Rhône. Fifteen years later, he found the record carp he had caught as a child: "It weighed 16 kilos at the time."

Despite the intense heat, around twenty fishermen were still present around the partially shaded Bricotte lake last weekend. "During this summer period, we have far fewer members than usual, but there are still a few people," smiles Aurélien Henry, 27, the president of the fishing association.

With his team of volunteers, the young manager takes care of the 3-hectare site, and investments have made it possible to regularly introduce new species into the waters of this pond . Over time, the beautiful catches follow one another and are published on the association's Facebook page, much to the pride of those who pulled them from the water.

"With one rule to follow," adds the manager. "That of systematically returning the carp to the water. For pike and zander, anglers can leave with two pieces per day."

Last April, Aurélien Henry tells us that he caught a huge 28-kilo common carp. He had hooked the same fish 15 years ago when he was just a 12- or 13-year-old. "It's definitely the same one, there's no doubt about it!" adds this fishing enthusiast. "It has some unmistakable physical characteristics, and it's one of our flagship fish here. It weighed 16.1 kilos at the time."

This carp is only caught very rarely, "maybe once a year" according to the young man. "We can see its evolution: over time this carp is a little tougher, a little more cunning. A great reunion years later! It's a real pleasure to see one of the pond's record fish still in great shape," rejoices Aurélien Henry.

As required by law, the fish was released back into the water until a further meeting with a fisherman. Common carp can live 15 to 20 years in the wild and can measure up to 1.5 meters and weigh up to 37 kilos.