Portrait of Pierre KUNTZ

Alsatian Fly Fisherman

Pierre Kuntz in competition on the Dore River
Pierre Kuntz at a national competition on the Dore

Pierre KUNTZ, born in 1994, grew up in Lampertheim (67) and now remains in Grenoble (38), where he graduated from a school of engineering in science materials. He is currently carrying out a thesis on Li-ion batteries. He was very young won by the passion of fly fishing and embarked on the adventure of the competition in 2011. He quickly became one of the best French competitors, despite his young age.

As a competitor, Pierre is a member of the Meribel Sports Club (73), section of fly fishing.

But if he fishes very regularly in reservoirs and river as a competitor, his passion brings him to the edge of the water as soon as he has a moment of free. I am fortunate to have known this sympathetic young man since his adolescence. I have seen him evolve in his technique and approach to the river or reservoir and continually seek to progress. He knows how to challenge himself and adapt effectively to all conditions, which is the brand of the greatest fishermen I have had the pleasure of meeting.

Pierre Kuntz with a shadow of the Bruche
Pierre Kuntz with a beautiful grayling of the Bruche
Pierre Kuntz with a beautiful trout fario of the Bruche
Pierre with a browntrout from the no-kill route of Muhlbach on Bruche

If his record is already impressive as a competitor (cf. infra), he also became a captain with the youth teams, demonstrating qualities of leadership of men. He has not lost his natural humility and is always willing to share an observation or technique with those who meet him on a fishing spot. If you have this chance, do not hesitate to ask him for advice. He will be happy to share any of his competitor tips with you.

His way of practicing fly fishing

  • Flyfishing beginning: 2008 (Competition in 2011)
  • Techniques Flyfishing: Dry, dry/nymph, nymph in sight, nymph with thread, streamer, wet flies, boobies
  • Preferred Flyfishing Techniques: The dry without hesitation, but “the vagaries of fishing conditions and the mood of fish” make him fishing the majority of the time with nymph.
  • Rods preferred for this technique: Maxia MX4 9 ‘ 4 silk of 3
  • Favorite reels for this technique: JMC Yoto
  • Preferred lines for this technique: Scientific anglers VPT n ° 3
  • Preferred tippet for this technique: 9 or 12 foot 5x rat tail
  • His favorite flies:
  • Dry: caddis tyed of duck with a hare collar
  • -Wet fly: Hopper
  • -Nymph: Pheasant tail, gold/silver/copper ball, with and without tag
  • -Streamer: “Pouic” Bunny, Sparkler
  • Favorite Rivers: The Bruche (67), the Dranse (74), the Aude (11)
  • Preferred reservoirs: the Stork reservoir in Seltz (67), the Landie (63), the Mouille (74), Barouchat (73)
  • Favourite fish: Brown trout and grayling. He particularly likes to be able to catch these two species in the same place
  • Best souvenirs of fly fishing: his first World Championship title in 2016 in Spain, as captain of the French youth team. On Today’s Day, France is the only team to have won the title of world champion as well as the first 3 places of the individual ranking in a world championship.
A caddis fly in duck and hare, one of Pierre Kuntz's favourite , similar as the SCL in the C.B.F. collection
Caddis in duck feather and hare
Nymph bead head, similar as the TVC-2 of the C.B.F. collection
Model of nymph of Pierre Kuntz

His palmares in competition

-Champion of France D2 Rivière 2013 -Vice-champion of France D1 River 2017 -third D1 River 2018-Third World Youth Championships Team 2012 (France) -World Young Team champion in 2016 (Spain) and 2017 (Slovenia) -Champion Senior European Team 2017 (Portugal) -Vice-Champion of individual Europe senior 2017 (Portugal) -In december 2019: world champion with the french team in Tasmanie.

Pierre Kuntz on the Bruche
Pierre in his works on the Bruche in Molsheim
Pierre Kuntz with a beautiful rainbow trout from the Bruche
Pierre with a beautiful rainbow trout on the no-kill course of the Bruche in Schirmeck

Portrait of Loïc SCHAEFFER

Alsatian Fly Fisherman

Loïc with a nice brown trout from the floodway canal

Loïc SCHAEFFER, born in 1992, grew up in Griesheim near Molsheim (67) where he lives with his girl ffriend Sophie (see infra). Like his friend, Pierre Kuntz, he was very young won by the passion of fly fishing. Loïc, who is an excellent fisherman, has never wanted to fish in competition.

