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A slimy bonus silure!

  • Thread starter Deleted member 2708
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Sally and I went camping for her Birthday treat. We met up with friends at a campsite where the river Truyer joins the Lot, so Sally knew I would be fishing for at least a few hours.

We spotted a single barbel from the bridge in a town a few miles further up the Lot. So at least we had somewhere to start! At our campsite the river was very rocky and the current from the barrage too strong, so this bridge swim and just downriver was a contender.

Barbel from bridge.jpg


But heavy overnight rain caused thousands of muddy rivulets to stain the crystal waters of the Lot. We fished where the river enters the top of the barraged lake and the flow slowed, elsewhere it was a muddy torrent.

No barbel, but I caught a silure using a tiny worm bait on a size 14 hook to 4lb line. The intended quarry was a gudgeon or roach to use as bait - but the silure could not wait to play and jumped the queue!

Silure top of lake.jpg


That fish took me around every snag in about 40metres of river! When I finally drew it to the net there were cheers from the tourists on the embankment behind me!

Alistair Estaing.jpg


Fishing buddy Alistair was not so lucky, but looked happy just being there. What a wonderful setting at Estaing, a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region of Southern France.

It's a wonderful life here! 😍
 
I had a few hours on the Lot at St. Cirq Lapopie last month. I couldn't get to where I wanted to fish but found a few bream to around 5lb close to the camp site. Also found three or four good swims for next time. The little restaurant at St Gervais is worth a detour!

Back, home I have been restricted to peche douce owing to a hernia repair op'. I took a little rod and some worms to a small river near home for some no pressure fishing. On my way back to the car I got talking to a French angler who had landed a 170 cm + silure from there last week. That would have tested my 16 hook to 1lb bottom!


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I had a few hours on the Lot at St. Cirq Lapopie last month. I couldn't get to where I wanted to fish but found a few bream to around 5lb close to the camp site. Also found three or four good swims for next time. The little restaurant at St Gervais is worth a detour!

Back, home I have been restricted to peche douce owing to a hernia repair op'. I took a little rod and some worms to a small river near home for some no pressure fishing. On my way back to the car I got talking to a French angler who had landed a 170 cm + silure from there last week. That would have tested my 16 hook to 1lb bottom!


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Hi Clive, I have never caught much at the campsite stretch, a few roach but no barbel. Less than a 1k downstream I have had them in winter and usually about 2k upstream they are usually regular captures.

This season has not been kind to me with barbel, all my usual swims have brought only the odd 2lb fish. Slipping into despair just now! I had one good catch of 5 barbel between 4-6lb early season, a couple of 4 fish catches early spring nearer Cajarc and now .....where are they????

I have been rather incapacitated myself recently, slipped down off a wall and fell across tiled steps. All trying to rescue a cat that would probably have got off the rood itself!!! Sprained ankle and walloped knee that will not lock now, made my camping expedition a sore one! Walking across shingle nearly finished me for the weekend!

Funny weather this year, thought the rain would help the fishing. Anyway, the fishing can only get better!
 
Steve, sorry to hear of your accident. Hope it eases soon. Where are the fish? No idea! Three sessions stalking carp in large lakes- rien! Two sessions in reliable barbel swims - zilch! Even the small river is fishing strangely. Normally I would expect seven species. The other day I managed just four and the previous two sessions were blanks. Even the birds on our bird table have disappeared. Not seen a blue tit, great tit or finch for over 3 months. Normally we have thirty a time on or around the feeders.

I have seen some cracking swims upstream and down from St Cirq. I'll be back once I'm fit (and the brats are back at school).
 
I had a few hours on the Lot at St. Cirq Lapopie last month. I couldn't get to where I wanted to fish but found a few bream to around 5lb close to the camp site. Also found three or four good swims for next time. The little restaurant at St Gervais is worth a detour!

Back, home I have been restricted to peche douce owing to a hernia repair op'. I took a little rod and some worms to a small river near home for some no pressure fishing. On my way back to the car I got talking to a French angler who had landed a 170 cm + silure from there last week. That would have tested my 16 hook to 1lb bottom!


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Probably the restaurant is at Saint-Géry. St Gervais is someone with an ego that tells him he is funny!

Anyway, the fishing has been peculiar, but if we keep at it they will feed again. Doubt the winter floods have swept them to the sea! 👍
 
Yes, my mistake. It was St Gery. We stopped off for lunch there on the way back home. That and le Cantou in St Cirq were the best we found.
 
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