Total immersion

“The right action consists of two equal strokes, like a metronome, swinging the distance between the angles of 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock,” he explains. The two strokes come together and the timing gets into its rhythm. The teacher is exceptionally patient and as we practise what the master has taught us, François and I soon manage to hurl ten metres of ‘silk’ fly line through the air. It’s magical and great fun. “Good enough to approach  a wild river.” Kitted out in our waders, we move from one world to another. Standing in the middle of the river Aulne, all our senses are on high alert. Pebbles and gravel roll beneath our soles, the current envelops us; it’s cold and takes our breath away. There you can read the river, absorb its spirit and become one with it and gain an insight into its mystery and learn about what lies beneath… “This is a superb vantage point an amazing degree of biodiversity.”

Eco-responsible fishing

“A beautiful trout just swallowed a mayfly,” says Philippe. “Now, Christian, you need to cast your fly 50 cm upstream of the rise“. The fly line and leader unfurl and the fly touches down gracefully. It drifts then disappears in a delightful swirl. Christian set the hook. The line pulls taut and the rod flexes. At the end of a combat of Homeric proportions, the fish surrenders, as if to yield up all of her beauty. The scene is like a living masterpiece. The fish is carefully unhooked, and – as the tiny hook is barbless – the fish returns to its secret world “to be enjoyed by another fly fisher and to preserve its lineage“. The complexity of fly fishing enthralled my husband and now I understand how you can become “enchanted by the waters”. François went on to capture his first trout the next day on the river Elorn. We enjoyed a plentiful and delicious picnic on the water’s edge, savouring organic produce sourced from the area where Philippe comes from. That was enough to convince me of the benefits of this way of life.

There you can read the river, absorb its spirit and become one with it and gain an insight into its mystery…