Discover the portrait of Julien Audonnet, fishing guide instructor in Guadeloupe and specialist in lure and fly fishing.
Hello, my name is Julien Audonnet, I will soon be 36 and I have been living in Guadeloupe since 2002. I have had a fairly dense professional career and fishing has always been the common thread of my hobbies in my life.
After 8 years at Décathlon Guadeloupe as a salesman then department manager (fishing in particular), I first created with a friend, the Guadeloupe fishing passion association of which I am president. Then I set up my Guidance business. For 5 years now I have been living from guiding in Guadeloupe.
As a kid, my father used to take me coarse fishing on the ponds in my region of birth, Isère. We even went minnow fishing around the bends of the Gère, a river close to the house.
When I grew up, I fished a lot for trout with TOC, then all the peaches that came my way depending on where I made my life. Surf casting in the Mediterranean, carp with friends… In short, as soon as there was a way to try to catch a fish I looked into the question. In short, the starting point of my passion I owe to my father.
Today is my whole life! I only get up for that… It is therefore my job and it has remained my passion, whether in the management of my business or in the realization of my services every day with my fishermen.
The difference with my beginnings is perhaps that I hardly fish at all for myself… but I like it! Whether at home in Guadeloupe or in the trips I make, I accompany fishermen.
Well no! I love all fish and that is precisely what I try to convey in my guides. I enjoy trying the fish of the moment with the equipment that is going well!
The best for me is a swift fish, in light in technical places and if possible: on sight! This is the best! The baby tarpon lends itself well to this kind of game, like the bone fish on the "flats" and the peacock in Brazil.
I'm not a fan of superlatives and other big phrases aimed at making things exceptional. Guadeloupe is a set of qualities that make it different from other places. It is an authentic island, with character and a beautiful cultural identity.
It allows you to fish while discovering the place that welcomes us throughout our stay. Unlike some destinations where all you do is fish, here you have the opportunity to mix fishing and discovery. Guadeloupe allows it in its configuration. Obviously for the "furious" of fishing we can go beyond and put your head in the handlebars that goes without saying.
For my part, I specialize in mangroves and the lagoon. In these environments we have Tarpons, Snooks, Baracudas, Carangues and other snappers ...
And I put aside the Bone fish for fly flyers! All these fish are present throughout the year with more or less favorable periods depending on the species. But all year round there is plenty to fish in pleasant conditions.
On the sea side, there is also plenty to do with Spanish mackerel, sea bream, yellowfin, marlin and swordfish. I do not offer these guides myself but I know how to direct my fishermen to good people to discover these fisheries.
I find that the role of a guide is important to optimize the chances of success for our fishermen. If we take it in its basic sense, a guide can be a simple guide. But if we take it as a whole, and that's how I see it, a guide has great responsibilities because his mission is so complicated.
Without of course being able to ensure the fish to his fisherman, he must transmit in a given time everything he needs to go towards success. A successful guidance is a guidance during which the customer has found his account in terms of learning and discovery of techniques leading to the capture of a fish.
It's because it's complicated to guide that I like it. Because it is never won and every day is different than my job pleases me.
The expectations of my fishermen are never the same. Their technical level, the conditions, the mood of the fish either, and that's what makes every day a new challenge.
This question joins the last. For me, a good guide is someone who knows how to make an outing adapted to all these variables without getting carried away by what he, as a fisherman, would have liked to do.
Let me explain. A guide must above all understand what his angler wants to do, while directing him on what it would be good to do according to the conditions. The finesse arises at this moment, when we have to find the right balance between what our emotional fisherman tells us to do and the expectations of our customers.
A concrete example: the tarpon babys have been present under the branches of the mangroves for two days and on the 3rd day I have a fisherman who wants a barracuda because it makes him dream and because he is not at ease with the precise throw ...
In this case, after having presented the different options to him, I must then know how to go towards what the fisherman wants, even if I know that the conditions are less suitable. And in addition I must succeed!
I often say that a guide full of fish can be missed while a guide with few catches can be successful.
Full full full of projects and developments at "julien fishing guide". Already in the things done, there is the start of a second guide on my second boat since the beginning of the year.
Indeed, I guide on the flat-bottomed boat for sight fishing mainly on the flat or on the edge, and my colleague on a boat a little bigger in the lagoon, takes fishermen who like more vertical lure fishing. flexible and around shallows.
In search of Trevally, barracuda, tarpons on an echo sounder work, this allows us to have two very distinct types of fishing, while remaining sure to fish in light for maximum sensations…. By the way, did you know that we can make Bone Fish vertically in deep areas in Guadeloupe? These fish move hard when they have water above their heads.
Developments also in travel abroad. Because in fact I guide more and more abroad. Costa Rica and its Rooster fish for 2 years and Brazil for the peacok bass this year in October. Always looking for light tackle fish ...
We all have anecdotes as fishermen and many also as guides. I think one of the coolest was a day I was guiding a flycatcher.
We were looking for Bone Fish on the flats and we tried to do them "on sight", like most of the time in this technique. The fishing was not easy due to the wind and we were on the end of the morning. The various groups of Bones fish seen during the outing had not materialized.
Suddenly the pressure was mounting to make this much sought-after fish. On the SKIFF, I was at my post at the top of my platform, with the pole in hand. The fly flyer was in the front, the silk unfolded at his feet, so as not to waste time in case of action. In short, we were attentive and ready! I then see a group of 4 individuals. I stop the boat and the fisherman makes his false throws to place his shrimp very cleanly one meter from the first fish in the group. I see everything from my high post: the "bone" turns around and decides to slowly spin towards the fly.
Seeing his friend take an interest, another bone fish then accelerates by food competition. They are both hesitant and follow this false shrimp, animated by the "strips" of the fisherman. I ask him to speed up the animations, the fish also speed up and “BOOOM” a small snapper comes out of nowhere, comes their shiper the shrimp in front of their nose….
He measures 15cm he is magnificent full of colors but we are both disappointed and too happy with the action we have just experienced.
Yes of course, my message is simple. I invite all passionate fishermen, experts or beginners, but also families with or without children, in short Everyone, to come and fish in the mangroves and in the lagoon with us ...
Everything is done to have a good time and try some pretty fish. We can never guarantee the result, but I can guarantee everyone that we will be able to adapt to their expectations and their level.
This is what is most important to me.
Sharing my knowledge of the Guadeloupe mangrove is an essential point for me. Learning to cast and acquire the basics of lure fishing is often very quick and accessible to everyone, whatever the level. My diploma and my fishing experience in Guadeloupe allow me to mix the proportion of fishing and excursion in a suitable way.
For fly fishermen, Guadeloupe is a hidden paradise. Indeed this destination is little known, the noble fish are present in number and my boat is perfectly adapted to their tracking. I will be happy to make you fly fish mythical fish of Guadeloupe in the most inaccessible places with maximum discretion.
Sharing my knowledge of the Guadeloupe mangrove is an essential point for me. Learning to cast and acquire the basics of lure fishing is often very quick and accessible to everyone, whatever the level.
Useful links to get to know Julien Audonnet and his profession better:
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