Club Mouche Trip Report

Trip Report - 08 April

Club Mouche (Fly) - 15 km south of Verdun, France

Boy was I feeling blue. Missed the trip to the Club Fly in March of this year with my wife, good fly fishing friends Tom and Don, and one of our recent converts (Troy). My other job sent me to one of troubled lands in the Middle East a few weeks before the trip.

Oh well. When I got back my wife's folks were on the way over from Georgia for two weeks. I thought there would be no way I would get a chance to fish until they were on the return flight. Somehow, on our way to Paris for four days, my wife broke down and said I could make a one day break to the Club all by myself. Of course I had to pay the price of being the super tour guide the day before. I wonder if all my moping, sighing, and grumbling had anything to do with it?

Anyway made a few calls, and set myself up at the Club for an early morning start on a cold (40s) overcast drizzly chilly day. I arrived at 0800 and after coffee had a line in the water by 0830.

Started with my 5 wt. rod with a floating line using a fuzzy black nymph with a gold bead head and red glass bead bottom. Hooked a nice 47 cm rainbow in the big lake that I was able to "long release" fairly easily. Decided the nymph action may be too easy so I switched to a Puckett Special (ugly black marabou streamer with black chain bead eyes). Don gave it to my wife in March and I wanted to see what it could do.

Made a couple of casts with no action to the middle of the lake, and then decided to work the edge of the bank near a large overhanging tree. Good decision. Hooked on to a monster rainbow as I retrieved it past the tree (about 5 meters from where I was standing on the bank). Saw it all in the clear cold water. Nice big fish (56 cm +) that put up quite a long if not exciting struggle. Unfortunately, I lost the fly right after that on a limb of a nearby pine tree.

For the rest of the day I alternated between several nymphs, bead head woolies, and black zonker streamer. Had some good times where I caught several fish in a row and some slow times. Most of the slow time came after the super lunch and never ending bottles of red wine Victor provides. All in all a good day, but no real hatch. I did feel like I worked the five ponds over fairly well.

As I headed back to Paris, I was happy to have the chance to catch and release quite a few fish and relax a little. Unfortunately the weather and traffic in Paris on a Friday night made that almost impossible. Not to mention the fact that I forgot the Paris city map to assist in locating the hotel. Doom on me.

Well, several hours later I was able to locate the small side street where our hotel was located. Slunk in, took a shower, and was in bed without waking the wife. Did I tell you that we were leaving Paris the next morning, and are you wondering why I'm still going on? That's right. I was able to talk the in-laws into seeing the old' fishing hole and visiting the country side of France!

We arrived back at the Club just after lunch. Victor talked my wife and her mother into going into Verdun with Serge (the Club's cook) to buy wine, cheese, and bread. I was free for a couple more hours of fly fishing!

Pulled my Grandfather's Heddon bamboo rod out to give her a try. My Granddad passed away a few years ago and my dad had it stored in our garage for several years. Dad gave it to me for X-mass this last year. Great condition with an extra tip and original aluminum tube.

Tried a few different combinations of nymphs with no luck. Then went back to the bead head black woolie. Got two rainbows, and almost hooked one of the two Carp in the big lake. I caught one of them last November (first and only time I had ever done that). At the time I didn't know it, but Victor will give you a bottle of Champagne if you catch one and show it to him before releasing it. Yeah, I released it right away (didn't know and it was ugly).

Anyway, caught a few more rainbows (all over 44 cm) in the second pond using the black zonkers before Ann showed back up to take me home. A great two days! After being in the arid part of the world for over a month with no fishing, this was a refreshing experience.

What did I learn?

1. Always take a map of Paris with me! Dark, rain, traffic, and small streets are not conducive to dead reckoning in Europe.

2. An ugly fly is not necessarily a bad fly. Thanks Don!

3. Work the banks and overhanging trees, but be careful because you may lose that ugly good fly.

4. I still enjoy fly fishing as much as I did when I started 10 years ago.

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