Link fishing and tourism, it is possible! In the Gorges de la Loire, the river sinks into a wild valley with grandiose landscapes. A real paradise for families and budding fishermen, eager to tease trout in a natural and preserved setting. Between Goudet and Arlempdes, the “SANS Kill” fishing course reveals unique landscapes and heritage, conducive to discovery and disconnection. And if you came to fish in one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France? We did it...
A fly fishing course WITHOUT KILLING, from one castle to another
The all-technical “SANS Kill” trail starts from the Goudet bridge, on the right bank. This is where our fishing guide is waiting for us. Along the Loire, about 3 km separate the castles of Goudet and Arlempdes. 3 km of path and river, where calm waters follow one another, flat areas with a slow current, then areas of rapids where the waters run and strike between the rocks.
There, through deep gorges and riffles (part of a shallow river on which the water flows rapidly*), calm and plenitude await you. Just like the star of the course: the brown trout, sometimes accompanied by a few common shadows, minnows, chubs and gudgeons. But you still need to be observant and patient… Trout are not easily fooled.
It is still necessary to know how to read the river, wait for the gobages where the trout make rapid appearances on the surface, spot the fish, master the equipment and have the right gestures. For that, you can trust your guide who, in addition to knowing the terrain by heart, holds a few secrets about the Loire and its sometimes shy aquatic inhabitants.
Fish or not, a wild hike with your feet in the water
But if the fish are sometimes shy, the ride remains one of the most beautiful! Like the Loire which it skirts or overlooks, the “SANS Kill” fishing course then turns into wild hike, feet in the water or almost. Lulled by the bubbling waters of the river, the fishermen that we are then feel very small in the face of the force of the elements that surround us. Even the impressive remains of the beaufort castle above our heads watch over the grain...
Because such a nature, it is respected! If all fishing techniques are authorized, the lines should not however include only one single barbless hook, in order to be able to put the catch back in the water in the best possible survival conditions.
Tease the fish in Arlempdes, a major place of history and heritage
We walk, we fish, we contemplate, we discuss... We savor this hike like no other, a fishing rod in hand and alone (or almost) facing nature. A few hours later, we arrived in Arlempdes, one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. After the Château de Beaufort, this time it is the remains of the Arlempdes Castle which stand above our heads, striking. What more beautiful setting to continue our fishing trip than a piece of local history?
And we have to believe that this wonderful place has brought us luck, since new fish are taking the bait: some beautiful trout and a grayling. Tomorrow, it's in the same setting, but this time in family that we will take advantage of the Loire and its nature activities. Parents and children will try fishing for minnows. An entire program !
Fishing for minnows, a fun and easy way to try fishing with the family
Fishing is not just for adults and initiates! The proof with Maely and Kelya, who (almost) have their feet in the water and Arlempdes Castle in the background, filled their bucket with small minnows. Fish from 4 to 10 cm and only a few grams, which populate the waters of the Loire.
The preferred technique for fishing the minnows ? Coarse fishing. And luckily that day, they were biting with enthusiasm, to the delight of the two apprentice fisherwomen. Armed with their small canes and thanks to the valuable advice of their instructor Haute-Loire Fishing Federation, the two sisters discovered a rather easy and playful fish to catch.
The time to observe them, to immortalize their pretty catches and the little fish have regained their freedom. It's been a beautiful morning!
And now, if we went to visit Arlempdes and its fortress?
It would be a shame to deprive yourself of it... Arlempdes is a village of character. And its fortress, the first castle of the Loire! Although incomplete and worn down over the centuries, the fortress still catches the eye of fishermen and passers-by. Built in medieval times (XIIe - XIIIe century) on a volcanic peak, it dominates the wild gorges. Its size is impressive and its height makes you dizzy. Impossible to resist its rise, that said very accessible.
At the very top, within the walls of the castle, the castral chapel of Saint-Jacques (stylistically dated to the XIe, or even Xe century) rises like a beacon in an ocean of greenery. A red stone lighthouse attached to the Vellavian architecture, which contrasts with the surrounding landscape.
The fortress is open for visits from March to November. For a free visits : the ticket and the keys of the castle are to be requested from the Manor bar restaurant in the town center: 04 71 57 17 14. As for the guided tours (30 min), they take place all summer and every day, the 1er July at 31 August (ask for timetables at the same number).
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