In Mayenne, it is at 6.52 a.m. precisely, half an hour before sunrise, that trout fishing will be authorized. And participating in this opening is a real tradition for many fishermen. Like Jean-Claude, 67 years old. This retiree from Genest-Saint-Isle west of Laval has not missed an opening in the past 50 years: “I’ve been there every year since 1971“, explains the keen fisherman. “It’s my pleasure. I’m going to leave around 5:30 – 6 am on Saturday, enough time to eat the little guts.“Because the fashionable tripe of Caen during the opening is also a real tradition.
There are the old ones, and then, younger ones like Jimmy, a 21-year-old Laval resident, who already has a lot of experience: ”I have been fishing since I was 5 years old. Every year, we wait for this moment of opening. We’ll be at the water’s edge early Saturday morning. I will be at Saint-Suzanne. How to explain this need to make the opening? it’s just passion.“
Guillaume is also the opening, on the side of Saint-Jean-sur-Erve, with his “father” as he says: “the goal is to be the first at the water’s edge and when it’s time to fish, we throw the lines in the water. And that’s the fun of doing the first take.”
For several days, enthusiasts have been equipping themselves. Mathieu Collet manages the Alternativ’ fishing specialty store in Laval: “a week before the opening, customers come to buy the last consumables. It’s a bit of euphoria at the store. The opening is what launches the season, the fishermen are impatient. And then, sales of fishing licenses are on the increase, so that’s encouraging.“
To tease the trout, you need a license. It costs 78 euros a year to fish in Mayenne. There are reduced rates for women and children. There are also a few rules to follow: each fisherman has the right to six trout a day. And a minimum size: 23 cm for farmed fish (rainbow trout) and 25 cm for wild trout (fario).
There are approximately 12,000 licensed fishermen in Mayenne.