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Photos of river scenes

Out for a walk and lunch today. The restaurant has an outside terrace overlooking the River Vincou that is mainly a trout river with a few barbel lower down. This view is of a landscaped part of the river that was formerly a chateau garden. Apparently yesterday someone hooked a large carp from the bridge and landed it some way upstream.

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Unexpected day fishing owing to the roofer knocking sick with covid. So I went to a local stretch of the Vienne I haven't visited for around 8 or 9 years.

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I had a few knocks on the bigger bait cast into deeper water but nothing on the feeder rod down the marginal shelf. For the last couple of hours I moved about 2km downstream near a hydro dam. Double maggot and maize on the feeder rod sorted this specimen..

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Then I hooked a cart horse. A quick knock followed by a rising bobbin resulted in an unstoppable walking pace 40 metre or more jaunt across the river. I could feel every beat of its tail. No stopping it and no turning it so I put my finger on the spool and the hook pulled free. Probably a catfish

At least I didn't blank.
 

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Unexpected day fishing owing to the roofer knocking sick with covid. So I went to a local stretch of the Vienne I haven't visited for around 8 or 9 years.

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I had a few knocks on the bigger bait cast into deeper water but nothing on the feeder rod down the marginal shelf. For the last couple of hours I moved about 2km downstream near a hydro dam. Double maggot and maize on the feeder rod sorted this specimen..

View attachment 18771

Then I hooked a cart horse. A quick knock followed by a rising bobbin resulted in an unstoppable walking pace 40 metre or more jaunt across the river. I could feel every beat of its tail. No stopping it and no turning it so I put my finger on the spool and the hook pulled free. Probably a catfish

At least I didn't blank.
Bit frustrating for us that cant fish the rivers at the moment ☹
 
Bit frustrating for us that cant fish the rivers at the moment ☹
The French system differs from the UK in that they ban all fishing on Category 1 waters outside the trout season and restrict methods used for predator fishing on Category 2 waters during the early part of the year. There are no restrictions or close seasons for coarse fish other than making certain areas no fishing zones during the breeding season.

What happens in practice around here is that they put down their guns in March and take to the trout waters until the end of April when they swap trout rods for predator tackle. Carp and barbel in the rivers and large lakes begin to spawn around early May so I fish for barbel and carp until the end of April then dust off the spinning rods.
 
Afternoon on the Rio Ter in Catalonia. Ended up onlly fishing for about an hour in total due to one thing and another, mainly other people putting the fish off :mad:

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This part has some Ebro Barbel in it, a species I haven't yet caught. The bank has subsided since I found the swim 2 years ago and it was riddled with ants. I gave it 45 minutes and went to a lowere stretch where there are hundreds of mullet.

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I had a woman come and stand right over the apron after I had carefully fed the fish in and then two spinners killed the swim for all but the last 15 minutes before I had to get back to the camp site for tea. Hooked one, lost one, caught nowt!
 
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Another day at the Rio Ter. Couldn't buy a bite for the first two hours, then couldn't hit the bites, then couldn't land the fish I did hook due to the hooks pulling out, then got broken three times, twice by rogue barbel amongst the mullet and once by the target species. Probably the most exciting session I have had in years. Certainly more break offs than in the last two years. The ebro barbel are only supposed to grow to 1.5kg, less than 4lb. These were over double that.
 
This the downstream side of the bridge. The whole area is teeming with mullet feeding on the rocks. You can see them in the photos. When I took these photos in January two years ago there were only mullet there. Now they have been joined by at least two barbel one is at leaxst 6lb, possibly 8lb. The locals fish with bread and rarely catch enythng. One local said that he had fished it every Sunday for two years and never had a fish.

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Further downstream the river is tree lined and more like a canal. A cess is more difficult, but there a few places where you can get in.

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We had a few days of rain and wind. the river has been a bit "off-colour" but I thought a few hours exploring a new stretch would fill some time usefully.

Although the fish did not play it was a wonderful scene. There will be fish here, I just have to pick the right time!

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....following from my last post, here is a photo taken from above the weir. Dark and mysterious, I think carp and silure will be the target here!

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Thanks to Alistair for this photo, I had left my camera with my tackle downstream.

The Japanese Knotweed is surrounding the lane leading to this swim, another month and it will be impassable! I just hope a younger, fitter angler feels this swim justifies an attack with a powerful strimmer soon. Though when the JK dies back in the early winter this deep section may hold some surprises.

That's what I love about living here, this part of the river Lot has the potential for huge fish in little explored "jungle" territory! :cool:
 
Yes, it's taken from towards the downstream end of the Sidings left bank, so opposite is the top end of Burt's.
What's the parking like to access the baa stretch, and is a bit of long walk,always meant to drive down for a look when on way to bridgnorth but never seem to get round to it
 
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