# Hobie Kayak Fishing in Brittany, France.



## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

It has been a long time since I have done any kayak fishing - and even longer since I have posted on this site. I left Brisbane more than 4 years ago. I was about the 50th member on this forum, starting off at Palm Beach and then getting a lot of help along the way from Billy Bob, Ross and Tony. As of today I see there are 7462 members!!

We live too far from the sea in France (Lyon) to do any serious kayak fishing here. However, recently we were on holiday in the Vendee, western France - and I was lucky enough to spend the day fishing with Alain Savagers, the Hobie Kayak distributor for France. I met Alain at the Paris Boat Show the year before. Alain was incredibly kind and lent me a kitted out Hobie for the day - including his competition tackle. Alain is a competition sea bass expert. We spent an amazing morning on the water - peddling around the bay after sea bass. I have never caught sea bass before this day - what an delicious fish. I caught a couple of sea bass and also picked up a little skipjack on one of Billy Bob's old Halco lures (that he recommended to me when we were still in Aus). I don't think I caught anything with it when I was in Australia! Anyway, I absolutley loved the Mirage System - and, thanks to Alain, it was wonderful to be back on the water after all this time. You really meet some good guys along the way in this sport. I miss my early morning kayak fishing trips on Moreton Bay with Ross and Tony! Particularly as the days are rapidly getting shorter and colder.


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## garyp (May 30, 2008)

Nick,

I remember you well mate. Well, maybe not you so well, but I remember your Avatar well as it was my favourite spread on toast when I was a kid. I wuv my wedwo :lol:

Nice photos and looks like you had a great day out there. Is a skipjack the same as a Bonito? Looks similar, if a little greener!


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## gcfisho (Oct 31, 2009)

Thats great you were able to get out for a kayak fish after so long . It is true there are some great down to earth people in this sport . Did the presence of the great white bother anyone ? :lol:


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Yes garyp, Redro was also my spread of choice when I was a kid! Actually, I aquired the nickname when I was in S Africa - when my beard was still red (best not to ask!) - before it turned white.

I think that a skipjack is the same as a bonito (also called a striped tuna, according to Yaker). Actually not so tasty on the baabie - the sea bass were much better. We BBQ a lot of mackeral here (the little ones that you guys use for bait) and they are really delicious (if fresh).

Not sure where that great white popped up from gcfisho, only noticed him after the photos were downloaded!! :shock:

Merlot, weren't you the bloke I knew who was called meoldchina??! I guess my fashion sense has matured along with your handle!

RedPhoenix, sadly the trusty old Espri has only been used a couple of times here. It has only been on a few lakes and once on the Loire River. Soon it will be covered in snow. The temp was zero this morning when I took the girls to school! I did take it on holiday to the Vendee - and was amazed how few people have there own SOTs here in France. There are a lot of rental schools (such as in the Ardeche) that rent out SOTs -and I guess most people just hire a SOT a couple of times a year, when they are on holiday. Kayak fishing is nowhere near as popular here, as it is in Australia. The regulations also make it tricky.

I did see a lot of Stand Up Paddle boards on the beach this summer, though. These have become hugely popular in the last 18 months. I am going to the Nuremberg Kayak Show (Kanumesse) next month (I am involved in the industry) and I see a lot of companies are exhibiting SUPs this year. More and more kayaks are being blow moulded (mould costs have been coming down) - and more and more rotomoulded kayaks are coming out of China these days. The industry is evolving.


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Some memories....


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

A few more memories...


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Hey Merlot, what's happening Down Under?? I hope Moreton Bay is beginning to clear after the terrible floods - and you are managing to get back on the water again. Spring is not too far away here in France - so, soon it will be time to dust off the trusty Viking Espri - and get onto one of the lakes near Lyon.
Cheers!
Redro


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Hello Merlot, I trust life has returned to normal after the floods - and you are out and about on Moreton Bay again. Spring is here at last in France - and I hope to be on the Rhone or the Saone with my Viking Espri soon. No fishing, just exercise and sight seeing. (Lyon sits on the confluence of the Rhone and the Saone).


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## PeterJ (Aug 29, 2005)

Great report redro , welcome back after so long


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Thanks PeterJ, good to hear from you. I hope to get back to Brittany this summer - we live so far from the darned sea, here in Lyon. And I am not a huge fan of skiing either. The beaches and the sea for me!


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## whoohoo (Feb 3, 2006)

Hi Nick,

Glad to see you're enjoying France. Just thought I'd let you know that your old swing that I bought is still going strong. I have passed it onto my son who incidently lives in Margate (200m from the water) and he is putting it to good use.