Loïc fishes very regularly in reservoir and river as soon as he has a free time. I’ve had the chance to know him since he was a teenager. Always looking for big fish, he often fish with the fly, but also to the Spangler. With a non-standard sense of observation, he knows how to adapt effectively to all conditions, and very often finds the technique and the fly of the moment before the other fishermen in the area.

Loïc on an alpine river
Sophie fly fishing in the river
Loïc and Sophie, a young couple of fly fisher

Loïc shares his life with his girl friend Sophie. She has a cape infancy, carries out the profession of ATSEM. Loïc, himself, made a DUT in mechanical engineering and a bachelor’s degree and is an industrial draughtsman. He trained Sophie in his passion for fishing and she also “took the virus”.

His way of practicing fly fishing

  • Flyfishing beginning: 2008
  • Techniques Flyfishing: Dry, nymph in sight, nymph with thread, streamer
  • Preferred Flyfishing Techniques: streamer
  • Rods preferred for this technique: C.B.F. 10″ #6/7
  • Favorite reels for this technique:
    No matter it’s just a line supply
  • Preferred lines for this technique: WF flotaing with sinking tip
  • Preferred tippet for this technique: Fluorocarbon trout hunter 22/100
  • His favorite flies:
  • -Dry: CBF of course (see the oicture below)
  • -Nymph: scud like a GMS-2
  • -Streamer: Intruder with offset hooks for trout + Fly tube for pike
  • Favorite Rivers: The Bruche (67) for his nice trouts, the floodway canal of the Rhine (67)
  • Preferred reservoirs: the Stork reservoir in Seltz (67)
  • Favourite fish: Brown trout and pike. It is difficult too choice between these species
  • Best souvenirs of fly fishing:
    Exceptional shots are nothing next to the great encounters we make with this passion. It is also in 2008 during my beginning on the fly course of Mulbach-sur-Bruche that I met Pierre Kuntz. I learned a lot with Pierre and I still learn every time we can share a fishing session.
  • And let’s not forget Sophie, with who Iive since 2013. Sophie started fly fishing with me in 2016 at the stork reservoir His favorite technique is streamer fishing. For this she uses a rod 9 Feet # WF4 / 5 and a basic JMC reel. She also fishes with me often on the Bruche and the floodway canal. Big trout do not scare her. She also has records to make more than a fisherman pale with a brown trout of 75cm and a rainbow trout of 70cm.
Sophie with a large rainbow trout, at the opening of the 1 ° category on the floodway canal
The CBF, one of Loic's favorite flies

A couple of passionate fishermen

Loïc and Sophie like to fish together. Whether it is in a boat on the water of Plobsheim to catch the pike, with the fly or other technics, whether in a reservoir or on the floodway canal that Loïc knows particularly well, where he often happens to catch the biggest and most difficult fish. Both take their vacations by targeting the nearby fishing trails. A fairly rare couple of passionate, loving and engaging flyfisher.

Loïc with a pike from the floodway canal
A large  brown trout for the opening of the 1 ° category on March 9th 2019

Portrait of Jean-Louis Preisser

Alsatian Fly Fisherman

Jean-louis Preisser, master of bamboo rod building, and flyfisher master
Jean-Louis Preisser present some split bamboo rod of his confection

Jean-Louis Preisser remained in Strasbourg (67), where he was born in 1939. Modest, almost shy, he does not indulge easily, but for those who know how to put him in confidence, Jean-Louis will be an endless and invigorating source of passion for fly fishing. This passion guides him constantly in his approach to materials, rivers, nature, to his philosophy of life.

Jean-Louis was until 2005 one of the last French bamboo rod builder masters, specialist of the split bamboo. He still makes rare models of these wonderful fishing tools and has constantly perfected his most recent models (see infra photo).

His way of practicing fly fishing

Homemade Quality Equipment
  • Flyfishing beginning: 1957
  • Flyfishing techniques practiced: all techniques
  • Favorite Flyfishing Techniques: wet-fly with 3-fly train
  • Rods preferred for this technique: Split bamboo Preisser self made, 8 to 9 feet, # 5
  • Favorite reels for this technique: Artisanal (1998-J. Claude Chenavas), in Duraluminium, multiplier, with ratio 1/3; LOOP Evotec LW 4 Seven
  • Preferred lines for this technique: Devaux WF 5f, Teeny T130 with sinking tip
  • Preferred tippet for this technique: Devaux (1.50 m) + Point 20 °/° °, followed by 3 decreasing strands (70 cm) in 18, 16 and 14 °/° °
  • His flies prefered: mayfly with yellow body with Parachute as dry-fly, wet flies in soft feathers (cf. picture infra), braided body or vinyl rib for nymphs, black rabbit streamer with tungsten head.
  • Favorite Rivers: Murg, Forbach and Kinzig in Germany. Skeena and its tributaries in British Columbia in Canada.
  • Preferred reservoirs: the stork reservoir in Seltz (67)
  • Favourite Fish: All salmonids
  • Best souvenirs of Fly fishing: his meeting at the edge of the Murg, in 1996, with Reinhold Bruder, former German casting champion, who became his friend since that meeting.
The classic wet fly train of Jean-Louis Preiser

