COARSE FISHING
The Vendée is one of the French
départements with the greatest
extent of rivers for freshwater
fishing. There are 4,500 kilometers
of waterways and 1,300 hectares (
2,600 acres) of lakes, mostly
formed by dams. All of these have the
water monitored for
cleanliness and quality to support fish
life.
You will find all types of fish common
to
English waters: carp, roach, perch, eel,
bream,
tench, chub, roach, plus pike , weels catfish ( up
to
3 meters ) and a few not-so-common fish such
as
mullet and the equally large sander and zander. An
unusual species is black-bass - well-known
in the
US apparently, but less so in the UK
In our village there is a canal literally a
few
hundred
yards from the gites which is good for angling and
runs
for quite a few kilometres (don't know exactly
how
many) and you can park your car alongside, so there
is
little walking or carrying involved. For the
keen
fisherman there is another major canal a 1/4 of a mile
from the other end of the village which is said to
be
very good. Most of the main roads in the area have
a
canal alongside which is fishable and
normally can
be
reached by car virtually right up to the swim
.
Carp are plentiful in all lakes and rivers
/ canals in the department. In fact carp are the new ‘must catch’ for all
anglers visiting the Vendée.
The waterways donot boast of record
catches but do have
large numbers of 3kg - 10kg fish with some
specimens 15kg
and over. The waterways are listed and mapped and some
are specifically designated for night fishing.To fish here you
need a permit and the Vendée has created a special tourist
license
which you can obtain over the counter from your
local
tabac.
Fishing guides for
the Vendée are available from tackle shops
and
tourist information offices in the area ( supposedly one
of the best
guides is available from the tourist office at
Chaillé-les-Marais -
which has one or two other good
publications giving hints on the best
spots to try on the
different lakes and rivers ). The guides show
rivers, lakes and other waterways, access, swims and parking facilities.
They show the special night fishing sites and the different types of fish
you are likely to find and information on all types of fishing and fishing
courses
Bait, including maggots and
worms are always available in the special fridges at the
fishing tackle section of large supermarkets like Super U and
Leclercs.
SEA FISHING
Unfortunately at this time I have no local information about
sea fishing in spite of the large number of harbours and fishing boats
only 25 minutes away. If anyone can bring me up to date I will be obliged.
There are fishing jettys with large square nets that can be hired by the
day ( as shown in the left photograph
).
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