Scales in the Eyes

"Projects are the blueprints of the future."

For over thirty years, carp fishing has given us far more than just memories. It has brought us sleepless nights filled with raw emotion, forged lifelong friendships, opened doors to unforgettable landscapes, and occasionally, introduced us to fish we will never forget.

The creation of the Brakass Adventure association allowed us to share some of these moments through films, photos, and stories. But there comes a time when telling stories is no longer enough: action is required.

With this mindset, our association is now stepping into a brand-new field of activity. While creating video, photographic, and editorial content remains our core focus, we wanted to develop more concrete, community-driven projects.

Mirroring the values we promote in our media productions, this initiative aims to brighten the future through small, meaningful actions taken today.

Unlike our previous association projects—such as lake clean-ups or educational school programs—this initiative is highly targeted, focusing specifically on the niche community of passionate carp anglers.

A breath of fresh air, dedicated exclusively to public waters.

THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT

Inspired by a fish-stocking project conducted in Belgian canals and partly funded by Monkey Climber magazine, the "P'tits poissons" (Little Fish) project began to take shape in March 2025.

At that time, Soël was asked by a friend to help drain a pond dedicated to breeding carp. Hundreds of fully-scaled, linear, ghost, and koi carp passed over the sorting table—a true dream come true for any carp angler. At the end of the drain, Soël rescued a few young fish and handed them over to his friend Yohan Cornibe, who was actively looking for promising specimens to grow on.

The idea began to take root: why not try to rescue such high-quality fish and release them into public waters?

The concept was pitched to the association members and quickly became the central topic of discussion among the Brakass crew.

Crucial questions naturally arose:

• What are the actual objectives?

• What would be the overall financial cost?

• What are the health, biosecurity, and logistical risks?

To be honest, on a purely practical level, there is probably more to lose than to gain.

Yet, symbolically, this project holds a unique meaning that resonates deeply within our hearts as passionate anglers.

Ultimately, we hope to stock these types of fish across all four corners of France.

CARP FISHING IN FRANCE: FACTS & FIGURES

With hundreds of thousands of kilometers of rivers and canals, alongside thousands of lakes and reservoirs, France possesses one of the largest river networks in Europe. It is the ultimate playground for anglers—and especially for carp lovers.

Every year, around 1.4 million fishing licenses are sold in France.

However, the actual number of participants is much higher, with several million French citizens fishing casually.

Within this community, carp fishing now holds a massive share.

Although there are no official statistics isolating carp anglers specifically, industry estimates point to several hundred thousand regular participants.

Understanding the Stakes

When an angler buys a license, their money is split between local angling clubs (AAPPMA), departmental federations, and the National Fishing Federation in France (FNPF).

These funds are used to finance aquatic environment management, river policing, scientific studies, habitat restoration... and occasionally, fish stocking operations.

In the 1970s and 80s, management logic was straightforward: maintain catchable fish populations through regular stocking.

A significant portion of license budgets went directly into buying and introducing fish.

Since the 1990s, management strategies have gradually evolved. Fishery policies now favor habitat restoration and natural spawning.

While this is a more ecological approach, it also means that the budget allocated to direct stocking is lower than it used to be, a shift that is currently taking a toll on certain fish stocks.

What we are proposing today is to support this long-term introduction of fresh genetics, by occasionally introducing fish with remarkable bloodlines into public waters where current populations are aging.

TWO COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES

Option 1: Purchasing Adult Fish — The "Boules de gras" (Fat Balls) Project

This option consists of selecting adult fish available from fish farms to offer them to our partner local clubs and federations. Currently, the association’s funds do not allow for massive stocking events. However, thanks to donations and the remaining funds transferred from the "Alliance Pêche" association, we can proceed this year with our very first stocking edition in a large public lake.

As of June 2026, we are still in the negotiation phase, but the project is generating strong interest, and all stakeholders are moving forward together.

Option 2: Growing on "Fingerlings" — The "Des écailles dans les yeux" (Scales in their Eyes) Project

This second option involves selecting very young fish with exceptional scaling patterns, growing them on in a secure environment until they reach around 5 kg (11 lbs), and then offering them to partner management structures.

This method requires a massive human investment, as it involves:

• Finding and securing suitable growing-on ponds,

• Organizing and strictly monitoring feed regimes,

• Managing natural predators (herons, cormorans, otters),

• Organizing technical pond drains,

• Ensuring specialized transport and health/biosecurity controls.

  
  

That being said, it offers us the unique opportunity to handpick the most beautiful specimens at an affordable purchase cost, bringing genuine aesthetic and heritage value to the global project.

In private fisheries, this type of aesthetic selection is extremely common.

In contrast, it remains virtually non-existent in public water management.

Over time and successive generations of natural breeding, carp genetics naturally revert back to the common carp shape (wild strains), making mirror or highly-scaled variants increasingly rare without human intervention.

While some local clubs already stock standard "classic" mirror carp, we chose to go a step further... and focus specifically on the beauty of the scaling patterns.

A small brick in the wall, and a fair return to the waters that have given us so much since our childhood.

A Global Vision

If the association's finances allow, both options will be combined.

This will allow for the quick introduction of a few adult specimens from fish farms, while simultaneously running the long-term project of growing on hand-selected young fish. We currently partner with an incredibly talented fish breeder—and long-time friend—which provides the perfect opportunity.

Many professionals and passionate anglers have already expressed their desire to actively contribute to this dynamic.

THE PRINCIPLE OF GEOGRAPHICAL DISCRETION

Within the framework of the "P'tits poissons" project, the venues receiving these fish will not be publicly disclosed (in accordance with our agreements and negotiations with partners).

This vital measure aims to:

• Avoid immediate and excessive angling pressure on targeted areas,

• Preserve the biological balance and peace of the environments,

• Limit the downsides associated with over-hyping certain venues.

The project will showcase the fish, their growth, and their history, without revealing the exact locations of their release.

The goal is not absolute secrecy, but rather to maintain a sense of mystery and to nurture the hope of catching an exceptional fish anywhere in France a few years from now.

"The dream of crossing paths with an extraordinary fish should not be limited to the banks of a few hyper-publicized lakes, but should extend to our entire territory."

A MATURE, REGULATED, AND SUSTAINABLE PROJECT

The goal is obviously not to stock fish at random or to cause harmful overpopulation.

The project aims to occasionally refresh the genetics of specific populations or to support waters where carp are aging and struggling to spawn naturally.

Large, iconic lakes could benefit from this initiative, but only after a serious preliminary analysis (estimation of current stock, surface area, altitude, pH, nature of the lake bed, predation pressure).

This project can only be envisioned through close collaboration with local clubs and management federations. The idea is to act progressively, introducing remarkable fish step-by-step to maintain, over the long term, the variety of scaling patterns that makes anglers dream.

We are acting today so that future generations can also look forward to catching these fish of a lifetime.

CONCLUSION

What began as a symbolic project has the potential to become highly significant in the medium term. It is an initiative run by passionate anglers for future passionate anglers, aimed at preserving a unique fishing heritage. It is a collective-interest approach, driven by that exclusive passion that only nature and carp lovers can fully understand.

« Projects are the promises that imagination makes to the heart, and nothing prevents us from cultivating tomorrow's dreams. »

Soël