The Tarn, from its source down to Millau, is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world (there, I said it!), but sadly, this year… it took a beating from the heat, the drought, and no doubt the tourist pressure too. And it’s true that outside of evening rises right at nightfall, on nice big sedges, if you weren’t nymphing, you could forget about catching anything! But is fly fishing, the way we see it at Le Mouching, really about catching fish no matter the cost, no matter what? Not so sure… Anyway, this summer, while I did go fish the Lot (dam-regulated) and the Tarn, I didn’t cast a single line in the Aveyron that runs right past my house, or in the Aubrac rivers and streams I’m especially fond of, because given the water levels and temperatures, the fish needed to be left the hell alone!
So what’s left to console us? The joy of just watching! Yesterday I was soaking in a “gourg,” or a pool as the English would call it, on the Lot, upstream of Saint-Côme. And seeing the rocks that are usually underwater, even with the water releases from good old EDF (Electricité De France), I was suddenly filled with this happiness of doing nothing, just being there in the cool, while the thermometer read 105.2°F (Aveyron’s record that day), I could smell the undergrowth, the oaks and beeches, the boxwood. On the rocks, I spotted a dipper putting on a fascinating little show. It brought back memories of filming that exact spot for “L’Aveyron du Nord au Sud,” when we spotted a genet and mistook it for an otter.
I thought back to all the times I’ve soaked up the view without ever touching my rod, just grateful to witness a wildlife and a nature that so few people ever get the chance to appreciate.
So, I found this film by Théo Bonnefous, shot on the Tarn, featuring the dipper, the vulture, the beaver, the mouflon, the otter… all the ones you can spot when you’re out fishing.
Anyway, I hope you’re not too resentful about having to pay for your fishing license this year.
Love from the water’s edge! I’m back to the river for a swim!
This late summer, I set off down the Tarn River in Lozère alongside Clément, a boatman of the gorges who knows this valley like the back of his hand. Together, we made our way down this protected waterway through some truly spectacular scenery.
In this video, I then spend several days out in the field trying to document the wildlife that most people never even notice, early in the morning and late in the evening, along this incredible protected river. The stakeouts were tough at times and the animals stayed elusive, but things eventually came together…
A huge thank you to Clément for his time and his incredible knowledge of the valley.
Théo Bonnefous
Please turn on the subtitles in order to get the most of that film, or maybe you’ll prefer to have it automaticaly dubbed (check Settings on bottom right of the YouTube window)