Finally (I hope!) Winter is finished with us. This last couple of weeks it feels like Spring, though we are still getting some heavy rain and even a couple of vicious thunderstorms.
The fishing has been very good, despite so much water flowing down the Lot, huge lumps being released a couple of times a day from the dams way upstream at the base of the Massif. This has been the wettest winter I have known since moving here, I have had to learn how to fish the river in an almost permanent spate!
Fortunately my sea fishing experience means I am not afraid to stick on a big lump of lead to fish the torrent. Over this winter I have rarely used less than 3 ounces and quite often it's been 5 ounces needed to keep on the river bed, that's fishing close to the bank and in back eddies!
The fish are still there to be caught, the current near the bottom is rarely as bad as it looks on the surface. Barbel in particular have developed their shape to deal with the strongest current, even carp and chub are well muscled after surviving this river their whole life. The sickly ones disappear to the sea past Bordeaux, their genes will not persist to weaken the stock in this river!
There are a few swims that have been especially productive. This river has canal sections that allow river boats to pass the many weirs. At the entrance and exit to these canal sections there is usually a pool of slack(ish!) water. I managed a 28 lb carp, a 4 lb 7 oz chub and a 4 lb barbel from one of these swims about two weeks ago.
Then last week went downriver with a friend to fish another similar swim, this time at the lock entrance. I gave my friend the "best" swim in a back eddy and I took a chance on the main river.
It paid off with him catching an 18 pound river carp and I managed six barbel between 4-6 pounds. In the churning current of the main river the barbel fought exceptionally well, great sport!
Alistairs carp ran 50 metres upstream, then into the main river current and back downstream at some great speed. Fortunately Alistair steered it into the back eddy and managed to keep it in that lock entrance pool, at that point I got this little video......
A few other recent photos....
One of those chub was over 5 pounds, the barbel topped at a little over 6 pounds. As the fishing is so close to me (10-20 minutes drive) I have only fished short sessions when the sun is shining.
This fishing life here is pretty good!
