Guest Post
Fly Fishing in Dordogne, France
To be honest, France is not the first place that comes into my mind when talking about fishing destinations in Europe. It is mainly because of my limited knowledge of France’s fishing scene, plus the fact that the country is being celebrated worldwide as the home of beautiful landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, and The Louvre, among many others. But this perception of mine changed a few days ago when I was fortunate enough to be invited by Rick, an old friend, to his new home in Bordeaux, a port city southwest of France. Rick and I have been friends for years now, and we have been keeping communication with each other via e-mails after he had moved to France. What is interesting about our friendship is that we are completely opposite from each other – Rick is a person who prefers to stay indoors and play games as to I am the outdoorsy type.
Our ‘conflict’ of interest was evident during the first half of my short trip to France. We obviously couldn’t decide on what our itinerary will be, so we came to an agreement that we’re going to try our favorite hobbies up until the end of my visit. Being the easier thing to accomplish, playing casino games is the first in our list. As most brick-and-mortar casinos like Aviation Club de France are centrally located in major cities, Rick and I opted for playing casino games online at Partypoker.fr. According to Rick, online gaming sites operate round-the-clock, which means that any person can play at their most convenient time. Also, Partypoker.fr hosts friendly poker tournaments among its members occasionally. I must say, it felt like I was Gabriel Nassif while I was playing my first tournament. Although, my game play didn’t seem to think so.
After we crossed it off our list, I asked Rick if he was ready for a more physically-challenging activity, fishing. Our knowledge of the fishing tours in France is quite limited, so we have decided to a few locals for advice. Good thing that a good fishing location, Dordogne, is nearby. Rick and I were lucky to have borrowed a decent set of fishing gear, which includes a Sage fly fishing rod, for a cheaper price. When we arrived at Sweet Chestnut Lake, I was amazed with the beauty of the place. The lake’s depth ranges from 1-5 meters, with a vast area of woodland surrounding it. What is great about this fishing spot is that it is considered as a private area, so the regular restrictions at commercial fishing destinations do not apply. Rick caught his first pike, shortly after we have set up. But it was smaller than 50 centimeters, so he had to return it to the water. At the end of the day, we both are satisfied with our catch.