The Rhine

The big european river, well-known for shipping, has preserved a course, said "old Rhine", where nature did reassert itself and where the large gravel pits attract irresistibly the fly fisher

to the levels of the Rhine (in french)

to the news of the month

mon frère, Bernard, dans ses oeuvres, avec un gobage au premier plan.

With the downstream of Basle(Switzerland), until Rhinau, in extreme southern of the department of Bas- Rhin (Alsace/France), a part of the river's water circulates in the channel of Alsace; but there remains a wild part, wedged between this channel, at the french side, and the german motorway, which average width of 50 meters, the power of the current, the richness of watery fauna, make forget this tribute paid to the modernity.

les ombres , même s'ils sont devenus rares depuis 2004, restent les fleurons du vieux Rhin

The graylings are the florets of the Rhine: they are splendid, of complexion nervousness and size: exceeding 33 cm regularly, the fish between 40 and 50 cm were not so rare before 2003. But one takes also sometimes large powerful brown trouts and the whitefish colonize the calms, with their usual predators, which are the pikes. Some salmons are slowly coming back!

When you find yourselves in autumn on the gravel pits of the Rhine, you are taken in a true enchantement: attentive of the banks, the blossomings or the fish, you don't notice the noise of the cars wich circulate on the nearby motorway.

IMPORTANT: Classified in 2nd category of the public domain, fishing is accessible to any fisherman having discharged his piscicultural taxes (french yearly fishing card)!

Fishing is not easy there: power of the current, rollers slipping, blossomings sometimes too sparse, other times superabondant, difficult fish, inaccessible stations, etc.. All these conditions discourage sometimes the amateur, but don't put off the enthusiast.

I hope to be pleased of meeting you a day there, to exchange , like all the flyfishers of the world, our anecdotes which ponctuated our course in this splendid passion of flyfishing !

the Rhine: news of the month

May 2012

News: On the beginning of may, the old Rhine is high from the thaw in the Alps. Opening of fishing the graylings, may the 19 th. We hope some will come on our flies ;-)

My last flyfishing session: 2011 Decembre the 29 in the Rhine near Fegersheim (67). Strong wind and some grey clouds, with a barometer coming down. Today, I was fishing pike with my GBB streamer . I was trying 1 hour already in Plobsheim, without any chance. And now here, in Fegersheim, 2 hours without any bite. But, I believed always, and, at one moment, as I was fishing a little deeper, I felt a little jiggle in my line. I striked successfull a pike , who came, with my strong C.B.F. Rod, without difficulties on the bank. I measured him (55 cm),took a picture (see below), and put him again in the Rhine. Expert fishermen say that you have always to believe, even if nothing moves. One time more, they are right :-))

Special event this month:

- I prepared, for those who would fish the trouts with the fly, a spring selection, with good flies for the rivers like the Rhine.