Where to fish in Oltrepò Pavese

For fish lovers, the Oltrepò Pavese has some surprises in store.

Cover image from La Vasca di Cigognola‘s Facebook page.

Places

Some suggestions on where to fish in Oltrepò Pavese.

🦢 La Vasca di Cigognola: this fishing club in Cigognola offers Catch & Release.
The lake is home to carp and tench, some of considerable size.
It is an enchanting postcard location: the rows of vineyards in the area are reflected in the water and sometimes there are special encounters… the elegant swans!

🏞️ Half an hour from Cigognola, in Borgo Priolo (PV) in the locality of Casa Vescovo, lies Lake Ca’ del Vescovo, an oasis of tranquillity in nature that offers barren but equally incredible landscapes.

The Pizzale quarry is located to the right of the Staffora river, just north of Voghera, in a flatter area,
Carp, sturgeon and catfish fishing competitions are held here.

Images taken from the Facebook page of La Vasca di Cigognola and Laghetto Cà del Vescovo

Regulations to comply with

🎣 Of course, anyone wishing to fish should know whether a permit is needed to enter certain places and consultations should be held on periods and times for access to oxbows and ponds. Individual fishing club regulations should also be respected.

Assolaghi provides a list of places to fish, as well as various contacts to request more information.

The art of waiting

Fishing is an activity that teaches patience, learning to strictly respect silence, leading to relaxation and listening to the sounds of nature, such as the rustling of the wind between the branches 🍃, the concerts of the crickets and cicadas🦗, the ‘singing strains’ of the frogs 🐸 etc.

Fishing also makes you think, because you spend so many hours alone. Many fishermen say they can think better there than elsewhere, and it is not hard to believe them.

It is also an endurance activity that is not afraid of rain ☂️ or the sun ☀️: umbrella, mackintosh and rain trousers, or fisherman’s hat and breathable vest.

Not to mention the stories:

“I remember the time I almost caught a catfish that big” or“I found a spot where, sitting on my chair, I fish like a charmer, but I won’t tell anyone“, or“Remember when I caught that giant carp?” (and with each story, no one knows how, the carp weighs more and more 🤭).

Is fishing a sport or a hobby?

Sport or hobby? The line is thin.

For many who participate in competitions with rankings, fishing is basically a sport.
For those who just want some time to themselves without competing, it is a hobby.

Often fishing is also a tradition, a passion passed down from father to son, and at other times it is the reunion of two lifelong friends who have been fishing together since they were children and don’t need many words, it is just nice to share moments of relaxation.

How many then started fishing with ‘Sampei’? The famous Japanese cartoon that made entire generations dream of its protagonist’s adventurous fishing stories, Zen philosophy, patience and fortitude.

Who feels the adrenaline of the challenge and who the contemplation, here in Oltrepò Pavese?