Hucklebury holds a slightly different opinion on the area, it’s weather, the food, the wine, the French dress sense. In fact, just about everything he comments on in this tongue-in-cheek view starting with the line-aligner rig.
After going to my local tackle shop, I say local, I live in the Dordogne in France and have to travel a hour to get to a decent tackle shop. Anyway, I was given a free CD about the latest successful rig, the line aligner, and it got me thinking about the past.
When returning to the tackle shop a week later I tried to explain that the line aligner rig has been out donkey’s years and I was using it many years ago in England. He was adamant that this was a new rig. He was also adamant that his Farah trousers were the latest trend and never before been seen on legs.
Anyway, after a while I think I convinced him that it was a rig that’s got more age than a decent French wine, when you can find one, that is. Also that it’s a rig that has stood the test of time.
Considering that I live in the country that’s supposed to be the best in the world for food I’ve eaten some cr*p whilst I’ve lived here, 4½ years now! The wine sucks, their dress sense is based on Abba, and I was told a little white lie about the weather being beautiful most of the year.
We seem to have more rain than England, anyone that’s been fishing here will already know that this region is very green. There’s a reason for this, its because it pi**es down with rain a lot (editor’s note: hence the French term “Il pluie comme vache quelle pisse.”) Not that I’m a moaner, but be warned, if your planning a fishing trip here bring all weather gear with you and keep your eye out for electrical storms.
I used to enjoy watching them until living here and have fished many times through thunder storms in the UK, but not here. You have never seen storms like them and the last place I would like to be is under a bivvy with 3 carbon rods next to me. My advice would be take them out of the water and go somewhere safe until the storm passes.
Not that I’m a coward or anything, but after having the fuse box blow in my house when we had a bad storm, I do what one shepherd said to the other when I see a storm coming, I get the flock out of the way!!!
You will not be disappointed with the carp, they grow big and strong, even small doubles can have the best of anglers think that he’s got a whale on the hook. Generally I find the French people very nice but just because they have bigger carp than us Brits doesn’t mean they invent the best methods to catch them.
Their restaurants ain’t all that they’re cracked up to be and there’s a reason why they eat their steak raw – if you try to cook it my Doberman would have trouble getting his teeth through it.
P.S., Thanks Jim Gibbinson for the rig. I wont let them Frenchies take your glory!
