Good morning from Afghanistan..
does anyone have any links regarding places to fish and if licence is needed etc, I have a friend visiting soon in Lot-et-garonnne who wants to do some fishing.
Any help will be great
Slightly off topic but still on fishing - are there riparian rights in France?
Whilst I do not fish I do have a category 1 river running through my land - would I or a guest still require a licence to fish from 'my' banks??
Thanks David for the link and thank you all for the insight and very useful information indeed
I agree fishing by the kilo can be expensive. I learnt that when fishing with my son's partner! The trick is to fish till you catch enough for supper then stop.
Re spawning; a lot of 'put and take fisheries' fish all round for Rainbow Trout, which appear not to spawn outside of fish farms, or where there is sufficient clean running water. I do not know about other areas, but around me there are a lot of farms with ponds that open them a few times a year, usually around April - June/ July and charge around 8 euros for the day with an extra 10 euros for lunch.
Much to my snobbish disapproval, fishing for Trout with a spinner or worm is allowed; Shock, Horror!!! I was looked at in disbelief when I turned up to a day's fishing in our commune with a fly rod, even more amazement when I used a spoon to investigate what the Trout had been dinning on!
Brian F. I am not an angler but bro-in-law is fanatical but without any French, so I had to do it for him. Including finding information about public fishing I probably spent 10 minutes tops, including buying his permit. Also it depends where you are, there appear to be black spots where there is little private fishing and the public is dire, so really even if going to a particular base, Mark's for example, it is useful to search before going there. The private fishing, I have been told for the future, is by far the better option but paying for a day then the fish by the kilo on top can be quite costly - especially on a good day.
I've sent you a PM on Facebook, Mark, with a link to carp fishing lake near Villereal...
Most of the comments are correct here. I fish for coarse, trout and salmon in France and the effort needed to buy a licence, find the fishing and then fish may well outweigh the enjoyment at the end of the day. There are plenty of commercial fisheries and if your friend is here simply for a visit I would look those up and use them. They will be infinitely more productive than public waters. Tight lines!
Thanks very much for the useful information and I will note it down and forward it on, very helpful indeed guys.
Afghan is busy, probably the busiest its been in five years, ISIS and Taliban are trying to fight over power, so its the innocent that suffer. A shame as in Kabul where I am, its very scenic with the surrounding mountains etc. I have to head out now but will be back later to discuss more. I will friend request you for now if thats ok.
One point though, I looked at the private fishing as Alan and Bruce name it but there are also closed seasons because of spawning and so on which are also variable, in fact I think they might be agreed in order to help those who wish to fish all year round always have somewhere. The issue for our man was that it cost a bit for one and meant going quite a distance whereas public coarse fishing was always nearby and actually permits were cheap. He had a two week one twice although I don't remember how much it cost and a few single days ones that he said only made sense if he had only wanted to fish once during a stay of about a week.
When fishing on a public water (lake or river) you need a fishing licence (in French: Carte de Pêche). The AAPPMA, the French Fishing Associations offer are all kind of permits: for kids, adults, retirees, day tickes, holiday licence etc.
You don't need any fishing licence when you fish a commercial lake or fishery. These waters are private property and the fishing isn't regulated by the French Fishing Associations
Comment by ALAN ANDREWS just nowDelete Comment
What type of fishing?
A licence is needed for course fishing, but as I do not do this I do not know what the cost is.
Private trout fishing is available, for example I go to Villandrault in Gironde and pay 12 euros for every kilo caught. I suggest your friend inquires at a local Chasse and Perche equipment store on his arrival.
Sea fishing is free from the beach, but I go over to the Med, around Argeles sur Mer. From Lot-et-Garonne he should be able to get over to the Gironde estuary. Biscarrose is reasonable, or maybe down towards Spain.
Fishing is a local matter with permits issued by mairies. The fishing itself comes under two categories with different permit requirements and seasons:
Category 1 (première catégorie): waters mainly inhabited by trout but also with fish from the salmonidea group (salmon, trout, freshwater white fish) that are protected;
Category 2 (seconde catégorie): all other rivers, canals and lakes.
For your friend, like my (ex) brother-in-law there are two options:
Carte Journalière, That is a single day pass valid for all fishing that is available throughout the year but clearly tied to particular local regulations on protection of salmonidae, spawning seasons and so on;
Carte Hebdomadaire, This is a seven day permit, valid for all categories of fishing between 1 June and 31 December;
Carte Vacances: That is valid for 15 days beginning hour and day of purchase and is for all categories of fishing between 1 June and 31 December.
The regulations regarding seasons, protection and no go areas are all regulated locally to some degree, so details when buying the permit. They can be bought on line but then it is still advisable to go to the mairie for local details. They will tell you where which, if anything like here, is pretty generous for possibilities, and should there be a fisherman/woman there possibly offer you tips.
Have a look on www.cartedepeche.fr/ for more details. My bro-in-law was checked by 'inspectors' several times, so when a local says just go fishing and ignore the rules take it with a large pinch of salt. The man who advised me before our guest turned up did so but then I happened to see him at the local canal basin being checked and producing his permit so I would be safer than sorry.
How's Afghanistan, apart from war, earthquake and other disturbances. It's years ago, but I did two jobs there with SCF however it was 'quiet' at the time compared to other places I went to back then.