Fishing

THE FRANCHE-COMTÉ - A FISHERMAN'S PARADISE

Running water in the region

They well deserve their label of the most beautiful rivers in France.

Amongst all the rivers and streams that tumble down the wild landscape of the Franche-Comté, the River Doubs, Loue, Dessoubre, Ognon, and Lison, amongst others, over the lengths of their banks, genuine corners of paradise for professional, neophytic and keen fishermen. Every bit of running water invites you to discover a landscape, simmering pure water, mysterious fish, a complete atmosphere.

It is a unique destination for the subtle art of fly fishing.

The Loue Valley

Well-known in the fishing world, this magnificent run of water continues to bewitch. Its clear water, which harbours one of the last wild tree stumps of the old continent, has contributed towards making it a mythic river. It is a dream place for visual fishing of trout and grayling, either by dry fly fishing or with nymph.

The high Loue.

Between the spring and Maisière village, the long course of about twenty km is managed by the 4 AAPPMA of Mouthiers-Lods, Villafans, Montgesoye and Ornans. This course is on the whole, densely populated by trout and graylings, but the busiest sectors, are in the Noailles gorges, across Lods village as well as up and down river of the village of Vuillafans. Another reputed sector stretches between Ornans and Maisières.

The medium Loue.

From Maisière to Quingey, the Loue is adorned with its most beautiful attire. Almost completely private, it is only accessible at certain sectors.

Les parcours de Cléron The Cléron courses Up-river to Cléron, there is a course where fishing is authorised on both banks between the castle bridge and the stone bank. Further up-river, along 900 metres and on one single bank, is a small course called "L'Espace Grillet", which is reserved for whipped fly fishing. It is managed as no-kill (Only catches of over 50 cm can be kept). It is one of the prettiest parts of the river. As not a lot of fishing is done here, there are many fish, and in favourable weather, the dense hatching brings the river to boil. Down river to Cléron, two other courses are authorised on the Nahin and Angon island sectors. These sectors are also very interesting especially in low water at the beginning of the season. They are all run by the Cléron A.P.P.M.A. (see the regulations below)

La piquette course Of world renown, the Lodge de la Piquette is without question, one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful of Europe. Reserved for fly fishing and meticulously managed, it is the must for fishing, even if it is just once in a life time, even if it means breaking your piggy bank. The enchanting setting is both comfortable and easy to access, and the fish remain omnipresent. Dry fly and nymph fishing in low water conditions only, this course is, it goes without saying, no-kill.

Chenecey-Buillon-Cessey Extremely pretty courses, which have no reason to be envious of the great private courses. At the outset, it was a sector reserved for fly fishing and is considered to be one of the most interesting in France. Then the courses for all types of fishing, natural bait, spoonbait, minnow, rower and fly fish from the mouth of the Ombre. The Cessey course, 6 km long, is not without interest: grayling return in force, and trout, fewer in number, of a medium size, are not lacking either.

The Lison valley

Flowing from the Loue, at the same level as the Piquette course, the Lison is a pretty river with trout and grayling, and can be compared to the Dessoubre.

The best courses are situated down river to Nans-Sous-sainte-Anne, in the districts of Sarraz and on the left bank of Alaise and the right bank of Eternoz. The Lison is a river subjected to sudden floods and this irregular flow means that it does not have as many insects as the middle Loue.

The Great River Ain

It is impossible to speak of the Franc-Comtoise rivers, without speaking of the Great River Ain. Its wild landscape and its dense water dappled with light and shade make up a particularly interesting river for whipped techniques, and its exceptionally clear water make the Ain one of the greatest places for view fishing.

From the Spring, the Ain follows a deep course through the wild gorges. Further along, the valley widens and the river becomes more subdued, it become a larger, calmer river where a discreet and attentative fisherman may have the pleasant privilege of admiring and even capturing the beautiful water dappled with light and shade.

The Doubs valley

Over 27 km, between the Biaufond bridge and the Clairbief bridge, the Doubs winds through the bottom of a wild valley, belonging to both France and Switzerland. This course is a protected environment, the landscape of which evolves with the seasons, and offers first rate fishing.

You must stop at the famous Bourassin meadow, in Gourmois, which is without doubt one of the most beautiful places to dry fly or view nymph fish. An excellent and protected stock of salmon, ensures an average size of approximately 40 cm for trout and grayling.

There is also a sector that is exclusively reserved for no-kill fly fishing.

