Meadows | Destination Granville Land and Sea

Sand meadow

A shellfish of the highest gustatory quality

Prayer is a bivalve mollusc that lives buried in sandy shell bottoms.

It measures 4.5 to 5 centimeters and its regulation catch size is 4.3 centimeters, which corresponds to a prayer aged around 6-7 years. However, it can live more than 20 years for a size of over 7 centimeters and a weight of over 100 grams, all depending on where it lives, just like the color of its shell, which will vary according to the seabed.

On the Destination Granville Terre et Mer, it is whitish in color, and is nicknamed “sand pirate“.

It feeds on plankton and organic matter suspended in seawater.

How to fish for prairie?

Prague is fished by professionals with specific dredges, called prague dredges.

The prague fishery is practiced in the baie de Granville area by 10 to 16-meter boats.

This is a highly regulated fishery with fishing days and hours, quotas, and an opening that runs from September 1 to April 30.

Fishing enthusiasts also like to harvest it during great tides.

Piss fishing

To flush it out, nothing could be simpler: just practice “pissée fishing“!

The technique involves tapping the ground with a pimple, which will cause a shock wave and engender a closure of the prairie’s shell. As it closes, the prairie will project a jet of water. It’s this little jet that we call the “pissée“.

To be respectful of the foreshore and its ecosystem, we pick it up “at the finger and eye“. Used by old-timers for a long time, this gentle foot fishing technique involves collecting shellfish without using tools that could damage the natural environment. Once you’ve spotted the bivalve’s hole, simply crease it with your index finger or by hand over a few centimetres.

It’s also possible to fish it with a spoon. If it’s too small, put it back and it can grow away from predators.

The maximum quantity allowed is 100 individuals per day.

Adopt a

Eco-responsible fishing!

The rules of the good foot angler:

Equip yourself with boots in winter or neoprene slippers.
Take the time to consult the tide times, and leave 1 hour 30 to 2 hours before low tide, to take full advantage. Ideally, follow the sea as it ebbs.
Respect the marine environment, put back any meadows that are too small.
Get information on minimum sizes to be respected.
Fish only for personal consumption.
Respect current fishing bans, notified on signs at beach entrances.

Good prairie fishing spots: