The French Jura region bordering Switzerland are beautiful and amazing, even for those of us living in the shadows of the 
Rocky Mountains. The streams in the Jura deserve their reputation as the best in France. Excepting the fame created by Charles Ritz’s writings of the chalk streams of Normandy, the Jura is one of the rare regions in France with an international fly fishing reputation. There are many places that I fell in love with in France, but the Jura has something special and unique–the landscapes, the rivers, trout and grayling, the fly fishers and even the flies. Add the hospitable nature of the people, warm welcome at the hotels, and the rich and original gastronomy, lexapro.
It is one of the few regions which produces both good cheese and good wine, which is rare to have both in France due to the differing climates required for dairy cattle versus grape production. The scenery is spectacular, from the river valley to the high plateaus. Sightseeing the source of the Loue is worth the short drive and hike. Also, the trips to the neighboring towns along the valley, prove to have enough to interest everyone from shopping, sightseeing, gourmet shops for the famed Comte cheese, local wine suppliers offering great wines at very inexpensive prices, and quaint outdoor cafes for a anise-flavored pastis to cool ourselves and warm our hearts. Parts of the valley reminded me of Venice where the river meets the houses built on stilts.
Enough of the setting, let’s get down to fishing. The only downside to fishing the Jura is that the local fishing rules are impossible to understand, even for the locals (even Nick de Toldi, who guides there regularly, promised they would be “complicated to understand,” which was an understatement). Without you a guide, I would never attempt it on my own, as it would prove difficult even on a return trip, unless you are prepared to make many inquiries, most of them to only French-speaking local clubs, owners, etc. But alas, the fishing was excellent. There are wary brown trout, with their zebra stripes, and the grayling, which was very sporting on the fly. Both were abundant in the many stretches of the Loue that we visited. They were easy to spot due to the crystal clear water.
La Loue is a required trip for any fisherman and rates up there with Yellowstone, Colorado, Chile, or anyplace in my book. Now, about that house that was for sale in the Valee de La Loue…
Nick de Toldi at www.gourmetfly.com also does guided hunts in France, which have been epic adventures over the last 25 years with him, though the dogs have changed, the cap still hasn’t.
Pastis
Many have tried to explain the “Ouzo effect” — the process that makes ouzo and pastis, and many other liquors that include anise, go all milky-cloudy when kissed by water. They use words like “anethole” (an organic compound found in anise), and speak of “interfacial tension” and “micro emulsification.” I’m not going to try. So let’s just say it’s magic.
Make sure your water is very cold. (I’m also convinced that pouring it from a vintage French ceramic pitcher creates a little more magic, as the pitcher should be sweating as it is so cold.)
Step 1
Per serving: Pour 1 ounce of pastis and 4 to 5 ounces of water into a highball glass.
Step 2
Add ice to fill, and stir.
