Andréa, local guide with Destination Pornic accompanies you for “discover shore fishing” tours.

Andréa, shore fishing in three words?

" Childhood, family and self-indulgence. I have always lived by the sea. When I was little, I often went fishing on the weekend for clams, periwinkles or prawns with my grandparents, I enjoyed helping my grandma in the kitchen at lunchtime.
I just loved delicious bread with butter. For me, shore fishing has always been an activity like any other (like gardening), but full of wonderful shared experiences ".

What happens during “discover shore fishing” tours?

They are tours for children between 8 and 10 years old, mainly groups of schoolchildren or children from activity centres. Individuals can sign up for them between April and October. The children play an active part in this tour but often the parents or chaperons admit they are astonished by how much they learnt.
There is a fantastic panoramic view at the Fontaine aux Bretons site. The coastal path which leads to the beach cuts you off from the atmosphere of the town and the harbour. Right in the heart of nature, it offers walkers a new landscape: the waves, the sea air and the view of Bourgneuf bay and the île de Noirmoutier on the horizon… From time to time, a few ponies and goats graze in the surrounding grasslands.
Add to all this the shouts of joy and excitement from the children by the sea. 
I love these moments! 
On average the tour lasts 2 hours. I start on the sand with a bit of theory about shellfish and I pose riddles on what you can find in the sand and on the rocks. I show them the fishing equipment and explain how tides
work, the regulations to be respected and the principles of environmental protection. Then, it’s time to put this into practice, the adventure starts for them: “what’s that?”, “I can’t catch the crab” and so on. 

On the rocks, I explain how to catch limpets (shellfish also known as “Chinese hat snails” or “slipper snails”), oysters, prawns, etc.
Sometimes, I offer the children the chance to try an oyster with their parents’ consent. They always ask why the prawns aren’t pink – I explain that they’re transparent and when they’re cooked in boiling water, a pigment known as “astaxanthin” comes out and gives them the pink colour. I often tease them at the end of the tour by asking what this colourant is called…they struggle to remember, and we often laugh at lot at what they come up with.

I imagine you must have some little anecdotes or pearls to tell us ...

“Ohhh yes! Often I start the visit with this question: "What do you think you are fishing here? ". When I have groups of smaller children, 4 out of 5 times they say, "Breaded fish!" ". It always amuses me! "