Background
My first 'tight line' was when I was four years of age on my grandparents farm in Abzac, Confolens ,France (16). My dad set up the rods and demonstrated what bait to use and of course how to cast. Within minutes my lines tightened and there it was ....my 1st fish. Looking back I now realise that this was most certainly the most defining moment of my life because I haven't let go of the rods since.
My career as a fisherman gathered momentum the older I got. As 13 years of age I started to seek out larger fish and any spare moment was spent at the riverside looking for Carpe on La Vienne, Confolens. I had a hunger for new techniques, new challenges, new species and new experiences and so my efforts extended to catfish, seabass, bass and of course pike.
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| catfish |
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| bass |
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| sturgeon |
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| carp |
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| sea bass |
It
quickly became obvious that my destiny was on the water so to help this
along I completed a course in aquaculture (BACpro) for four years which
included modules on oyster farming, aquaculture etc. In 2006 I applied
and completed a BPjeps to become a professional fishing guide.
.JPG) |
| Mr pike |
In 2007, I moved to Ireland to pursue my dream as a guide and began working with Jean-Louis Bigot (pecheirlande,com) on the glorious Lough Derg. It is now 23 years since I caught my first fish and 7 years since I cast my first line on Lough Derg. Throughout that time my passion for this lake has never faded, always something new to learn, new techniques to develop and challenges that remind you why you love catching big fish!