Finally two natural reservoirs fill with joy, carnivore amateurs, who are looking for ideal areas to work with a large pike streamer.

The Dessoubre valley

Tributary to the Doubs at the level of Saint Hippolyte, the Dessoubre alone, is a superb destination. 38 Km long, this fantastic river for dry fishing offers a course of great variety and an excellent quality fish population. Down-river, from the middle mill, up to Saint Hippolyte, magnificent posts follow on from each other, including the Moricemaison course, the Fleurey flat and many others. You can fish for a whole day on one of the two no-kill courses, which are rich in large trout and which lend themselves so well to fly fishing.

Regulations

Line fishing in the Doubs county, has certain regulations depending on the water currents in which it is practised.

There are three main spheres:

• The water currents in the 1° category of the private sphere:
  (ex: Dessoubre, Lue, hauts Doubs...)
• The water currents in the 2° category of the private sphere:
  (ex: Dous moyen, Ognon, Savoureuse ...)
• The water currents and canals of the 2° category of the public field:
  (ex: Allan, Doubs inférieur, canal du Rhône au Rhin

And two special cases:

• A sector of 1° category of the public sphere on the Loue (Arc and Senans sectors)
• A sector governed by an international convention, the Doubs being the border between France and Switzerland between Villers le Lac and Clairbief

It is thus absolutely necessary to ask the people in charge of the AAPPMA or those how hold fishing permits, each time you wish to fish in a new sector.

THE COUNTY FEDERATION FOR FISHING and the protection for the Doubs aquatic environment (tel: +33 3 81 41 19 09), have thus created a guide giving the different heads of each AAPPMA 70 in number, in the Doubs county.

For example: Cléron: Amicale des pêcheurs de Cléron Chairman: M. J.F. Guyonneau, 2 rue de Cuvier, BESANCON Tel: +33.3.81.81.17.32 Permit holders: M. B.Jupille, 9 lot Néclos, Cléron Tel: +33.3.81.62.13.74 Cléron Accueil, 4 place de la mairie Tel: +33.3.81.62.18.38 Hôtel de la Poste Cléron (no-kill course) Tel: +33.3.81.62.21.05 Fishing area: La Loue in the districts of Cléron, Scey-en-Varais, and Nahin

Fishing procedures and methods

Certain fishing methods are forbidden in the county's rivers, whether permanently or during certain times of the year (see with fishing permit holders).

For Cléron

Natural bait: only worms (Simple hooks without minimum 10 tongue), minnow, wedges, grasshoppers and cricket are authorised.

Artificial bait: All types of artificial bait are authorised, except nymph.

Fly fishing

Dry fly fishing is authorised all along the course from the general opening time.

Nymph fishing is authorised from the opening for grayling only by tipping and without a bite indicator.

Fly fishing is only carried out with one hook.

No-kill fly course

Only tipping/whipping fishing.

No tongue fishing throughout the whole of the season.

It is forbidden to enter the water before the grayling opening season.

Fishing only authorised on the left bank.

Precautions

Please put the fish back in the river with extreme precaution and wet your hands before touching the fish.

Do not hesitate to cut the wire if the fish has got caught on the hook too deeply.

Finally do not damage the environment, it is forbidden to collect larva on APPMA land.

Each fisherman is responsible for the environment in which he or she fishes, each fisherman should respect the nature, and must take all waste home with him or her (plastic bags, wire reel,...)

Number and sizes of catches; catch record book

The number of catches is limited to 3 salmonides per day and 30 per year.

For trout and grayling, the size of a catch is 25 cm throughout the whole of the county.

Certain AAPPMA have an internal rule, which imposes extra restrictions, (size of catch and the number of catches).

This is the case in Cléron, where the size of a grayling is fixed at 32 cm and a trout at 30 cm.

The Federation has put into place a management plan for the county, in order to carry out a policy of protection and rehabilitation of aquatic environments, the benefits of which will be enjoyed in the long term.

In order to take part in the protection of the county's piscicultural patrimony, please fill in this catch record book with thought, with a view to/with the idea of bringing together the maximum of information on the pisciculture potential in place.

Fresh water fishing periods

1° category water: Fishing is open from the 2° Saturday of March to the 3° Saturday of September included, except the common grayling whose opening date is the 3° Saturday of May.

2° category water: Fishing is authorised throughout the year, except for pike, pikeperch, perch and black-bass (from the 1° January to the last Sunday of January and the 2° Saturday of May to 31st December included).