2016 • 52' • French
Director(s): Charles Vallée • Producer(s): Les Films Jack Fébus • Coproducer(s): SEASONS • Format(s): HD
The catfish was present in France up to the Quaternary Period and then disappeared, only to reappear in French waters in the 1970s. It is said to have been deliberately reintroduced in the Saone basin by a fish breeder, whose avowed aim was to observe the species’ acclimatization.
After colonizing the Seille, the Saone and then the Rhone, the catfish very quickly spread to every stream, lake and body of water in the French river system. A rapid and alarming explosion of its numbers, which, over recent years, appear to have struck a certain balance. A balance that could be affected by the recent announcement of possible classification of the catfish as a harmful species.
For anglers, the catfish has become a trophy fish. And for those known as the “catfishers” it has become a veritable adrenalin rush addiction brought on by the battle with a specimen approaching two hundred pounds on the end of line.
Xavier Vella, now a true reference, belongs to this second wave of specialist anglers. He wasn’t lucky enough to be there in the beginning, unlike Jean-Claude Tanzilli, who had to develop the early angling techniques suitable for catching these gigantic fish. For some twenty years he has been promoting the catfish in France.
With him we review the epic journey of the catfish, from its arrival on the Seille to its colonization of the Rhone and, free of prejudice, test the legitimacy of its presence in our waters today.
