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Flyfishing on the Camino?

J Willhaus

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Time of past OR future Camino
2016, 2022, 2023, 2024, planned 2025
Not sure where to post this. I have seen fishermen on the streams in Navarre. Has anyone obtained a fishing license and done any fishing? Thinking about it for this summer when we are in Aragon serving as hospitaleros. Someone we spoke to who served there before mentioned it...

I see signs about various fishing zones on the rivers just as we have them here in the US. We mainly catch trout where we live in the US. Could take a Tenkara rod along which is light and easy to transport. No reel to mess with, etc.

Maybe some of you who live in Spain can point us in the right direction?
 
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J Willhaus,

Perhaps this guide will be help in your summer planning.

Fishing in Spain: An Angler's Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing

Learn what's required to begin fishing in Spain including getting a license to finding the best fishing spots. This guide covers it all!
rightcasa.com

PS. It is similar here France; we need a permit but they are easy/cheap to buy in sporting goods stores. In season people often fish along the Marne river next to grapes growing for champagne.
 
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As you probably know, although it was 100 years ago this year, Hemingway used to go to Burguete to flyfish on his way to Pamplona. When we stayed at the Hostel Burguete, the hospitalero got very excited when we talked with him about the hotel’s history including fishing in the area. You might find that an email inquiry to them would yield you some good fishing information in Navarra.
 
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The link posted by @mspath indicates we have to have liability insurance. Also says if we don't have a foreign license that we have to take a written test in Spanish and that it could take a month for approval after that. We both have US licenses, whew!
 
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Rick of Rick and Peg said:
Peg, who had lived on a river teeming with trout, would have loved the wild caught trout I had for dinner in Puente de Reina de Jaca. Me, I only ordered it to tell Peg about it and make her jealous.
Click to expand...
I think these ones were probably farmed rather than wild caught but as part of a menu del dia they came as a very pleasant surprise. Very tasty with a crispy skin. A couple of nights ago in O Cebreiro. Caldo gallego. Truchas fritas. Queso con membrillo. And a generous carafe of tinto too. €12. Remarkable!

 
I am a Tenkara guy also. Did not bring a rod but saw some huge trout (5 lbs) in the river in the center of the town of Estella (French way). Two weeks ago
 
If you want to try for salmon, Navarrenx is part of the Navarre region, though across the Pyrenees from Pamplona.

Forget the Tenkara method - while walking to SJdPP I watched two fishermen in waders working a long run using spey rods. I spoke at length with a third fishermen who was with them and was waiting to take a turn (as I recall). That guy showed me pictures of salmon he had caught. Impressive salmon. The area is known for runs of salmon. Here's a link.

Navarrenx, the bastioned city | Tourist Office Béarn des Gaves

It’s one of the earliest fortified towns, one of France’s most beautiful villages and the capital of salmon fishing. But that’s not Navarrenx’s
www.tourisme-bearn-gaves.com
 
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Yes, we don't want to bring bigger rods along unless we are making this a "tourist" trip instead of a volunteer and pilgrimage trip. The Aragon River is just about a 2km down the hill from the albergue at Arrés where we will be serving in June. We walked a portion of this stretch last year and I saw a lot of signs about fishing zones on the river. Another hospitalero who served there previously mentioned flyfishing possibilities. Of course, the middle of the day after you have your hospitalero chores done and before you open, probably isn't the best time for fishing, but it might be fun to splash a bit in the river even if we can't or don't fish.

Salmon fishing is also big in Idaho (where we used to live). I loved watching for them as they jumped up Dagger Falls on their way to spawning and I loved seeing them in the fish weirs that were set up to monitor their numbers on the Salmon River and its smaller tributaries
 
Trout fishing is big too on the Camino Vadiniense, which follows the Rio Esla right down from the mountains to join the Frances at Mansilla de las Mulas. Upriver just south of Riano there is a cabin along the bank, the plaque out front says this is where Generalissimo Franco used to hole up and fish the stream. In the restaurants in the towns nearby you can sample the goods -- YUM.

I recall standing on the ancient stone bridge in Espejo de la Reina and looking down into the crystal-clear water... there they were, the fat fine fish, just hanging out in the shade.

I don't know how fishing licenses work, but I will ask around.
 
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