Local Rivers. The Charente

The Charente is a river worth fly fishing fishing around Civray and Charroux, were its small and interesting.
Were I fish it most however (around Angouleme) its a little bigger, has a more even depth, and holds plenty of white fish.

In the low reaches it is deep, with strong currents. It contains fish through all the reaches, a good head of Chub, Roach, Pike, Perch, Zander, some huge carp, and Barbel are all along this pretty river.
I have taken carp to 16lb on flies, but they are very difficult to tempt. Chub to 5lb and Barbel to 4lb, all on nymphs or dry flies.

Barbel again a really difficult to catch on flies, but because you can get very close to them (from behind) you can see them take the fly. Next to carp I think pound for pound, they fight the best of any coarse fish?
Chub are not too difficult, as long as you dont scare them. Competition is normally there downfall, as they hate another fish to get the fly first. So casting to pods of fish is best!

The river ends it life in the sea at the resort of Rochefort, but just upstream near Saintes I'm told some huge Carp and Barbel live. Carp over 30lb are no strangers in this section!!

Wow, I wonder how much backing you would need for one of them?