Mathieu Colzato, fishing guide instructor in Toulouse
Discover the portrait of Mathieu Colzato, fishing guide instructor in the city center of Toulouse and specialist in catfish fishing.
Mathieu Colzato, fishing guide instructor in Toulouse
Hello Mathieu, firstly can you introduce yourself?
My name is Mathieu Colzato, I am 22 years old, I am from the south of France in Toulouse where I was born and where I have always fished. I practice almost all types of freshwater fishing techniques, whether it is vertical catfish fishing, fly fishing for trout, predator fishing with lures, white fish with blow or even carp in stalking.
How long have you been a fishing guide instructor and what techniques do you teach?
I have been a fishing guide instructor in Toulouse for a year now and specialize in carp fishing but especially catfish in Toulouse city center. I also guide in other departments such as Lot, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne and my objective is to extend to certain times of the year in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques for catfish sighting on a boat. It would be a service for seasoned fishermen because it requires technique and from the outset to clamp large catfish in the current.
Why did you choose to do this job of fishing guide instructor?
I chose to work as a fishing guide instructor in order to transmit the joys and adrenaline that catfish fishing can provide to people who do not necessarily have the means or who do not have the appropriate equipment for catch this fish. I want to show these people my techniques and try to get them to catch a catfish, if only a small one.
Mathieu Colzato and a beautiful catfish from the Lot
Is it the discovery of fish and a fishing technique that motivates you first?
Absolutely. The discovery of fish is essential in my opinion, not to mention the search for adrenaline, big fish. My goal is for the townspeople of Toulouse to be able to leave their homes, walk 100 meters to get on a boat and have the opportunity to make fish as large as themselves in the heart of the city. Behind that, I want to show these people that such large fish exist near their homes and above all, from an educational point of view, that the catfish, contrary to popular belief, is not a bloodthirsty who eats everything that it finds but that it coexists with other species of fish and that it is not that easy to fish.
For me, the only way to change people's vision of this fish is to bring them to the edge of the water, to show them the truth of the land. That's why I decided to become a fishing guide instructor in Toulouse and elsewhere.
So, catfish is your fish of choice?
For guidance yes! Outside of guidance, I don't really have any. I love fishing for carp in March-April when the water temperature warms up, as much as trout in April-May during the gobbling period, chub in summer or pike and other predators at any time. what time of year. As long as I can fish, everything is fine.
What is your type of clientele? What are they looking for behind your offers?
My main clientele is first of all people curious to catch catfish. Some have accidentally caught them and would like to catch bigger ones. For others it is pure discovery. Then there are the children amazed by this fish and who ask their parents to be guided to catch a catfish.
How do these people hear about you?
By word of mouth but especially by social networks which is my main communication channel, in particular Facebook.
Mathieu Colzato: catfish fishing guide
So you take care of your communication yourself. Is it to the detriment of your guiding activity?
Yes and no because I do it in the evening when I get home. I'm not spending too much time on it yet.
How do you see your profession evolving?
The job of fishing guide instructor for catfish is tending to decline, even if he still has a few good years left in my opinion. This is quite simply due to the populations of catfish which have arrived in certain rivers at the threshold of the species' explosion, such as in the Rhône or the Tarn. They are therefore increasingly difficult to fish using traditional techniques, whether vertically or directly above the boat.
In Toulouse, it is in any case more and more complicated to fish given the low populations. Fortunately, some rivers have not yet reached this peak of population like the Lot, where we still have some very good years ahead of us. The whole objective will therefore be to bring city dwellers to these spots and therefore to develop my communication as a function without encroaching on other instructors.
What is your relationship with other fishing guides? Do we often hear about jealousy or competition in the fishing world? Are you living it?
Jealousies, not yet. Maybe because my activity is not yet substantial enough. The region Midi-Pyrenees is also a large enough territory that the guides complement each other and not step on each other. This is an advantage over other regions as in the Pays Basque or in Mediterranean. So we have the opportunity not to be very numerous, especially when we specialize like me. So I see other fishing guides more as colleagues rather than competitors.
How could Rodmaps help you in your future projects?
Quite simply by allowing me to gain visibility in relation to the offers I offer, by strengthening my communication on a wider target. My goal for 2018 being to be able to fill all my weekends from March to September, given that 80% of my requests are concentrated on weekends.
Mathieu Colzato in family guide on the Garonne
An anecdote to tell us about a guide?
I had the opportunity to guide Jules, an 8 year old child this year. His father had reserved a day of guiding for me for the birthday of his son who only dreamed of one thing: catching a catfish. We made an appointment in June for a first outing of 4 hours, unfortunately without result… Seeing the sadness of the son, his father again made an appointment for July and there, the magic operated. In 4 hours, he will have released a catfish of 1.54 meters and a last of 1.72 meters for 45kg at 10mn from the end of the day. The kid was in heaven, smiling from ear to ear. It was really a guidance full of emotions and one that stuck with me because of the reaction of the father and the son. To see this kid with the stars in his eyes and this dream come true, I saw myself when I was younger watching my first videos of catfish (by Jean-Claude TANZILI in particular) saying to myself "if I could catch one like that one day ”. And then 10 years later, to do the same thing but with a child, it did something. This is really the job of a guide. If it could always be like this!
What are the main qualities in your opinion to be a good fishing guide?
For me, the basis is that a fishing guide instructor is there to guide and not to fish. In my opinion, he is not paid to fish but to fish. Except of course if the customer requests it.
The second point, just as important, is its pedagogy. His way of bringing his explanation, of retransmitting orally what he understood underwater so that the client understands and applies it. Finally, it is being able to adapt to each client according to their knowledge and knowing how to put the cursor at the right level.
Discover Mathieu Colzato's guiding offers:
Discovery of catfish fishing in the heart of Toulouse
Come and discover catfish fishing in the heart of Toulouse on the Garonne in the company of a fishing guide instructor with suitable and secure equipment.
For a day or more, discover all the techniques of catfish fishing in this magnificent setting offered by the Lot de Cenevières in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Adrenaline and thrills guaranteed!
Rodmaps is above all the story of Nicolas and Matthieu, two friends passionate about fishing. Since our childhood, our passion drives us to travel through France and to travel around the world in search of adventure and trophy fish. Through Rodmaps, we want to share our passion for fishing with as many people as possible and make people discover the joys of this sport around us, because yes, fishing is a sport!
View Comments