Steve Blind: Lorraine fishing guide

Discover the portrait of Steve Blind, fishing guide instructor in Lorraine and specialist in predator fishing.

Steve Blind

Having just become a fishing guide instructor in 2017, Steve Blind now wishes to share his experience and his love for fishing, a passion that has never left him since the age of 5.

Hi Steve, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello everyone, my name is Steve Blind, I am 23 years old and I am a native of Lorraine (what a beautiful region!), More specifically of Moselle in the 57. I have a bac +2 in management and commerce, but also a BPJEPS specialty "recreational fishing" to become a fishing guide instructor.

Where did your passion for fishing come from?

This passion for fishing, I owe it primarily to my father. A former carp angler, he quickly plunged me into this world by fishing for carp on the battery. I spent my weekends by the ponds. As I am curious, I later wanted to explore other fishing techniques and look for other fish. So it was when I was a teenager that I met a group of passionate lure fishermen who taught me how to fish with lures. I very quickly fell in love with this fishing technique and so I introduced my father to this fishing.

Today we travel with my father and this group of fishermen who have become my friends, all the lakes and rivers in the region.

Steve Blind, moniteur guide de pêche en Lorraine

What fishing techniques do you teach and in which region in particular?

I teach more specifically lure fishing. Whether it's in boat on Madine lake (55) to search for pike and perch or on the banks of the Moselle to track down chub, barbel and asp.

I know of other rivers, ponds and lakes near my home in Lorraine. So I can adapt to customer requirements, or if they want to practice on their favorite fishing site.

Few people know it but Lorraine offers very beautiful places to practice lure fishing. Could you tell us a little more about your region and what makes it unique?

Indeed, Lorraine is filled with water !! I will start with the Madine lake, which is known worldwide for its world carp fishing championship. But I know him from another point of view: boat fishing! And what could be better than walking in the middle of a 1,100 hectare lake with a view of the plains of the Meuse. This lake is magnificent, both for its landscapes, as part of the population of birds that roam around.

Second, the Moselle. What to say about the Moselle except that it always makes me so enthusiastic when I arrive on its approaches. It offers a magnificent setting.

Lorraine is beautiful, the inhabitants are welcoming and the landscapes are more than beautiful. We don't have the sea but we have Amer beer! More seriously, there are many activities there, nothing is lacking in Lorraine.

You recently went through the National Training Center for Fishing Professions in Ahun. Can you tell us a little more about the course of this training and what you learned from it? This could be of interest to future fishing guides.

Oh this training !! It is a real experience, I retain only positive. I learned so much, in terms of fishing techniques, animations, the surroundings of this world, but I also grew. I was surrounded by wonderful people: my colleagues, our coordinator and all the speakers.

Before I cry, I will tell you a little more about how it unfolds. I started in March, for more than 4 months we learned all the basics of animation for leisure centers and we mainly practiced with children of all ages. Then, I decided to do the UCC (Collective Reception of Minors), which allowed me to do a 5-week internship as director of a leisure center: an unforgettable experience.

At the start of the school year, we saw all the fishing techniques (large rod, feeder, ultra light, fly,…) in class for theory and on the water for practice. We come out in December with a website, flyers, business cards and above all a lot of baggage and maturity to start in this world.

Steve Blind, moniteur guide de pêche en Lorraine

Why did you originally choose to do this job?

My desire for this job surfaced when I made my first fishing trip to Ireland at the age of 18. The guides gave me this desire. The desire to discover, to share with enthusiasts, to initiate beginners or the youngest. I really liked the fact of being in contact with the fishermen, of bringing knowledge, and especially of sharing a passion which is common.

What conclusions do you draw from these first months of activity?

To sum up, we must not let go. There is work to be done before being able to offer perfect guidance and have sufficient equipment. Then you have to advertise. It is not always easy to create a business and make yourself known as quickly as possible. On the other hand, when it pays off, the joy is intense since it is the fruit of your personal work and there is pleasure!

What do you like most about guiding today?

Questioning yourself, looking for the technique or the place of fishing that will make your client (s) make fish. It is a kind of stress that haunts you during your guidance, overcome by adrenaline. And I don't even mention it when your client has a fish on the end, I'm even more stressed than if it was me who was fishing !!

Then to come back to it once again: sharing the joy or even fishing anecdotes.

Steve Blind brochet-madine-westin

What qualities do you think are required to be a good guide?

A guide must know how to touch everything or at least know a lot of things in the world of fishing. But it is not only fishing in this job, there is also contact with people. This is what matters most. If in the morning you arrive, you pull your head because you slept badly, customers feel it directly and it's screwed up for the day. You have to keep a smile, offer alternatives during the day, put customers at ease and know the places to have optimum security all day long.

You who have just started in the profession, how would you like to see the profession of fishing instructor-guide evolve in the future?

I would really like the profession of fishing instructor-guide to be recognized nationally, even internationally. At present, not a lot of people know this profession.

When I left my training, I often heard “oh but I never heard that, I didn't even know it existed”. You must be present in the appropriate places between flyers and other means of communication at the same height as any other activity on the site.

That's why I appreciate your job. We finally have a platform that references us and highlights us, thank you!

Steve Blind, moniteur guide de pêche en Lorraine

Any future projects you would like to tell us about?

I work a lot alongside to offer new services or improve my services already in place. My main project is to offer a catfish service by boat on the Moselle in the near future. In the long term, I would like to be able to offer short stays abroad (perhaps Belgium). I still have to work a lot for this !!

An anecdote to tell us about your first guides?

My first guidance was oriented towards asp and barbel fishing, which was not an easy service to achieve. It was hot for two weeks, I was really skeptical about this day. But the weather has changed. We caught the rain on the road, which made some fish move.

Customers went mad when they saw the asps hunting and even more so when they had a surface attack. They had never had the chance to catch it and it is now done. I came home with a smile!

Check out Steve Bling's guiding offerings:

Steve Blind

Predator fishing with lures on Madine Lake with Steve Blind

Come and discover boat fishing on Madine Lake. Fishing with lures exclusively, in search of pike and perch in a perfect setting. I will come to share my passion with you and show you the most appropriate techniques for this environment.

Discover

 

Steve Blind wadding

Wadding fishing on the Moselle with Steve Blind

Come and discover with Steve Blind the many playgrounds on the Moselle. Fishing exclusively with lures to find pike, asp, barbel, chub,… everything that is ultimately caught with lures. He will guide you to improve you on a specific technique during this fishing session.

Discover

 
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