Picardy boasts 4,500km of inland waterways - and a glorious coastline.

It is only to be expected therefore that there’s excellent Class 1 fishing throughout Picardy - in the valleys of its three magnificent rivers - Somme, Aisne and Oise - that have given their names to Picardy’s three ‘counties’; in the countless streams, marsh lands, natural and man-made lakes & ponds (known in French as “étangs”) that make the charm of Picardy.

So, what’s in store?

What is perhaps surprising is the extent of coarse fishing (known as ‘no kill’), and notably in the Somme and Aisne. Fly-fishing is widely practised too, throughout.

Not only is there carp in abundance in several places (common carp, mirror carp and some grass carp), but pike, tench, bream, roach, black bass and perch too. ‘Sandre’ (zander, commonly known in Britain as pike-perch) is quite widely fished, and often figures on local menus.

Eel is also fished for, especially in the River Somme and the wetlands that surround it. Smoked eel is a popular local delicacy. The various by-ways of the River Somme are home to eels maturing before making their return journey in September to breed in the Sargasso Sea. There are several local techniques including the peculiar ‘pêche à la vermée’ which uses a ‘pelote’ of cotton and earthworm rather than a hook.

Traditional trout and salmon fishing takes place at many sites too. Wild trout, brown trout and grayling are to be found.

Click for full details about fishing in Somme, Aisne, and Oise (this site is only in French).

What about sea fishing?

One can also go shrimping all along the Picardy coast too. Cod, saithe and sea bream are the main off-shore catch. But you can also try your hand at the rather convivial technique of catching mullet from the beach – a technique that all ages and skills can enjoy. A group of people wade out into the water holding a bamboo ‘rod’ to which the net is attached; once the net is stretched out in place, you form a circle around it to try and trap the mullet. The canny mullet will often escape of course, but you can have just as much fun setting the next trap.

To learn more about sea-fishing, contact l'Alphée. Boats are fully equipped for 12-20 persons, and a local guide accompanies the party.
Contact:
L'Alphée - Mme Lecoq
61 rue de la Bassée
80550 LE CROTOY
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 22 27 89 15 or 00 33 (0)6 27 19 33 35 (mobile)

Specialist accommodation

As a consequence of the popularity of fishing in the region, there are several hotels, gîtes and chambres d’hôtes which cater for fishermen’s needs. Click here for a list of fishing accommodation in Somme.