Free Line 108 — September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 197
PAUL BENNETT
STEVE
BRIGGS
m ain boat channel howeve r, fo r exa mp l e o n t h e i n s i d e o f a
b e nd, depths may reduce d ra ma t i ca l ly f ro m 1 5 m to 2m.
The size and flow of th e rive r o bv i o us ly m ake s i t a d a u n t i n g
p rospect but undoubtedly th e re a re c arp th ro u gh o u t m u c h o f
t h e river and some of them ve r y l a rg e . A lt h o u gh I ’ ve n o t f i s h e d
t h e Rhone myself I know t ha t s o m e t i me a g o Ro m a n B u c z y n s k i
a n d Sam Rob spent some t i me o n t he Rh o n e i n s e a rc h o f c a rp
a n d they were successful. T h ei r f i n di ng s s howe d t h at fe e d i n g
t i mes would vary between d ay an d n i gh t d e p e n d i n g o n t h e
s e ction they fished! T hey al s o fo u n d t ha t t he f i s h we re fe e d i n g
n a turally on small food ite ms b u t u s i n g s m al l b a i ts wa s ma d e
d i f ficult due to the numb er s o f nu i s a n ce s pe c i e s , e s p e c i a l ly
c h ub. However, the pair ca u gh t mi r ro rs a n d co m m o n s to ove r
4 0 lb. As mentioned near th e s ta r t o f t h i s fe a t u re , t h e s h e e r
c o nditions of the river prove d to be ve ry te st i n g on t h e t a c k l e
a n d strong leaders had to be re p la c e d o f te n a n d h e av y l e a d s
were needed to hold botto m i n t h e f l ow.
River Pau
I ’ve included this one, wh i c h i s c o rre ct ly c a l l e d t h e G ave d e
Pa u and it is situated righ t d ow n i n th e s o u t h we s t c o rn e r o f
France running through th e fa mo u s tow n o f L o u rd e s . T h i s i s
a fast-flowing and generally s ha l low r ive r a n d m o re k n ow fo r
i t s trout and barbel than i ts c arp . B ut i n t h e s p ri n g o f 2 0 1 4
t h e river burst its banks i n to an 8 0 a c re l ake wh i c h b o rd e r s
t h e river. The lake held n u mb e rs o f b i g c a rp to a l m o s t 80 l b
a n d in the floods many of t h e c arp e nte re d t h e r ive r, i n c l u d i n g
m ost of the bigger ones. U n t i l n ow n o n e o f t h o s e c a rp h ave
b e en located but they are i n th e rive r s o me wh e re a n d q u i te
p o ssibly they have found a de e p e r s t re tc h o r b a rra ge a re a to
s e ttle and if someone co u ld lo ca te th o s e m i s s i n g m on s te rs
FR E ELINE 87
