Fly Fishing Spain

Fly Fishing in Spain

The Rules License Requirements Fly-Fishing Oppourtunities Sure Bets Fly Shops

The trout rivers and streams of Spain remind me of Eastern Washington and Oregon, and to a great extent the area around the San Jaun River. Scrub brush, mountains, and cold rushing water. The clear mountain lakes and streams in the Pyrenees Mountains bring back memories of fly fishing in the Rockies of New Mexico and Southern Colorado.

The Rules. There are both public and private waters in Spain. That's the easy explanation. The long one would probably take more words than I care to write and you would care to read. Suffice it to say you will need an additional permit to fish some of the really good water in Spain. Let me explain. In Spain there are three types of waters:

Free (libre) waters that don't require a special permit.

Restricted (cotos) waters that do require a permit (usually awarded through a lottery system). Really geared toward the locals and long term resident types.

Fisheries (intensivos) are the last type of waters. You can usually buy a permit for them in the local pub or a shop near the water (river or lake).

License Requirements. No true national license system really exists, but you do need a region or state license. Just like in the states you have to buy one for each state/region you want to fish. These regions or states are called Autonomia in Spanish. There are 19 of them. The price of the license will vary from 1000 pts to 2000 pts.

You can buy a Spanish license (licencia de pesca) at the fishing department of the regional aEUROinistrative office. Fly or tackle shops can assist you in filling out the forms, and processing the license, but it usually quicker to go downtown. As always the best source of information will be the local tourist office (Oficina de Turismo) since they are the ones who can direct you to the location of the local fishing department.

Fly-Fishing Opportunities. Spain has some great fishing. Atlantic salmon can be caught in this far south in Europe for those so inclined. Additionally, the rivers and lakes have an abundance of Brown and Rainbow Trout, Black Bass, Pike and Danube Salmon. The last three have been recently introduced and are procreating nicely

Twenty-six rivers lead from the Galician Coast to the Cantabrian Mountain range and are famous for salmon. Try fishing on the Deva-Cares, Navia, Sella, Narcea, and Asón rivers for salmon and trout. Another great place for trout fishing is in the Pyrenees Mountain region. As mentioned in the introduction, the high mountains and countryside of these mountains remind me of the San Juan River and many of the typical trout rivers in the Southwestern United States.

Some Sure Bets. Although not a part of Spain, Andorra (a separate country on the border of France and Spain) is also famous for trout fishing. Lots of high mountain lakes and streams loaded with fish. Read more about Andorra fly fishing.

Fly and Fishing Shops. Fly shops can be found in most major cities and near many of the fishery waters. Prices and quality vary. Unless you just want to purchase some of the local patterns that are reported to be productive, bring your own stuff.

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