Fishing Adventures in Pyrenees
SPAIN
The sunny side of the Pyrenees. An unknown fly fishing destination with high tourist interest. Spain is placed in very interesting latitude: sufficiently northern to shelter great quantity of trout and the sufficiently hot to make it different from the rest of European countries. Undoubtedly the Spanish climate in combination with injured of the topography of the mountains, do of this destination an idyllic place for the dry fly.
Special anglers enjoy each season in the mountains of northern Spain with the traditional concept of Dry Fly Fishing for native Brown Trout, wading, upstream and using fine lines with dries, at the same time you discover the most hidden and beautiful spots in the rivers of the old Europe, fished by Hemingway.

Fly fishing on these waters in the right season and at the right spot, is one of the most exciting, challenging and enjoyable experiences for the subtle fisherman. The rivers and the habits of the trout in them are perfect for dry-fly lovers: each beat, pool or lake provides a different challenge for this style of fishing which offers along prime time the best results over other techniques. Fly fishing in the Pyrenees is for those who are looking for something different. Surrounded by wild, unspoilt countryside, the whole day can be spent without even seeing another angler. Rather than fishing for enormous fish with a sinking line; you will experience the heady sensation of actively and continuously sight-fishing for wild trout between 0.5-2 lb.

1 | Fishing conditions in the region
The large natural border between France and Spain, the Pyrenees, offers a lifetime experience fly fishing for native trout on rivers and lakes set amongst wild and unspoilt landscapes. There are interesting places in Spanish Pyrenees in North Eastern Navarra, North Aragon and North Western Cataluña. The aragonese Pyrenees, Huesca, is the province with the majority of the High Spanish Pyrenees. It is situated between Navarre and Catalonia Pyrenees. In these superb surroundings you will discover one of the most exclusive dry-fly fishing destinations for Trout in Old Europe due to the excellent quality of the waters and the elusive character of the native trout.
salvelinus

2 | Welcome to the Pyrenees
The Navarre and Aragonese Pyrenees are considered the most primitive place in Western Europe, today. There are only a few areas in the world with such an enormous variety of climates, altitudes and landscapes than these regions: Western and Eastern Pyrenees destinations. The word “Aragon” comes from a language older than Celtic (13th Century B.C.) meaning “region of water courses”. Thousand-year old traditions, a product of this region’s long history, have created a rich cultural heritage set in an extraordinary variety of landscapes. In the mountainous northern province of the region, Huesca, there are only some 20 inhabitants per square mile. There are extensive areas of wild, unspoilt countryside cut by rivers and streams. The River Ebro and its tributaries form the main river system of Northern Spain. The rivers of the Aragonese Pyrenees alone constitute more than 50% of this system. Additionally this region, the central section of the Pyrenees, is home to most of the sub-systems, valleys and 3000- metre peaks. Cataluña Pyrenees has some locations with a good population of trout. There are some “cotos de pesca” where stock rainbow inside and other areas where you could find wild brown trout population. These valleys are situated in the westernest Catalonian Pyrenees, close to Aragonsean Pyrenees and Andorra Pyrenees.

3 | The Western and Eastern Pyrenees:
There are the famous rivers fished by Hemingway when he was attending the Sanfermines bullfighting fiestas in the 20's and again in the late 50's. With over 800 miles of water courses to choose from, there is every possible combination of fishing condition to experience but in general these medium-sized rivers have distinct characteristics: Source: Typical High Mountain streams with large rocks and rapids.
Mid-section: more comfortable fishing with smaller rocks, rapids, churning pools and calm water with an average width of 10 to 15 yards. Lower reaches: slower flowing water up to 90 yards wide. The rivers here are between 2 and 6 feet deep so are suitable for wading. Temperatures vary between 50-60 Fahrenheit (11-17 º C.) Hidden in the high mountains (2000 metres and above), there are a large number of Ibons (a high-mountain lake of glacial origin) These lakes are normally only accessible by trekking on foot for between 2 and 6 hours.

4 | Pyrenees, waters for fly fishing
Insects hatch in abundance from April to September and the variety of species is enormous due to the high quality of the water. The most widely used and successful flies include: Mayflies & caddis nº 12-18 Stoneflies, flat & cad. Nymphs nº 8-14 It is important not to forget: Attractors nº 12-16 Varied terrestrial nº 8-12 Streamers in natural colours nº 6-8 Once your reservation is complete we will be happy to provide you with a complete study of the natural flies for each month.

5 | Flyes salvelinus
For dry-fly fishing on rivers we suggest rods be 8 to 9 feet and of between 3 to 4 in gauge. Floating line. 8 to 10 foot trailers with a final tippet of 5X to 7X. For lake fishing we recommend a 9’ or 9’ 6” rod of between 5 to 6 in gauge, floating WF line, 10 to 12 foot trailers and a taper of 2X to 5X.

6 | Rods & Lines
General
19th March – 30th September Western Pyrenees 1st March – 30th of November Eastern Pyrenees High Mountain 1st of June – 30th of September June-July and September prime time for Dry-Fly Fishing August the best temperature for High Mountain Fishing October –November best conditions for the biggest ones

7 | Fishing salvelinus
The regional administration is responsible for fisheries management. It is necessary to have different regional fishing licence : Navarra, Aragon, Cataluña. The fishing beats are between 3 Km and 30 Km long with restricted access where it is necessary to have a personal day permit in addition to the regional licence. We are able to process applications for your licence if necessary and relevant permits. Legislation is very common catchand release in most areas.

8 | Fishery management
The southern face of the Pyrenean range, our area, has a very favourable climate.
The average temperature during the fishing season (June to August) is around 60-80 Fahrenheit (16- 26ºC.) In winter snow covers the majority of the valleys where we usually fish. The Pyrenees, mainly the Aragonesee has many protected natural areas covering approximately 8% of the region. There are also 200,000 hectares of hunting grounds. There are many species of wild animals, reptiles and birds in the Pyrenees – from brown bears to fire salamanders. Egyptian, griffon and bearded vulture, golden eagle, dipper, capercailles, wild boar, sarrio (similar to chamois), mountain goat, eagle owl and red squirrel are all frequent sights to accompany a day’s fishing. There is also the possibility of spotting the elusive Pyrenean desman in the higher mountain streams.

For more info contact: Ivan Tarin
Head Guide and owner
SALVELINUS Fishing Adventures
www.salvelinus.com