Lot can seem so perfect.

We have had a great deal more rain this winter than is normal for the area, the river was several metres above normal for weeks. Here are some photos of how the banks in many places have been left, if it was not for the heavily wooded nature of this stretch of river there would have been much more damage to farmland and property.

Some of my swims are totally choked with this mess now, fortunately a couple of new ones have been opened up. Looking forward to trying them this week as the river is looking so good!

Back to sunshine again - at last!

 

[Silure]

Catching a catfish would be my worst nightmare and I wouldn't touch it either.

Makes good eating.

 

[Silure]

On Thursday I will be fishing on the Vienne just down river of Availles-Limouzine at Le Barrage de Jousseau. A great river Wide and hardly any flow until they open the barrage gates. I will be fishing just left of the small road bridge on the feeder. A good spot for bream and Zander

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

On Thursday I will be fishing on the Vienne just down river of Availles-Limouzine at Le Barrage de Jousseau. A great river Wide and hardly any flow until they open the barrage gates. I will be fishing just left of the small road bridge on the feeder. A good spot for bream and ZanderView attachment 13562

Wrong side of Limoges for me, but might be tempted for a spin on the moto, if the fibre guy finishes early enough.
However I’m planning on using this week’s kitchen pass on a small lake just north of Alvignac in the Lot, I think not too far from Pelamid and Philip, time for a meet up, chaps?


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[mikench]

I would go if I could but wherever I was it's a long way.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

Kitchen pass confirmed for Wednesday!


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