Fly fishing

[Dan98922]

Anyone fly fish during your hike?

 

[MinaKamina]

never.

you need a special permit in Spain for fly fishing.

ten wonderful locations for fly fishing (Spain has many more):
https://viajespescamosca.com/10-mejores-lugares-para-pescar-con-mosca-en-espana/

there are special trips for fishermen to Spain. but in combination with a Camino? would you take your gear as well?

 

[dbier]

My Spanish wasn't quite up to the context, but on the Primitivo I passed a couple of streams that appeared to be signed as protected salmon waters....I would have to assume that fishing was prohibited there during certain seasons.

 

[Dan98922]

never.

you need a special permit in Spain for fly fishing.

ten wonderful locations for fly fishing (Spain has many more):
https://viajespescamosca.com/10-mejores-lugares-para-pescar-con-mosca-en-espana/

there are special trips for fishermen to Spain. but in combination with a Camino? would you take your gear as well?

Yes. Have a very compact and light fly pole.

 

[J Willhaus]

We looked into, but is seemed pretty expensive to get the required permits.

 

[M2ME]

Anyone fly fish during your hike?

You would work long and hard for any fish you were lucky enough to catch. The fishing in Spain is not remotely like that in The Olympic Peninsula or the Cascades.

 

[stevepjq]

You could always follow in Hemingway's shoes and stop in Burguete for fly fishing. And by the way, when I was there last time, I made it a point to eat trucha as my dinner - mouth-wateringly delicious!!

 

[JillGat]

Anyone fly fish during your hike?

I really wished I had my tankara rod with me when I was on the Frances. Crossed so many rivers with huge trout! Only saw a few locals fishing.

 

[MinaKamina]

You could always follow in Hemingway's shoes and stop in Burguete for fly fishing. And by the way, when I was there last time, I made it a point to eat trucha as my dinner - mouth-wateringly delicious!!

Once had a holiday near Biescas and got trout with a slice of jamón serrano inside for supper each and every day... you CAN have too much of a good thing

 

[MinaKamina]

info about & obtaining licences:

https://carpcircle.com/country-advice.php?country_id=42

https://telelicencia-com.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

 

[MinaKamina]

amazing fishing trips:

https://www.pyreneesflyfishing.com/

 

[DoughnutANZ]

You would work long and hard for any fish you were lucky enough to catch. The fishing in Spain is not remotely like that in The Olympic Peninsula or the Cascades.

Except, of course, that the world record trout was caught in Aotearoa New Zealand

New Zealand World Record Brown Trout - Fly Fisherman

This October 2020 catch by Seumas Petrie of a 44 pound 5 ounce record breaker put a spotlight on big brown trout. Learn the details here!

www.flyfisherman.com

You won't catch that on a light rod.

Or if you prefer a Salmon.

One of the heaviest salmon caught in New Zealand

Norm Thackwell with one of the heaviest salmon landed in New Zealand. Caught in the Waimakariri River. It weighed 42 pounds (37.8 pounds gilled and gutted).

fishingmag.co.nz

 

[J Willhaus]

We stayed at Zuriain on the river between Larrasoana and Pamplona on our first Camino. My husband is a sometimes flyfisherman and so we enjoyed watching the fishermen there. In the early morning before we set out, the men came in for a shot of some kind of whiskey and a permit at the place where we were staying and then clomped out with their gear to find the catch of the day.

 

[Willdtrout]

I looked at some of the rivers with a curious eye. The train from Bayonne to SJPdP follows a river that is especially nice.

I did a winter Camino though and all the rivers were closed.

 

[Jarrad]

I did take the time to sit and watch people fish for trout in several locations. Never saw anyone fly-fishing. I saw a few pools with trout (including below the bridge in SJPdP) and a few areas where some habitat restoration work was done (not too far past Roncevalles, if I remember correctly -- included a nice fish-friendly pedestrian bridge). While I salivated a bit whenever I saw nice water, even if I had brought a rod, flies and had the requisite licenses, I honestly did not have the time to fish while on the Camino.

Definitely something I would like to do, but not while on a Camino, mostly because of the time factor. IRT the poster with the truly awesome name:

I looked at some of the rivers with a curious eye. The train from Bayonne to SJPdP follows a river that is especially nice.

Me too. On the ride from Biarritz, I got a passenger seat tour from the amazing Carolyn with Express Bourricot. Looked like beautiful water, but she did not know a lot about the fishing situation. At one point, I saw an angler with a large European rod jogging with a sense of purpose from his vehicle to the water. He looked like a guy who knew there were fish to be caught. I've been hooked by the idea of fishing in and around the Pyrenees ever since.

 

[Tincatinker]

Anyone walking from StJdP to Roncevalles by the Valcarlos route and beyond will encounter some lovely rivers and will also see signs stating Pesca sin Muerte, Catch and Release in UK & USA.

Locals looking to find a tasty supper will worm fish the more discrete runs with total disregard of the regulations. They likely get away with it too. An extranjero will likely find themselves in conflict with either the locals or the Guardia Civil.

@MinaKamina has provided an excellent link to help anyone hoping to fish legally. The Tinker's advice is go that way. 10 yards of 5lb breaking strain line and a few hooks are obviously going to add unnecessary weight to your backpack. Rod, Reel and Fly-box? That really is going to far on Camino.

Post Camino? Costa da Morte? Lires? Those are thoughts for another kind of Trip

 

[arturo garcia]

There is a fly fishing museum in Hospital de Orbigo, at Paso Honroso Hotel, besides the Gas station. Very interesting to see if you come to this town of the French way. One of the locals have been world champion.
Buen Camino!