Alban Choinier, years of passion in the service of fishing
Discover the interview with Alban Choinier, Brand & Product Coordinator at Rapala and emblematic figure of fishing in France. Alban Choinier is indeed a pioneer in the world of fishing. he has appeared in numerous magazines, films and programs on fishing in France and abroad since the 90s. Alban has fished in more than 40 countries and is already thinking of a new species to discover.
Hello Alban. PFor those who do not yet know you, could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us where your passion for fishing came from?
Hello Rodmaps team. To sum up very simply, I am a fisherman who works in his passion. I must have been genetically programmed for this because no one in my family fishes. However, I have been drawn to water, fish and fishing since I was very young.
Today, fishing is a way for you to ...
It's a way of living since it's been my job for 20 years. But it is above all and above all a way to make me happy, because cane in hand we change planet!
What fishing techniques do you practice at the water's edge?
I practice all types of fishing. But if I had to make a simple classification in relation to the time I spend at the water's edge it would be: lure fishing (sea and freshwater), carp fishing, fly fishing and fishing trip. foreign.
What is your favorite fishing?
It's really hard to say because there is good in all fisheries. I take as much pleasure in catching a pike, a pike-perch or a bass throwing, a marlin trolling, a whitefish with the gambe, a dry trout, a carp with a boilie or a trevally with a popper.
For me: all peaches are the same. It is not more complicated to take out a 150kg bluefin tuna in stand up on 80lb than a 50cm trout in the river on 12/100. The scale is just different. And those who claim the opposite are either snobs or false enthusiasts!
Do you still have a favorite fish?
Quite frankly: no. I really enjoy fishing for pike and devote a lot of my time to it. But there are so many other fish that are fabulous!
Our desires also change during the life of a fisherman. In mine, I spent a lot of time fishing for carp, then Nile perch, then tarpon, marlin, pike etc ...
We can have a desire and a passion around a fish that lasts a few years then we discover another and time is not elastic, we take the time of the first for the benefit of the new.
But in the end, the common denominator remains the same: to cheat a fish and have fun.
Can you tell us about your journey?
My grandmother gave me my first fishing rod when I was 8 years old. I have always lived not far from the water. I even went to bait my carp wedges during recess when I was in college! I started writing magazine articles and making fishing films when I was a student.
I am an engineer in hydrobiology. My studies fascinated me. I started working in 1998 and with my first wages I was able to start traveling. At that time, I would go fishing in Africa for a month as soon as I had enough money. Between 1999 and 2004, I spent a season guiding on the Senegal River for Nile perch and tiger fish. Another season skipping a boat in Morocco for white marlin and I also guided in Guinea Bissau.
I started working in fishing as manager of a Pacific Pêche store in Paris for 4 years. Then I set up on my own and distributed English carp products. Passionate about fishing in the USA, I set up with a friend the company Florida Fields Fishing specializing in the import of American equipment in 2004. I was the first in France to promote predator fishing in a float tube with Outcast and single-section casting rods with St Croix. Everyone thought I was crazy, but the evolution of fishing has proven the opposite!
At the same time, I gave lessons in a fishing guide school in Caulnes for 10 years. I worked for the Pure Fishing group from 2014 to 2018 as head of the Berkley brand in Europe. I currently work for the Rapala / VMC group where I take care of the creation of products, from carp to predator. I wrote articles and shot films for media outlets in many countries in Europe, USA and even Indonesia. In short, fishing is a way of life.
You have had the opportunity to fish a lot abroad, haven't you? Where does your passion for fishing trips come from?
I have fished in more than 40 countries and the more I travel, the more I discover new fish, new people, new environments, new cultures and the more I realize that I know nothing!
I was subscribed to Fishing and Fishes when I was a kid and at the end of the magazine they read excerpts from Pierre Closterman's book '' fishes so large ''. These fishing stories from all over the world made me dream. I promised myself that “when I grew up” I would go fishing where Pierre Closterman fished. What I have done.
I have also collaborated with Voyages de Pêche magazine for 15 years, which has also allowed me to fish in many destinations. Traveling is also discovering and learning and I will never get tired of it.
