A Fisherman’s paradise – Fishing in the Dordogne
France is a country of stunningly diverse landscapes. Its beauty is propelled into the hearts of its visitors with one of its greatest pleasures being the many impressive and imposing rivers the country proudly boasts. Like the country’s picturesque, well-maintained and relatively empty roads provide for a cyclist’s rapture, France’s great rivers entice a fisherman like the bait he is offering the fish.
Being named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it, the particularly beautiful Dordogne is home to some of the most remarkable rivers in France and consequently proves to be a fisherman’s paradise.
The Verzere is a 211 kilometre-long tributary of the great River Dordogne which flows through a pictorial landscape of abundant woodlands, meadows and hillsides. Fishing for trout is popular on the Verzere, although a degree of patience is required as its bed of peat and granite produces more ‘nervous’ fish than fat ones.
The mighty River Dordogne is home to grayling, pike, salmon, sea trout, shad and zander, although fishing for salmon and sea trout is prohibited on this river. From the towns of Argentat to Beaulieu the river is at its cleanest and is where you can fish for grayling. The Dordogne is a fast flowing river, although the hydroelectric barrage at Lalinde slows the river down, making it a good spot for wading.
Compared to the River Dordogne, the River Sorgue is a much slower flowing river due to a considerable number of weirs located along the river. Because of this, fishing conditions are more similar to those of a lake than a river, which appeals to the more amateur of fisherman.
It is important to note that a fishing permit, or ‘carte blanche’, is required to fish on any river in the Dordogne unless you book through a privately owned fishing holiday whereby licenses are usually included.
For more information on fishing in the Dordogne and France visit www.go-to-france.co.uk.