"The Bay of Goulven: THE spot to go fishing on the Côte des Légendes! Chloé
Chloé's experience
A voyage of discovery
Fishing on foot is an activity that can be enjoyed at any age and at any time! Whether you're a seafood lover or not, you'll always find something to enjoy, and what's more, you'll make some great memories!
The treasure hunt!
From an early age, my parents took me fishing on foot during the spring tides. I have fond memories of this, and even today, when I spot the little marks left by cockles or razor clams in the sand, I can't help but dig! I've always loved this "digging" aspect, which forces us to persevere each time until we find "the rare pearl".
Where can you fish?
All wise fishermen keep these fishing spots a secret, handed down from generation to generation. In order to preserve this tradition and fragile maritime environment, I can't divulge precise locations!
Let me give you a few clues. On the Côte des Légendes coastline, you'll find a multitude of fishing spots on sandy, rocky or muddy foreshores, so keep an eye out for your catch of the day:
- Rocks: often covered in seaweed, they're the ideal home for periwinkles, mussels, abalone, whelks and sometimes even oysters.
- Ponds in the rocks: home to many animals and crustaceans, we dip our nets in to try and catch pink or grey shrimp.
- Sand: arm yourself with patience and observe nature's clues. Shells are buried shallowly and leave small traces. For example, two holes separated by a sand bridge may indicate the presence of razor clams, while two small holes in the sand and a jet of water coming out of them as you pass by may indicate a colony of cockles or clams. A weed-covered sand substrate or a puddle can hide a scallop.
"Whether or not we find what we're looking for, there's always that instinct to keep going until it's time to go home!"
Observe & preserve
I must have spent hours watching the tide rise, the crabs gallop along the beach and rocks, or the shells burrow back into the sand when I had to release them because they were too small. It's all part of the game, but it's also taught me to respect the fragile environment of the foreshore.
The end of fishing
The sand is starting to float on the water, so it's time to head back! Sometimes the buckets are full, sometimes the catch is meagre, but all in all, we've had a good day. The scenery changed while we were staring at the sand or too busy climbing the rocks. Now it's time to enjoy the day with a bunch of delighted anglers!
A word of advice
To avoid getting trapped or stuck on a rock, be sure to check the tide times and coefficients.
Let's get tasting!
Even though I've never really liked eating seafood, I love the evenings after fishing when everyone shares their finds, their anecdotes of the day and above all... their recipes!
I'm thinking in particular of dishes that combine shellfish and seaweed, which can be picked at the same time.
Seafood products
Sometimes we come back empty-handed or... (but we don't recommend it) we go out and buy winkles and oysters from professionals, pretending we've found them all by ourselves!