# Yak Fishing in France with Alain and Redro



## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Australians are well known as great travellers, within their own vast country and in every part of the globe. If you're like me, you'd like to try fishing in these new places you're visiting; not the standard tourist fare of charter boats or the very expensive guided fishing, but the fishing which the local angling enthusiasts, the people just like you and me, experience. You'd be quite happy catching sunfish from a pond in USA, flounder from a beach in Ireland, bream from the sea in France, or possibly even chubb from an English river. You don't really care all that much, but would love to go fishing with a local, a person who could show you how and where he catches fish near his home. Really, it doesn't even matter if you don't catch fish, but just to try, accompanied by a local fisho, in his local surroundings using the local techniques or your own, can put spice into your visit.

On several occasions I've tried to get in touch with other-country locals to do just that. Despite the all-encompassing reach of the Internet, and the possession of actual email addresses of individuals who seem suitable, I've failed. This time, I seem to have cracked it and it's all down to a guy called Alain (AKFF: alain17) whose post about Cofishing on AKFF late last year caught my attention.

Alain is French, living on the Atlantic coast, and a super keen fisho, just like most of us AKFFers. He pedals a Hobie and fishes in the waters of the Bay of Biscay, near his home. His passion for fishing is obvious and he has developed the remarkable idea that perhaps the Internet can solve the problem which I earlier outlined. Here's what he has said:

_In 2011, I went to Argentina to visit the country.

I'm passionate about fishing, probably like you. So I wanted to make the most of this trip, so I decided to go out fishing in this amazing place.

Only problem : where to go, and how to fish ?

Anyway, when you don't know anybody there, you quickly understand that it's not easy to fish far from home...

There was a solution : fishing guides or organised trips but I didn't like this idea very much.

I posted ads on argentinian fishing forums, but I had no reply....until the day Juan Cruz, passionate about fishing catfish and dorados, graciously invited me to go fishing two days with him.

These were two memorable days where we fished a lot of different fish.

Since then, Juan Cruz has become a friend.

The idea was born : suggest fishing exchanges on the internet..._

Alain, having taught himself a little about HTML, has created a website
http://cofishing.net/index.php?module=a ... on=accueil 
which allows people like us to get in touch with like-minded people worldwide with the aim of going fishing together. He calls it Cofishing and it seems to me a harbinger (go on, look it up!) in the fishing world. Note that he doesn't seem motivated by money, as signing up is free and Alain himself states in the original Cofishing thread (linked below) that there are no commercial aspects to the concept.

I signed up to Cofishing as someone who would happily show a genuine visitor the many facets of fishing in Noosa and then let Alain know that I would be visiting France in June 2013. Immediately he offered to take me fishing. All I had to do was get myself to where he lives and he'd do the rest. So I'm doing just that while my wife spends a week 400km away in Paris with some lady friends.

So Alain and I (and probably Redro too) are trialling the Cofishing concept in France during a week in June. He will be my host and I will gladly do the same for him if he ever comes to Noosa, and I suspect he might.

He's clearly a keen yak fisho and he has such a good idea that I thought a little publicity for Cofishing here wouldn't be unwelcome. Please note that there are no commercial aspects to this at all.

His original post as a new member

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=57920&p=603269#p603269

His original post about Cofishing

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57921&p=603272#p603272


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## geminiwraith (Nov 26, 2010)

A great idea. It could always be applied to cross country fishing as well. "Never fished for trout and live in Cairns? Contact this guy while you're in Tassie." etc etc


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

I hope he's taking you bass fishing kev, you'll love them


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Fantastic idea Kev. You are going to enjoy kayak fishing in France with Alain and Redro.

_Slightly_ envious.


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## yakgear (Mar 3, 2012)

great idea....


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## yakgear (Mar 3, 2012)

great idea....


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I remember reading that post and thinking what a great idea it was too. Make sure you let us know all about your experience, should be interesting!


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Hi Gatesy

Looking forward to your visit. Weather here unbelievably bad right now. We have easterly wind exceeding 25 knots continuously, and easterly swells exceeding three metres continuously for the next seven days, which is as far as the forecast goes. As that has been the situation for the last month, with heavy rain, there are a lot of spiders taking up residence in kayaks here. Hopefully the low presently in the Coral Sea does not morph into a cyclone. At least the rain has stopped for the present.

So by the time you get here the sun will be shining, the winds light, the sea clean and the pelagics biting their heads off. Maybe even Davey will catch a fish!

Travel safely.

And no, not planning on going to Prague in June.

Kev


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

anselmo said:


> I hope he's taking you bass fishing kev, you'll love them


G'day Nick

Alain mentioned that seabass and meager (a species releated to mulloway) may be on the cards, but it's not the ideal time of year for them. I'm aware that large mouth bass (freshwater, from North America) have been stocked in some impoundments in northern Spain, a fair way south of where Alain fishes. So the bass you mention are the seabass, I presume.

Hope things are OK in Dublin, which is probably a lot drier than Australia's east coast at present.

Kev


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

sunshiner said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > I hope he's taking you bass fishing kev, you'll love them
> ...


Hi Kev

yes seabass
June is the best time for them here in Ireland, but then France is a bit warmer in summer than here
the meagre are an awesome fish that unfortunateky don't get this far north
A friend in Portugal caught a 65lb one off a rock wall one night last year
they seem to average about 20lb which is nice for them ;-)


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Looking forward to seeing you both in June, Kevin and Alain! There is a hint of spring in the air - and day light saving starts next weekend. Endless cold and grey days here in Lyon, but at least we are heading into summer at last. It has been quite a few summers since I sat on the old Viking Espri. Cheers!


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Sadly, I won't be joining you guys next month Alain and Kevin. Too much on the go work-wise - before the European summer shut down. I will be spending a week further down the French coast in the beginning of July - staying at the Bay of Arcachon. Will definitely be taking the old Viking Espri with me. I guess that's a good sea bass area.


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