You who have the opportunity to see what is being done elsewhere, what is your view on the management of fishing in France and its future?
I am rather pessimistic about the state of our communities in general. Our way of life, the pollution that is generated and the use of water as a resource or energy poses a serious threat to all aquatic environments. Some species such as catfish, carp or asp benefit, but others such as pike or trout suffer.
I am very worried about the future of 1st category rivers and salmonids in general. These are the first circles to drink and the most fragile. I do not understand either the presence in degraded environments such as large rivers of professional net fishermen who take without maintaining and subsist at subsidy cost.
The observation at sea is particularly alarming… As long as the political authorities do not understand the financial impact and the number of jobs generated by recreational fishing, the situation will not change.
But on another scale, I see a lot of federation where the older generation has handed over to young technicians with training in the environment. The latter are taking intelligent measures in favor of the preservation of the resource: maintenance and protection of spawning areas, reverse mesh, reduction of quotas, increase in catch sizes, no-kill route, etc ... On that side I am optimistic, although change will not happen overnight.
Any future projects you would like to tell us about?
Professionally, I am currently in charge of the creation of a range of rods adapted to Europe for the famous American brand 13 Fishing which will be distributed in 2020. It is something fascinating that I love to do.
On the fishing side, I have a nice carp session scheduled for the spring. I'm looking forward to the right time for pike in the alpine lakes and am setting up an expedition for the summer of 2020 in northern Brazil to go fishing for piraiba, a species of giant catfish.
A fishing anecdote to tell us during one of your trips?
There are plenty ! What excites me the most are the discoveries. 12 years ago, I left by sailboat to go fishing in St Brandon, an uninhabited atoll between Mauritius and the Seychelles. There, I stumbled across some big bonefish where I was the first to land a fly in front of their muzzle. It was magical. Since then, St Brandon has become one of the world's mecca for hunting big bonefish.
A few years ago, I made several trips to Sulawesi to go and hunt with a friend on the spot an unusual fish that lives the day at 600m deep: the oilfish. It took a long time to find them and understand how to fish them. But when we got on board first, it was amazing. We even broke the species' world record afterwards.
On a trip to West Papua, we had completely planted ourselves on the inshore fishing which was bad, but I stumbled across an incredible passage of blue marlins. Fishing for marlin from a large wooden boat was sport!
During an expedition in central Brazil, in an Indian reserve, we found a population of very large arapaima of over 100kg. It was Jurassic Park.
The big tarpon of over 110kg that I took in 2002 in Guinea Bissau on a 2.10m rod, a spinning reel and 60/100 line after 3h30 of combat is also engraved in my memory.
Closer to us, the 128 pike that I caught last June is also a very nice memory.
In short, there are plenty of anecdotes. But the common denominator to all of these good times is that I shared them with friends.
A message to pass on to young people who would like to discover the world of fishing today?
The most important thing is above all to have fun. You just have to find the peach that matches each person's character. Some young people fish for their social networks and forget the basis of our passion. Fishing is not a competition of big fish or numbers, it is above all a naturalistic passion. Being at the water's edge is a chance.
In my opinion, it is much easier to discover fishing now than when I was a kid. A good ten years ago, knowledge was in books or through meetings and the internet did not exist. Currently, a young person who wants to go fishing will google a technique or a fish and will have access to a lot of information on his mobile phone: videos, photos, articles etc ...
Fishing equipment is generally cheaper and of better quality. It is easy to obtain and there are many fishing guides who organize summer camps for young people. The ideal is to have the chance to start with a relative or a friend. If this is not the case and if the youngster is lucky enough to have understanding parents, an excellent solution to discover the world of fishing is to be able to spend a week during the holidays with a fishing guide and other fishermen his age.
I have several friends fishing guides who organize this type of internship for young people. I would have loved to participate when I was a teenager. There are also many clubs which are a good way to meet other anglers and improve.
In short, to discover fishing you have to be curious and not hesitate to discuss in order to progress.
Useful links to find out more about Alban Choinier and fishing in general:
About The Author
Rodmaps
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!