The River Saone ( France )

The River Soane , is yet another one of France’s idyllic winding rivers that passes

through the beautiful French country side, as it runs form just north of Dijon continuing on

to its confluence with the river Rhone at Lyon. The river is about 100 miles long and varies in width from

200 - 400 yards depending on which area you are fishing. It is a much slower flowing river

than the river which I have covered in  previously articles,  The River Seine .

The river itself is abundant with features, for you to explore, you will encounter Drop-offs, rocks, sunken trees, overhanging trees, bushes and many moor interesting features for you and the Carp to deal with.  You will need to be aware that later on in the Year the weed in the river, can and does become a problem, when you are trying to fish, sometimes the weed is that bad, the river becomes unfishable.I find that because the river Soane is a much slower flowing river, you can explore the center of the river much more when fishing  it, unlike the river Seine where I mainly concentrate on the edges of the river because of its much strong flow.

What will I find , the Soane is abundant with Carp ( Mainly Commons ) which can be found

along the whole length of the river. Although the river Soane has in the past produced Carp to over 60 lbs,

you are more than likely to catch mainly, doubles, twenties and the odd thirty, as the bigger fish are more of a rarity.

Because the fish swim around in huge shoals, it is possible to encountered some very large captures

( Quantity wise ) if you in the right swim at the right time.

I personally find the river more of an action venue, in comparison to the Seine,

where I am more in the pursuit of,  that much bigger Carp. .

For Example, on one of my previous trip's  to the Saone , my self and a friend, encountered

in the short space of three days and nights fishing, 59 runs, landing fish to over 30 lbs,

with the majority of the fish being over the 20 lb mark.

How do I get there  , I have always found in the past,  that the quickest route to the area of the river

I fish on the Saone, is via the Dover – Calais ferry crossing or the Eurostar crossing to Calais. then

take the A26 autoroute ( south ) towards Lyon, as the  French autoroutes  have several number references,

which can be confusing , if you are not use to them, you may find it easier to follow the route by

names of towns and cities, so if you head for  Lyon every time you see it signposted,

you will not go far wrong.  There are several ways to link to the A6, which is the autoroute

you are heading for, which will take you south towards Lyon. of course depending on which

area you plan to fish on the Soane, will determine your route.  A good area to try is in the town of

Chalon-sur-Sone, close to the islands and barge moorings, as this area has produced fish to

over 50 lbs in the past.

How should I tackle it ,  as I always informe you, in all my article's, do not fish without obtaining the correct licenses,  as regular checks are made by the Guard de Peche on all the French rivers and some times even by the Gendarmes. French National and Regional licenses ( you will need them booth ) are available from local tackle shops and even sometimes the local bars. Remember that fishing without the correct licenses,can carry a large fine or may end up with you having all your gear confiscated ( don’t take any chances just for the small price of the correct licenses ).If you do not speak French, ( A good tip is ) to take a photograph of you posing with a Carp, this will get you around the language barrier when obtaining your licenses.

The river contains most European coarse fish i.e. pike, roach, rudd, bream, tench, barbel etc, but a special mention must be given to the other species that the river Saone is most famous for, that is the Saones giant Catfish which grow up to 200 lbs in weight. If you would like to preview the catfishing on the river Saone, it is featured in a couple of Kevin Maddocks video's and also Luke Moffates new release. You can also see catfishin on the Saone featured in Matt Hayes Total fishing on Sky.

  Bait wise, I have found in the past, that baiting up heavily with a mixture of particles

( sweet corn ,hemp,groats ) broken boiles and trout pellets work well on this river.

The hook baits I like to make a lot harder and leave them soaking in a dip for extra flavoring.

Rigs and Tackle : As I have stated in my previous articles on continental fishing, when

I fish abroad I tend to step up the specification of all my tackle. I do not mention any makes

or brands as I’m not writing these articles to promote  tackle manufactures, but to try

and pass on my hard gained knowledge and experience to other anglers who wish to try and

broaden their fishing experiences. I do not claim to be an expert but have learnt from

experience that stronger line, stronger hooks and braided leaders are a must when on the

rivers in France, these will help you overcome the beds of freshwater mussels ,sunken

trees and various other snags you are likely to encounter.

              Well that it till next time, keep catching them.      Ron Woodward