Urban fishing

If you think fishing is an old pastime, think again. Forget about dangling your fishing rod over the canal side, the the city's the place to be for the best catch now. "Street fishing" is brining the sport back in fashion.

Dressed in skater clothes and holding a fold-up fishing rod, street fishers work right in the centre of town, scouring the banks of the Seine or the Saône for the perfect spot. The Japanese might have invented fishing ponds on the top of buildings, but the French are more interested in going back to basics.

"You don't have to go far and it's cheap"

David Pierron is the coordinator of the French Association of Competitive Fisherman and organiser of "Street Fishing Tour" - a competition that attracted 80 contenders this May.

Urban fishing is not a new phenomenon. There were already big competitions on the banks of the Seine at the start of the twentieth century. The novelty comes from the natural spirit of the sport, which attracts many young people. We'll walk the length of the riverside to find the best spot.

Street fishing is influenced by the skateboarding culture. But it's also popular for its practical side. Amateur fishermen, who find themselves stuck in the city during the week, started to fish nearby their homes. You don't have to go far and it's cheap. All you need is a pair of trainers, a cheap rod and an hour of your time in the evening.

Since the seventies the water in the Seine has had a bad reputation, but now anti-pollution efforts are starting to pay off. Today there are some good spots, like the island in the centre where the waters are very rich. Fish there like sea perches and pikes are carnivorous.

We could eat them, but they'd be too heavy to get back home in the city. And plus we go by the no kill ethic; to always put the fish back in the water. The idea is to bring a bit of nature into the city."

One metre long giant catfish snapped up in the centre of Lyon

Video posted 28 January 08 by "benben69380".