In the meantime I have bought another 2 yaks namely a Tomski and a Stealth Evo 495 - both great yaks!

Take care mate,
Tom
(Pity about the Mountain Goats in the Super 15)


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Those Grinners are a curse Merlot!

Good to hear the Swing is still going strong Tom - I miss it! That fishing I did last year in Brittany was the only kayak fishing I have done in the last 5 years. I am still involved in the kayak industry - off to the big kayak trade fair in Nuremberg (Kanumesse) in September - but just don't get to do much kayaking myself these days. We have a house in the Beaujolais (near Lyon) and live near a biggish lake, so take the Viking Espri out occasionally, to get some some exercise. Interesting to see Stand Up Paddling become such a popular water sport - but not sure if they are used for fishing at all.

I was very pleased the Reds won - I had season tickets at Ballymore and then Suncorp - but those were the days when the Reds were struggling at the bottom. Would loved to have been there for the final - had great seats on the half way mark, 5 rows in.

Enjoy those 2 kayaks of yours!

Cheers
Nick


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## yaker (Aug 29, 2005)

.


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Three years, of course - how could I forget!! And a good day back on the warm Brisbane waters it was too - even if the fishing was a little disappointing. I see there are now over 9,000 members on this forum. Who would have thought. Mariner's vision continues to grow.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWQmVvMsAABTfgAAQcKGAChAhEAo29/6AIABqIp6TYoDJoNBkPU0GqbU9Rp5TQDIAPUHm2upORVwx0WS+eJ0Mq4kyN5p1raIQDYXQJpTGdKkyeLrB0GKcIRRrcYlFTM/qBClg9XQQbBlBIcvMIK5/BZPErjxwYSsAzD6gY0aH4u5IpwoSATK3mWA=


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

My hear goes out to you Red! It must have been hell!

I am supposed to be going to a Brian Ferry concert tonight (showing my age!) - in the open air Roman amphitheatre overlooking Lyon. A 2,000 year old venue. Only problem is that it is raining. Grrrr.


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## The Mariner (Aug 23, 2005)

> I see there are now over 9,000 members on this forum. Who would have thought. Mariner's vision continues to grow.


Hi Nick,

No one is more amazed than I am, let me tell you. The forum management staff who have looked after the forum after I had to let the reins go have all done an amazing job.


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## Daveyak (Oct 6, 2005)

Wow- not a ghost, but a real voice from the past!

Greetings Phil, great to see you looking in on the forum.

Do you still get out yakfishing?


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Hi Phil, good to hear from you! Those early days were great, weren't they. I still keep in regular contact with Ross and Tony. Sadly, I am now landlocked in Lyon and just don't get much kayaking done these days. Thinking of getting a SUP. Amazing how that sport has exploded - even more than kayak fishing. SUPping down the Saone River on a summer evening seems like a good way to go. I am still quite involved in the kayak industry and get to the Kanumesse (Kayak Trade Fair) in Nuremberg every year. And yourself, still involved in the sport?


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

It is our turn to look forward to spring Red! 18 degrees in Lyon this week, day light saving in a month, long summer evening, BBQs. Love this time of the year - with the whole of summer stretching out ahead.


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Well this is a blast from the past. 
Hi Nick and Phil good to see you are still alive and kicking. 
Gee the pics bring back some good memory's of our first outings in the early days.
Hi to Ross, Gerard and Tony.


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Hi Stu and Occy, good to hear from you both! Yes, they were great days - and before Phil got this whole thing going, the only resource (for me) was the bream fishing site - or Tony's blog. It is fun to read those early AKFF postings. The attached was taken in June 2005. 
I have lived in France since June 2006 and have only been kayak fishing once - in Brittany, with the Hobie dealer for France.
Cheers!
Nick


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

11,183 members now, I see!! There is just no holding back this sport. Here in France it is cold and grey and the clock has just jumped back an hour - envy you guys looking forward to a Qld summer!
Cheers
Nick (Member number 52)


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Still wearing a skirt, meoldchina??


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Likewise thanks Occy, good to see you are still around on the forum!


