The gambe / sabiki rig
The official Fédération de Savoie rig for lavaret is la gambe: a string of small nymphs on dropper loops down the line, with a weight on the bottom, lowered to a shoal and lifted gently. From a boat you fish it on a short, sensitive canin rod with a long écarteur spreader. A ready-made sabiki is the easy shop alternative.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid, PE 0.8, or fine mono |
| Nymph droppers | 10–18 dropper loops down the line, over several metres |
| Nymphs | Size 12–16 hooks, black and red, a touch of tinsel |
| Weight | 5–30 g, on the bottom of the string |
| Boat rod (official) | A short, sensitive "canin" rod, 0.8–1.5 m |
| Spreader (official) | A 5 m telescopic "écarteur", open ring at the tip |
| Bank rod | A long rod, nymphs reduced to ~5, to cast far |
| Ready-made | A bought sabiki (the shop version of the gambe) |
What it's for
Lavaret, mostly from a boat. Lavaret (also called féra, the lake whitefish) is the prized eating fish of Lac du Bourget, and la gambe is the rig the Fédération de Savoie recommends to catch it. The same rig takes Arctic char (omble chevalier), which you must put back, because char are under a consumption ban for PCB levels. Lavaret are pelagic 15 to 30 m spring through summer, drop to 20 to 40 m in late winter, and move back toward the bottom in September and October. Lavaret close on 18 October 2026.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom, the way it hangs straight down. This is la gambe (also called the sonde, plombier or mitraillette). The main line is joined to the gambe with a Palomar knot. Down the line is a string of small nymphs, 10 to 18 of them, each tied on a dropper loop so it stands out, spread over several metres. The nymphs are on size 12 to 16 hooks, black and red, often with a touch of tinsel. At the very bottom is a weight, 5 to 30 g. From a boat you fish it on a short, very sensitive canin rod with a long écarteur spreader. A ready-made sabiki is the easy shop alternative.
How to build it
- Working down the line, tie 10 to 18 dropper loops, spread over several metres, and hang a small nymph (size 12 to 16, black and red) on each loop. Keep the loops short. From the bank, reduce to about 5 nymphs so the rig casts. A ready-made sabiki is the same string bought ready to clip on.
- Tie the weight (5 to 30 g) to the very bottom of the string, and join the top of the gambe to the main line, both with a Palomar knot. The weight takes the string down and keeps it hanging straight.
- From a boat, the federation's setup is a short, sensitive canin rod (0.8 to 1.5 m) with a 5 m telescopic écarteur spreader to lift the train of nymphs cleanly. From the bank, swap to a long rod with the nymphs reduced to about 5. Keep a fine-mesh net to hand.
The rule on more than three nymphs
How to fish it
Lower the gambe straight down to the depth the shoal is sitting at, then lift it gently and let it settle, over and over. The takes are soft, a small knock or the rod tip nodding, which is why the federation fishes it from a boat on a short, sensitive canin rod, with a long écarteur spreader and a fine-mesh net. You will often catch more than one fish at a time. Keep any lavaret within the limits, and put every Arctic char straight back, it cannot be kept.
Where this rig works
Right now this rig is fished on one water: Lac du Bourget, in France, for lavaret and Arctic char, mostly from a boat. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses it will link to this same page.
Gambe / sabiki questions
A string of small nymphs, 5 to 18 of them, on dropper loops down the line, with a weight on the bottom. It is lowered to a shoal and lifted gently to catch lavaret, the lake whitefish. It is also called the sonde, plombier or mitraillette. A ready-made sabiki is the shop version of the same idea.
They fish the same way. The gambe is the rig the Fédération de Savoie recommends: a string of nymphs you tie on dropper loops, which lets you set the number, spacing and colours. A ready-made sabiki is the convenient shop version, a string of feathered hooks you clip on without tying the droppers.
The basic licence allows one line with two hooks or three flies. A gambe with more than three nymphs goes beyond that and needs the AAPPMA boat-option card, the option bateau, plus the boat catch logbook. Keep to three nymphs on the basic licence. Confirm the current rules before you travel.
Lavaret is the prized eating fish of the lake, fine to keep within the size and bag limits. Arctic char, which take the same rig, must be released: char are under a consumption ban here for PCB levels and cannot be eaten or sold. Handle any char gently and put it straight back.