His creative anguish, which motivates him in a permanent search, and the desire to improve everything he touches, makes him also an extraordinary fly-tyer and an outstanding fisherman. Nourished by all his encounters and knowledge, he readily shares his experiences. You will no longer meet him in British Columbia, where he loved to hunt down steelhead trout and coho salmon. Jean-Louis now essentially fishes the Rhine aera. You may have the chance to meet him in Alsace (Stork Reservoir) or in Germany (Murg, Kinzig).

Jean Louis Preiser in British Columbia with a beautiful coho salmon
Jean Louis Preisser with a salmon coho (silver) in British Columbia

Portrait of Marcel RONCARI

Alsatian Fly Fisherman

Marcel Roncari with a nice brown trout of the Traun in Germany

Marcel RONCARI, born in 1955, remains in Waltenheim (68), where he has been responsible for the fly club of 3 borders for more than 20 years. A regular collaborator of fishing magazines, certainly the best known of the Alsatian flyfisher, Marcel is an outstanding fisherman, a reel “fishing beast”, and those who have had the opportunity to fish in his company are all said to be impressed by his ability to Spotting and biting the most difficult fish. Professional fishing Guide For several years, since 2013 also on behalf of Agence DHD Laika, Marcel is also one of the best salmon Specialists in Alaska (30 years of presence on the spot). He is a passionate fly fisherman who travels, accompanies, and tests himself throughout the world the fishing sites and destinations He guides: Bahamas, Mexico, Patagonia, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria. Having invented and developed a personal technique of Nymph “au fil” (over thread), which he willingly teaches, he also proposes outings “Nymph au fil”, on the Doubs in Goumois, from the opening of the 1st category. His philosophy is based on the quality of fishing, friendship between fishermen and respect for rivers and fish.

A beautiful  grayling caught  by Marcel Roncari in Austria, on the Salza
Marcel Roncari with a beautiful grayling of the Salza (Austria)

Marcel is also an excellent fly fitter (cf. infra), and many of his models are formidable, such as the “3615 TF” for the tank or its pheasant-tail armourhead for the river (cf. photos)

His way of practicing fly fishing

Nymphs of Marcel Roncari: classic Nymphs for the nymph over thread
  • Flyfishing beginning: 1974
  • Flyfishing Techniques: Nymph, dry
  • Favorite Flyfishing Techniques: Nymph over thread
  • Rods preferred for this technique: since 2012, “Guide Pass” at Sage, he always uses the latest Sage novelties , with a predilection for the sage X.
  • Favorite reels for this technique: Sage Spectrum Max and Evok
  • Preferred lines for this technique: floating, Orange and from March 2019, its specific lines in collaboration with Traun River Products, the brand of Rudi Heger..
  • Preferred ORL for this technique: Monofilament in 12 °/° ° of 6.00 m long.
  • Its prefered flies: CDC and spents as dry, Pheasant-tail and gold heads more or less heavy as nymphs (see picture below)
  • Preferred Rivers: Doubs in Goumois (25), Old Rhine (68), Traun in Bavaria (Germany), Salza in Austria, rivers of Alaska (U.S.A.)
  • Preferred reservoirs: the stork reservoir in Seltz (67), La Landie (63), Ostwormersee (NL)
  • Favourite fish: the grayling and the bonefish.
  • Best memories of fly fishing: The catch of a grayling of 61 cm, with dry fly, on the old Rhine. The catch of a 126 lbs Nile perch on a 20 lbs tippet line (at 4 lbs of the IGFA world record)

If you wish to benefit from his services or simply ask him for advice on a fishing trip, you can contact him by e-mail: Marcel.Roncari@wanadooo.fr, or by phone: (portable) 06.74.57.20.34, (landline) 03.89.28.31.25. You can also Visit his website.

Marcel Roncari with a bonefish
Marcel Roncari with a bonefish