RIVIERES DE HAUTE-MARNE

- Pike
The Meuse contains tempting populations of pike, particularly below Bourmont. The small dimensions of the waterway allow easy
prospecting of weed beds and stocks from the bank. In the Marne, pike occupy the deepest areas: calm waters above dams, pools. The flavour of their meat is much appreciated in the area.

- Fish for frying
Grouped together under the term small fish, the roach, gudgeon and perch develop their populations in the canals and artificial lakes and in 2nd category rivers.

As calm as their vast grassy valleys, the Meuse and the Mouzon shelter large populations of little cyprinidae.

The Saulon is a small river in the Saône basin which contains a great deal of fish. The gudgeon is remarkably well represented here. The best fishing spots are located in the pools maintained by the dams between Bussières and Coublanc. The Fontaine Couverte cave site in Coublanc combines the pleasures of fishing with the mystery of the subterranean river that emerges there.

The Canal de la Marne à la Saône. The Marne-Saône canal crosses Haute-Marne from south to north, parallel with the Marne. The canal can easily be accessed via its bridges and locks. The bridges are generally much appreciated for catching small fish.

- Grayling rivers
On the Marne, grayling can be found from Chaumont to Rachecourt-sur-Marne (see map). The population is colonising new areas downstream. The river is on average 20 to 30 metres wide, with a depth of between 50 cm and 1 metre in the stretches of natural flow. Grayling frequent the currents and pools where beds of water crowfoot grow. The river can be fly-fished under excellent conditions along most of its length. Good populations of grayling can be found on the Aube, towards Laferté-sur-Aube. The dimensions of the river are comparable to those of the Rognon. Fly-fishing in waders or from the bank is perfectly possible.

- Trout
Haute-Marne has an extensive network of trout rivers, which rise on the limestone plateaux of the Barrois and the Langres plateau. The populations, which have a large number of streams in which to spawn, consist mainly of indigenous brown trout. We distinguish between two types of water course according to the fishing possibilities they offer:

Trout rivers
These are the same rivers lower down. The Aujon, the Marne and the Aube are refreshed by significant additions of very cold and welloxygenated underground water. These rivers have average widths of 10 to 30 metres. Except in the Aujon, trout and common grayling cohabit. In spring, live-bait fishing with minnows and worms are the most widelypractised techniques. The dry fly fishing season begins around 15 May. Wet fly fishing in spring and summer, little used in Haute-Marne, gives excellent results on the Marne, below the confluence with the Rognon.

Small trout streams
These are the Aube above Aubepierre, the Aujon above Arc-en-Barrois, the Blaise above Doulevant, the Rognon above Andelot and the small tributaries of the Marne. These streams measure 3 to 8 metres wide. Their valleys consist of woods or prairies. Spring is the best time to fish them. Live-bait fishing with minnows and worms are the most widely-practised techniques. In summer, minnows give good results, especially early in the morning; fly fishing is possible from the banks in certain sectors. The two weeks before the closure of the trout fishing season is a very good time.