Located off the coast of Concarneau, this jewel of the Breton waters is a dream for many people, as the landscapes are so beautiful. The turquoise and transparent water brings an air of overseas to this small archipelago made of a few islands.
Known as a place to learn to sail, it is mainly for the richness and diversity of its waters that I sail there.
It is possible to sail from several ports but it is from Concarneau that I leave most of the time. The slipway known as the "bac" is easily accessible and has a large parking lot nearby. It is easy to launch your boat and to park.
Once out of the harbor, head southwest for about 9 miles before reaching the archipelago.
The fishing area
The Glénan archipelago is known in the fishing world for the annual Open des Glénan. This competition, whose quality of organization is to be commended, brings together more than 115 teams of competitors every year in June. Unfortunately, due to the current health crisis, the 2020 edition has been cancelled and it is with great impatience that we must wait until 2021 to celebrate the 10th anniversary.
This area is rich in fish with a varied biotope. 3 distinct parts are identifiable:
- The area of the room this is the heart of the archipelago and is a very shallow area composed of sand, rocky areas and sea grass beds. Here more than anywhere else, fine fishing is king. Armed with small soft lures or hard lures, you will prospect on bottoms often lower than 5 meters. The water is crystal clear. Discretion is required to hope to flush out the beautiful fish posted there. Let's be honest, during the summer season and in the middle of the day, this area is very complicated to fish because of the strong nautical activity but also because of the water clarity.
- The second zone corresponds to the exits from the room these are the corridors with a depth of 10 to 15 m which form the periphery of the chamber. These zones, more exposed to the current, are the places of passage of the fish entering and leaving the chamber. They are a safe bet for those who know the habits of fish. The sea bass is the king there but you will also find pike, vielle, etc.
- Finally, the third zone corresponds to the outdoor . On this deeper sector, you will find essentially fish posted. This is the area I prefer from May to September. If you are used to strong current areas, you may be confused. Indeed, do not expect to find large current veins exceeding 3-4 knots. There are days when the drifts do not exceed 1 knot. Before the month of June, sand eels are present in numbers and very good fishing is regular on the sandbanks. In the summer, you will surely have the chance to find early morning or evening bird hunts with a high and varied concentration of fish.
The material
On this area, as often, I use 3 different rods:
- A rod of 2m40 for the traction of a power of 15-50 grams allowing me to animate shads and slugs in the water layer. During the month of May, when the sandeels are very present, a Crazy Sand Eel from Fiiish in size 180 mm will bring you excellent results.
- A lighter rod with a power of 7-28 grams for lighter fishing around the chamber.
- Finally a rod purely intended for vertical fishing mounted in casting. I practice vertical fishing on large sandbanks beyond 50m or wrecks in search of beautiful specimens often posted.
The techniques used
In the Glénan, more than elsewhere, I fish rather light. The current being rather weak, I prefer gliding rigs. My favorite combos are the Crazy Sand Eel 220 with its 30 grams head when the sand eels are well present. If you work it vertically or linearly through the water layer on 20 to 30m depths, you will soon trigger the attack of one of the many predators present in the area. The shads of size 160mm as the Black Minnow, armed with its 30 grams head brings me excellent results too.
On the shallow sectors, the fishing known as with the flight or with scratching makes it possible to capture many species. Bars, vielles, orphies to name but a few, will not fail to bring you many hits.
The Glénan archipelago is an area where nautical activities are numerous. During the summer season, it is best to go out early in the morning or late at night. At the end of the season, once the calm is back, predators will be a little less wary and beautiful surprises are waiting for you. If you don't catch fish, you will be amazed by the beauty of the landscape.
