Swiss Jura - Doubs?

[Theo]

At the end of May this year - and not *entirely* intentionally, but meeting up with an old friend has fallen through because he's in South Africa, so what can you do? - I've got air tickets to Geneva, and reckon I'll take my wife and rods for a stroll a couple of hours north to an out-of-the-way medieval village in the Jura.

At St Ursanne, there's a river called the Doubs (yes, there's a reason for everything). Back in the day, Charles Ritz used to fish in these parts, as well as everywhere else, and I've heard good things about the zebra trout. But does anyone know any more than what's on here:

w3.jura.ch/st-ursanne/pecheurs.htm

or here:

www.doubsfishing.info

... flies, in particular? Or shall I just wait to get there, and talk to the locals?

Any advice appreciated, brothers of the angle!!

Theo

[charlieH]

Theo, you might like to try a 'Peute' if you think English flies won't work on french trout. Suggested to me on a thread a few months ago.

flyforums.proboards53.com/index.cgi?board=flytying&action=display&thread=1132840156&page=1

Also, picked up from one of the links in that thread, you could venture onto www.mouche-fr.com/forum/index.php and enquire - a quick 'recherche' on 'Doubs' seemed to produce quite a few hits.

[pierre]

Hi Theo,

It is a wonderfull place to fish, one of best place in France.
Regarding flies, peute is a good choice...I used some of my french flies here and it works (even the peute).
Do you intend to fish dry or nymph or both ?

[Theo]

Thanks Charlie and Pierre - "La Peute" it may be, in that case.

Yes, I find it's worth researching what the locals use, at least... even if I don't end up using those flies myself, it all adds local colour to the experience. Otherwise one might as well not go travel-fishing at all!!

I'll go with whatever's working, too. If the flies aren't hatching, or the fish aren't looking up, nymphs it'll have to be, and I'm starting to get quite serious about tungsten for mountain rivers.

Maybe even an evil streamer or three...



When were you last fishing there, Pierre?

Theo

[pierre]

I didn't fish the Doubs for ages...But my father in law fished there last year.

[chiro]

If you're not far from that village, head directly to Goumois.

That's the best "fly only" spot of France, with fantastic surroundings, incredible fish (in size and color) but keep something in mind : this is the hardest place to fish, trouts around are so much educated that they require very long / thin leaders and small flies, especially nymphs.

If you catch regularly in Goumois, then you can catch everywhere else on that planet. Most of our top fly fishers practice on that river. I haven't been there for several years, but everytime I fished in Goumois that was a very particular experience.

Day tickets available at the shop close to the bridge (border France Switzerland).

[pierre]

Theo,
I don't fully agree with theo...The difficulty at Goumois is a French phantasm, but for sure it worth trying it.
That's true it can look difficult because it is over fished but when fish are in good mood then as in all river if your fly is well presented fishes will take it.
I know people who are still fishing there with leader no longer than 1 and 1/2 size their rod and 6x tippet. They are doing well.

[Theo]

Thanks again, gents... I'm counting down the days, and have now invested in a map from Stanfords, plus a pair of *thigh* waders from John Norris, because of suspicions confirmed by this site:

www.opd.ch/page.php?id=3185

... clearly one of the local fishing emporia.

As recommended by Jim Babb, I'll go wet-wading - deliberately - one day. But that'll be at a time and place of my choosing, and not an Alpine river in April.

(What was someone saying about "the snip" over on Viewpoint?)

Theo