There is great fishing in the Vendée. All types, including coarse fishing, sea fishing and fishing in the salt marshes.  The Vendée is among the regions in France with the greatest extent of rivers for freshwater fishing.

However, you do need a license. During your holiday, you can take a "Carte Pêche-Vacances", a temporary holiday fishing permit costing around 30 euros (£20), which is valid for 15 consecutive days, between 1 April and 30 September, on all non-private waters in the county - including rivers, and any lakes created on them by dams.

The permit covers a maximum of 4 lines on rods, each with maximum of 2 hooks. You can buy the permit at most tackle shops, or ask at a local tourist office or "mairie" (town hall, or village equivalent). Or if you're staying at a camp site, the office will be able to tell you the nearest point of sale. Day passes are not available.   

From most tourist offices you can pick up brochures produced by the Vendean Angling Federation, carrying a map of the county and its rivers. 

Children under 16 can fish a bit cheaper, by buying an annual card ("carte jeune") for 25 euros (about £16), which is valid for a whole year and covers 4 lines.

There's a "carte orange" costing 9 euros (£6) which permits just one line to be used, and can be bought by under-16s or by the spouse of an adult paying the full rate. Children under 12 can use a free "carte verte" to fish with just one line.

The availability of all types of bait - with the exception of casters (the pupa stage of maggots) - is quite good. Most hypermarkets have a bait fridge with a wide selection of maggots, worms, pinkies. But beware - they are expensive. A small tub of 25 maggots cost about  1 euro.

You will find all types of fish common to English waters such as Carp, Roach, Bream, Tench and Pike, and a few not-so-common fish such as Mullet, Zander and Catfish. An unusual species is Black-Bass which is well-known in the US apparently, but less so in the UK.

Speaking from my own experience of fishing on the sluggish lower reaches of the river Vie, near St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, I should say a towel to hold the Catfish! On one of my very first casts I hooked a small specimen and swung it straight to my hand - not realising that they have very sharp pectoral fins - and lacerated my finger. Five minutes later I caught another Catfish - and another, and another... In fact the main topic of conversation among British anglers on the river bank was how not to catch catfish! (I should add that we did manage to catch a few Carp, Tench and Bream between us, too, though.)

by, Rob Busby

Rob returned to the Vendée a couple of years ago with his family, and that both he and his son caught record-sized Carp in the Lac d’Apremont, at Maché!