Meandering Angler: Fishing in France, part 5

Bill Lynch recommends you cast your net wide before attempting to catch a French fish.|

I learned that you just can’t step off the plane at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and go fishing, even if a river runs through the heart of the city. And once you are out in the countryside, it’s no easier.

Dottie and I headed for France in early September and I’d planned to try Paris “street fishing,” followed by trout or giant catfish angling in Burgundy on the Saone River, then trout fishing at the foot of the Alps near Annecy.

There are actual fishing opportunities in all those locations and many more all over France, but it isn’t just a matter of getting a license and casting in a line. The regulations are quite complicated, as are the seasons and the places one is allowed to fish.

The closest I came was with a guide near Annecy. We were all set to fish with him when the rains came and blew out the river. So, even with good planning, stuff happens.

All that said, I learned some things for my next meander in France. There are two very interesting websites that offer assistance in connecting anglers with guides and accommodations.

Nicolas de Toldi, a Frenchman who lives in Normandy, calls himself a “field advisor,” not a fishing guide or travel agent. His website, Gourmetfly.com, offers connections to fishing and hunting guides, sites and accommodations in France and Spain. He has family in the Pyrenees, Bordeaux, Provence and the Jura, and connections with dozen of guides in virtually all good fly-fishing areas of France and Spain.

More than that, he takes pride in finding rich cultural experiences to share, including stays in lovely cottages in the countryside that are small enough to allow you to get to know the people who live there. Nick was the one who connected me to Marco, the fishing guide in Annecy.

Nick’s French phone number is +33 6 83 25 84 09, but it is probably better to contact him by email at gourmetfly@gmail.com.

Rodmaps.com is the second French fishing site I contacted to set up a fishing adventure in pursuit of the giant catfish that dwell in the rivers that run through Burgundy.

Like Gourmet Fly, Rodmaps specializes in connecting you to guides located all over the country who know their areas. Matthieu and Nicolas are two young tech-savvy guys who love fishing and decided to put their skills and avocation to good use.

“We want to gather around a single platform all the actors working in fishing tourism in France and communicate their offers nationally and internationally. Rodmaps bring together passionate professionals and hosts from all over France… You want to fish in France but you do not know where, when or how? Find the best offers from fishing guides and lodges in France and book them with a few clicks,” Matthieu and Nicolas declare on their website.

Check out rodmaps.com and gourmetfly.com if you want to fish in France before you go. Don’t wait until it is too late like I did.

Closer to home, if you love salmon, mark your calendar for November 16 for the annual Golden State Salmon Association Sonoma dinner to be held this year at Viansa Winery. This year’s local honoree is Erich Pearson, founder of Sparc Farm at the Gordenker Ranch in Glen Ellen. Erich is a biodynamic cannabis farmer and salmon supporter, and his water practices in Sonoma Valley help keep the local watershed sustainable and clean.

For tickets: eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-ggsa-sonoma-salmon-celebration-tickets-71921544275.

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