Swimming with the Fishes

Meet Achille an 11 year old who loves underwater fishing.

Achille  lives in La Gaude with his parents and younger brother. They have been coming to the Cap d’Antibes beaches for years drawn by the beautiful water, the sand and of course the fish.

As soon as they arrive Achille gets straight into his wetsuit and, aside from coming out of the sea to eat some lunch, he spends the whole day in the water until it’s time to leave.

I had a quick chat with him on one of the few occassions he popped out of the water and onto dry land.

How old were you when you learned to fish?

I started fishing with a fishing rod at the age of 5 and hunting when I was about 8 years old.

Why do you like underwater fishing?

I like to go snorkeling and to observe the behavior of the fish.  I like the challenge of approaching them without frightening them. I can select the good ones to catch because I am swimming with them. You can’t do that if you are fishing with a rod.

How often do you come to Cap d’Antibes?

I come to Cap d’Antibes 1 to 2 times a week during school time and about 4 times a week during the holidays. We drive down from La Gaude which is up in the hills.

How long do you spend in the water?

I stay in the water for between three to four hours.

What do you do with the fish you catch?

I eat the larger ones and the others my mum makes into soup.

How many fish do you usually catch?

It really depends on the conditions and also a little bit of luck. In any case I hardly ever come back empty-handed and usually catch between 5 and 15 fish.

What kind of fish do you catch?

I catch fish like Sea Bream, Sole, Rascasse (scorpion fish) and sometimes I catch an octopus or a squid too.

Would you like to live by the sea?

Yes! I wish that we lived by the sea then I could be in the water every day.

What would you like to do when you are older?

I do not really know yet but I love being outdoors so I think it will definately be something which takes me outside.

When you are not in the sea, what do you like to do?

I love to go Surfing when I go to the ocean and I love to play rugby which I do every week.

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