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Wow, and now there are more than 12,5000 members on this forum. Who would have thought, hey Phil (and Ross, Paul, Tony and all the other old buggers on here!). What a lot of changes we have seen in the industry over the last 9 years or so. Who could have imagined the explosion in kayak fishing - and all the gear that goes with it, probably more than doubling the cost of the kayak. Some of you will probably remember those guys at Palm Beach/Gold Coast, retired postmen I think they were - heading out through the breakers in the early morning darkness on their flat plywood yaks and Alvey reels - to troll up a couple of spotties. Well before the craze hit Aussie shores. And these days? Well now you can pick up an imported Chinese fishing kayak for around $350 on eBay. I was at the Paddle Expo in Nuremberg last week - still lots of good stuff going on. And of course, not forgetting the recent growth in SUPs - especially iSUPs. I wonder if any of you are using SUPs as a fishing platform, over there in Aus?


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

Redro said:


> Wow, and now there are more than 12,5000 members on this forum. Who would have thought, hey Phil (and Ross, Paul, Tony and all the other old buggers on here!). What a lot of changes we have seen in the industry over the last 9 years or so. Who could have imagined the explosion in kayak fishing - and all the gear that goes with it, probably more than doubling the cost of the kayak. Some of you will probably remember those guys at Palm Beach/Gold Coast, retired postmen I think they were - heading out through the breakers in the early morning darkness on their flat plywood yaks and Alvey reels - to troll up a couple of spotties. Well before the craze hit Aussie shores. And these days? Well now you can pick up an imported Chinese fishing kayak for around $350 on eBay. I was at the Paddle Expo in Nuremberg last week - still lots of good stuff going on. And of course, not forgetting the recent growth in SUPs - especially iSUPs. I wonder if any of you are using SUPs as a fishing platform, over there in Aus?


Old Dennis still paddles out on the old ply yak and catches macks. Tony Pete etc as well on the Poly yaks. Jeff Pierce is a legend those yaks rule.


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Dennis...that's right - amazing guys - yak fishing long before the sport took off. Jeff too - probably developed the first purpose built rotomoulded fishing kayak in Australia (sort of modelled on the plywood "design"). I had some fun in Jeff's factory - one Saturday morning, seeing how many in-mould graphics we could get on the kayak. Wonder where that kayak is now - I think it went down to Sydney. It was called the Debu kayak. I see the mould was sold at auction on greysonline. Jeff was pretty good at surfing it as well.


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Picture of Dennis on here, posted by Stu http://akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5639&p=58602


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

A bit of history...


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

They now call it a pypen ski, they are now rotomoulded by a mob in Dalby but they are still $500 and i reckon the best value for money fishing and surfing yaks around. I purchased the debut 6 years ago (best $500 i ever spent) after i had watched Dennis and the boys paddling around out there.
That yak has caught so many fish and has brought me so many good times. I learned plenty off Dennis as well in the early days especially when i made the change from trolling lures to trolling baits and he is a top bloke, as is Peter, Tony... When dads army (Dennis, Peter Norris, Peter ttd, Tony C, Tony W) paddle out, the fish tremble. They still go out in big swell and still slay em. Dennis is like 76yrs old; insane.


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Thanks for the update...that's great to hear that the mould is still churning out kayaks. I must say I had a lot of fun with it - and when the kids were small we could load up the kayak, without a problem - for some fishing on the Noosa River. It was great for getting through the surf at Palm Beach - I remember going airborne with it once, on the way out - off the back of the last wave in a set. That picture above was taken by Jeff. The first time I went out with Jeff, it was a somewhat scary experience - cold and tired and too much wind and surf to get in at Palm Beach (for me). We went in at the creek instead - I struggled in between the sets, happy to be safely on shore again. Meanwhile Jeff surfed in on point break in great style! Amazing to hear that Dennis is 76 now! Good to hear that you are still enjoying your Debu kayak.


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

Redro said:


> Thanks for the update...that's great to hear that the mould is still churning out kayaks. I must say I had a lot of fun with it - and when the kids were small we could load up the kayak, without a problem - for some fishing on the Noosa River. It was great for getting through the surf at Palm Beach - I remember going airborne with it once, on the way out - off the back of the last wave in a set. That picture above was taken by Jeff. The first time I went out with Jeff, it was a somewhat scary experience - cold and tired and too much wind and surf to get in at Palm Beach (for me). We went in at the creek instead - I struggled in between the sets, happy to be safely on shore again. Meanwhile Jeff surfed in on point break in great style! Amazing to hear that Dennis is 76 now! Good to hear that you are still enjoying your Debu kayak.


Yeah i regularly get airborne and it slaps down hard. They are strong yaks!


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Yes Dennis is a Legend and I owe him and Peter a lot for getting me started may years ago,
They showed me what rod and reel worked the best and the rigs they were using to catch awesome fish,
Looking forward to catching up with Dennis again this Mackerel season.


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