Tuesday 2 July 2013

Fishing the River Charente in France - June 2013


I am fortunate to have access to a little cottage down in the Charente-Maritime region of France as it belongs to my step-mum. It's a beautiful little place in a small village that is a 15 minute drive from the banks of the River Charente. This river is pretty special and unique in many ways. There are no weirs or barrages on it's lower length and the influence of the tide is felt some 60km upstream on big tides. Twice a day, every day the river rises and falls and changes direction. It is a deep, powerful river with an average discharge of 40m cubed per second at the mouth and a basin area of 10,000km squared!

The river is famed for it's huge head of carp which run up to 30kg in size and it's considered one of the finest rivers in the country for this branch of the sport. It is also home to the huge predatory Wells Catfish having produced specimens well over 50kg. Other freshwater species include roach, bream, chub, dace, crucians, eels, pike, perch and zander in abundance. There is also a huge head of migratory fish that run the river many, many kilometers inland in the form of the Allis Shad and the Mullet in the summer months.

Anyone can fish in the rivers in France, all it takes is the purchase of a 'Carte de Peche' licence from the local fishing shop. These can either be bought for the year, week or day. With the licence you are supplied with a great map of all the rivers and lakes in the region you have access to and a booklet describing all the waters, how to find them and how best to fish them. Very handy!

My licence and guide book that comes with it. 30 Euros for a week.

There is so much water in France and with relatively so few anglers it really is a pleasure to fish compared to the crowded and pressured waters of the UK. They have a sensible policy of what you can take (if you wish) and what has to be returned and a well thought out MLS for all of these species too. You are able to fish anywhere you choose and are able to cross any rural farm land to access the rivers of your choice. Night fishing is allowed for carp only (no live bait permitted after dark) on certain designated stretches, of which there are many kilometers. How civilised! I'm tempted to move there..........

Signs showing where it's possible to carp fish overnight.

I have only literally scratched the surface of the potential of this river. I first went for 3 days in 2006 with my brother and at the time we were both keen carp anglers. We spent 2 nights on the river and just picked a randomly good looking spot, piled a load of bait in and fished over the top of it. We had 4 runs the first night, being smashed up by nearly all of the fish bar one which I managed to land. Not huge, a mid double maybe....but what power they have!

My first ever River Charente Carp back in 2006

Due to the nature of their environment they are shaped like torpedos and made of pure muscle. So different to the over fed 'pigs' we have in our UK lakes here. The fish we lost must have been considerably bigger, but we'll never know quite how big. With our 2.5lb test curve UK carp gear we were seriously under-gunned. The second night my brother stole the show as he latched into a beast of a fish which we weighed at 21 lbs. From the way it was going we thought it was twice the size. Very impressive indeed - I can only imagine what a beast twice the size would do!

My brother with his 21 lb beauty back in 2006

I have just returned from a weeks holiday down there with my girlfriend who is very understanding of my fishy obsession. I dug my carp gear out of the shed for old times sake and also took all my usual float and feeder gear to target the other species. I didn't do that much fishing but spent 24 hours camped out by the river after the carp and a couple of evening sessions fishing the feeder to see what was about during the week.

I found the feeder fishing fascinating. The river is absolutely stacked with fish, there must be huge numbers in there. Catching bream, hybrids, small carp and crucians was no problem at all, the bream fight like tigers in this river too. My 6lb hook link was snapped on the first evening by something weighty, the rod just hooped over and kept on going. My tackle stood no chance, I suspect a lumpy carp was the culprit. I was disappointed not to have come into contact with any of the resident roach though....I do like roach.

A possible roach x bream hybrid  taken on the feeder and worm bait.

On the second evening I hooked something that had real pace to it, taking off upstream and stripping line off the reel in the process. I charged up the bank after it and regained some line with the fish thumping away and making speedy runs all the while in the strong current. The fish then broke surface and I was able to identify it as a good mullet in the 5 to 6 lb bracket. Unfortunately the hook popped out on the next run and the fish was gone. This was on a feeder fished worm 30km inland from the sea! Unlucky!

Surprisingly hard fighting Bronze Bream of the River Charente.

The carp fishing was great, I don't do a lot these days but the idea of incredibly hard fighting and wild fish from a river really gets me going. It was lovely to just sit there and take in the surroundings. There was plentiful wildlife to see - we got up close with a buzzard and had a kingfisher perch on one of the rods. Wonderful!

Bivvied up on the banks of the River Charente.

The bream were occasionally a pest, picking up my large 20mm boilies every now and then. We did manage to get one sizeable hard fighting common carp on the bank just after daybreak and lost another (probably bigger) as well a little later that morning. The fact that you are always in with a chance of a real leviathan is enough for me on this special river though.

Best carp of the 2013 trip for me, a lovely early morning fish.

We also managed a trip down the surf beaches of the Atlantic coast where we camped for the night. These beaches are awesome, undoubtedly offering some splendid surf fishing. I didn't have the right tackle with me to have a proper go but spent an hour at both dusk and dawn the following morning flicking a few lures around off a rocky headland for the bass. They weren't playing ball though despite good conditions.

Having a go for a bass on  the Atlantic Coast - they had other ideas though!

I will be back to France for sure, it's easy to forget just how much incredible fishing there is right on our doorstep. 4 hours on the ferry and a 5 hour drive is all it takes. There is much unfinished business on the River Charente for me. Until the next time!

3 comments:

  1. Hi. Any info on fishing river charente, nr taugon

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have just moved to France and live further upstream on the Charente near Ruffec. The river water level is very changeable and walking the banks I have sighted very few fish. I have been beginning to think that pollution and predation had taken its toll but your article has given me renewed hope.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. see my blog Awriterinfrance.......the river is teeming near Verteuil - even saw flyfishers this week

      Delete