Biarritz tips please?

[Oisin]

Off to Biarritz this weekend, never been before. Anyone got any tips on the type of fishing there? Also, what would be a good way to take a rod?

Thanks

Oisin

[The Big Man]

Plenty of mullet in the harbour at Bayonne which is next door when I was there some years ago. There were guys fishing for bass off the beaches as well although didn't see them catch any.

The boats fish out on the Barre Roches where there are good conger.

[jambojersey]

It Sounds like a good bass beach, if it is good for surfing as it is. Make sure you take a picnic lunch with you as when I stopped over driving to Spain from Jersey I found the prices exorbitant to the extreme. Tin of corn beef in your luggage will save you £10 quid lol. Here is a bit from Biarritz website have a great time and tight lines mate.

Regulations

No flag: beach unsupervised
(bathing at the risk of bathers)

Red flag: beach supervised, bathing forbidden
surfing allowed, provided there are 3 or more surfers

Yellow flag: rough sea, beach supervised, bathing authorised but dangerous

Green flag: calm sea, beach supervised, bathing not dangerous

Blue pennants: Authorised bathing area
With green or yellow flags, bathing is only authorised between the two blue pennants.

Green flag with red circle: surfing area

Practice areas

Surfing: green to red flags
Surfing and other water sports are regulated on the beaches of Biarritz.
They are forbidden on MIRAMAR and PORT-VIEUX beaches, as well as on Bernain beach

Body boarding between the (blue) flag marking the end of the bathing area and the green flag with a red circle

Bathing: between the blue flags
Bathing in groups belonging to holiday centres are only authorised on Milady Beach. Requests for authorisation to bathe should be addressed to the Mairie de Biarritz. After authorisation, those responsible must contact the Station Chief of that beach to organise bathing.

Other: Dogs are prohibited on all beaches, from the Sunday before Easter to the 15th of October, except on Marbella beach. They are authorised on all beaches from 16 October to the Sunday before Easter, but must be kept on a lead.

Also forbidden:

· Access to the beach using automobiles and motorcycles
· Preparation and cooking of food on the beach
· Use of sound broadcasting equipment, particularly radios
· Underwater fishing less than 150 metres from supervised beaches
· Collection of shellfish on foot on the beaches or rocks
· Fishing using lines in supervised areas and regulation hours. On Port-Vieux beach, it is forbidden in the area delimited by the two sides of the cove, the Rocher de la Vierge and the Boucalot rock.

In order to protect the reproduction of sea birds and petrels:
The rocks known as "Boucalot" opposite the Port-vieux and "Roche Ronde" facing Miramar beach are forbidden to fishermen and bathers and any water sports within a perimeter of 20 metres around these rocks.
It is also forbidden to climb rocks in the immediate vicinity of the cliff of the Esplanade du CANON.
arritz

[FISHY FINGERS]

if you are driving stash away some nice size ragworm on a cooler. You won't find good bait there. fished off the rocks of the end of the grande plage last March.
Past the swimming pool and almost in front of the casino's with good old brit king rag and caught some nice Bass up to about 21/2 lb

[PanamaJack]

Hi Oisin
Whilst they're not cheap, at nearly £70, I would recommend a Kisrod case. It's extendable and lockable and as close as you're going to get to something that is airport baggage handler proof! You could still source it in time through several on-line tackle dealers, or you might just be lucky and find one on eBay or even at one of the charity shops.

As a cheap alternative you could construct one from a length of 4" plumber 's soil pipe obtained through a local Builders Merchants. They'd also supply end caps. The only issue I've found with this way of transporting rods is locking the tube. You could utilise a locking bar. However, in the past, I tended to risk it by taping the removable end cape on.

Most baggage handlers are sensible and will place them in an 'oversized' reclaim area but, once in a while, you'll get one daft enough to put it onto the luggage carousel. Now that going to tax even a Kis tube!

Make sure as well you pack either end of the tube with sponge or bubble wrap to protect the rod against breakage if the tube's inadvertently dropped.

As to the fishing as Fishy Fingers reported it should be good for Bass. The offshore fishing for Tuna is much later in the year, during the summer months.

Every success and please post a note of your experiences back on this post.
Dave

[Mash]

I'm heading to La Rochelle this June. I would imagine fishing the mouth of the River Vendee could be productive. Has anyone got experience of that area?

[PanamaJack]

It's many, many years ago that, on a touring holiday, we stopped at a place called Fouras just a few K south of La Rochelle. The water there was particularly shallow and all that seemed to be being caught were Eels.

As well as on rod and line some of the locals had small jetties with raisable fixed net structures at their end. The nets, from memory, were about 10' square. They'd submerge the net, drop small amounts of groundbait in the centre then periodically lift it and retrieve their catch - more Eels!

On the plus side the shellfish, particularly the Oysters, and the local Lamb were excellent.
Dave

[glengormley-gavin]

Evening lads,

I am travelling to Biarritz this summer, I'm staying in a little village called Gutheray 8km south.

I have just bought a PPT Jetstream Rod to bring with me (40" long rigid case supplied).

The tips mentioned above are good and i will take note.

Any other sugestions warmly accepted.

JUDE