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Pyrenees Exclusive Fly Fishing Holiday
Enjoy the history you will find in each valley and town inside the heart of the Pyrenees; fishing in the famous rivers fished by Hemingway when he was attending the Sanfermines bullfighting fiestas and discover some of our different points with our exclusive fly fishing package for specialist anglers like you. We know 7 days are not enough to fish in all our special spots, but we believe with this selection of destinations, you will be able to understand the real possibilities of the Pyrenees for the fly fishermen.
  This guided fishing holiday combines some of the best fishing in high mountain streams, sight-hunting of trout in ibons (mountain lakes) and spring creeks and fishing for trophy trout on the middle and lower reaches. The scenery throughout is to put it simply, spectacular. The package combines a lifetime fishing adventure with the utmost comfort in lodging and personal attention from professional fly-fishing guides.
Climate: average temperatures during the fishing season (June to August) range from around 16°C in June to 26°C in July and August, with cooling breezes on the peaks.
For Summer. Available during the dry-fly & high-mountain fishing season (15 June-31 August).
Nights: 7 nights accommodation at the Salvelinus Lodge.
Meals: All meals are included (breakfast, lunches, appetizers and evening meals) and 24h bar (whisky, rum and other spirits).
Transfers: All transfers included. Transfer from/to Pamplona Airport by aircraft, transfer from/to fishing areas all days and on transfer by helicopter to a high mountain lake.
Fishing trips: 7 days fishing with an English speaking guide (1 guide per 2 anglers).
Fishing licences & permits (including resticted areas)
Activities for the non-angler (walking routes, Panticosa health spa, Romanesque art, golf, adventure sports, horse riding... )
The Fishing Area
Fishing trips included in this exclusive package from Salvelinus Fishing Adventures take place in valleys situated inside Protected Natural Areas, many of them recognized as Biosphere Reserves by Unesco. Our vehicles have special authorization from the Government of Aragon allowing us to drive on restricted forest tracks in order to reach these special areas.
Accommodation
The Lodge for anglers and companions is situated on the bank of the River Aragon, in Santa Cilia, a small Pyrenean village. It is very close to the confluence of two other main rivers at Puente La Reina, these rivers flow from the nearby Hecho and Anso Valleys. There are over 800 miles (1,000 Km) of rivers and 30 high-mountain lakes in a 30-mile (50 Km) radius to choose from.
Set in a rural and tranquil atmosphere, next to the bell tower of the Church of Santa Cilia, the lodge, once an ancient 15th Century palace, has been converted into a first class fishing lodge. There is a fishing Area in River Aragon, 50 metres away from the Lodge.
All the bedrooms have been rebuilt whilst keeping their rustic style. They can be furnished with two single beds or one double bed. Every room has an en-suite bathroom. All rooms have views overlooking the River Aragon and good views of circling vultures and eagles can be had from the bedroom terrace as they roost in the surrounding area.
Fishing Tackle Service
There is a complete selection of more than 6000 flies suitable for these waters. You can also choose from Rio, Lee Wulf and Scientific Anglers lines, Orvis waders, Simms jackets, waterproofs, wading floats or glasses.
For the angler who likes perusing at leisure, we offer Sage rods and reels and top quality accessories to test, rent or buy, all available from the lodge.
Jaca, 12 Km away from the Lodge, provides a wide variety of additional opportunities for anglers and their companions to pleasantly while away their leisure time.
A meeting point for different cultures and civilizations, Jaca is situated in the heart of the Pyrenees and is an important point for pilfrims travelling on the Camino de Santiago, as well as boasting all types of shops and services including a general hospital and train connections.
Transfers
Point of arrival is at Pamplona Airport. There will be a Salvelinus representative awaiting anglers to fly on together in a private light aircraft to the area of the lodge. Once at the lodge, all fishing trips are made in four-wheel drive vehicles or by comfortable minibus, depending on the itinerary involved. A helicopter will be at our disposal for at least one of the days in our week-long program. This will allow us to reach virgin locations to sight-fish for trophy brown trout in high-mountain lakes. At the end of your stay with us, a light aircraft will fly you back to Pamplona Airport.
The Fish
The original native trout, present in these waters for thousands of years, is the Brown Trout (there are others depending on the location). There are brown trout in the mid and lower reaches between 25 to 30 inches (65-75 cm) long in 8 different rivers in our area. To catch this type of fish we have to look for them in special areas of each river and we have to be very patient!
We think it is more realistic to talk about the average size we are going to fish for in a typical dry-fly fishing program from June to August: At the source of rivers: 8-12 inches ( 20-30 centimetres). In the mid and lower reaches of rivers: 10-16 inches (25-40 centimetres).
In our selected high mountain lakes: 16-22 inches (40-55 centimetres). Hidden at the source of some of the rivers, we find the perfect habitat for Brook Trout; We usually catch many “brookies” each day of up to 14 inches (35 cm) in length on some of the small high mountain rivers. This species is our guest’s favourite.
There are a few places to fish for wild Rainbow Trout in Spain. We can include one day in your deluxe fishing program for trout to 12-20 inches (30-50 cm) in length. During the season we offer for the Exclusive Fly Fishing Program, the number of fish caught by an average angler is always more than 5 fish per day. It is very usual to catch more than 15 and it is not uncommon to catch more than 30 in some high mountain rivers.
Personal Guide
Our staff and services are intended to help you do your best during your fishing day, as well as to enjoy yourself in a unique fishing environment.
Our permanent workforce is composed of 1 Head Guide and 2 expert Fly Fishing Guides inside the lodge plus 3 other guides for all other areas and services. All have a minimum of 5 years guiding experience. Some have more than 25 years experience in the Pyrenees.
Our English speaking guides are at your service. For the expert angler as well as those with less experience and beginners, our specialist fly-fishing and high mountain guides work to ensure the success of your trip. You will enjoy your fishing in areas slected by and for dry-fly anglers amongst the numerous areas inhabited by trout. Salvelinus is a pioneer of these services and has a professional team of guides to guarantee the quality of our programs.
The Fishing
Penetrating more than 70 possible river canyons that hold a great number of potential sites to fish and selecting the 10 best spots in perhaps just 5 canyons is rewarding work for the guides but one needs years of hard field work to do the job well, our clients trust us in this.
Controlling more than 500 km of mid and lower reaches so as to know when and where the big fish will rise to feed… this is only possible with a permanent workforce of 6 guides constantly checking the large area within which we operate.
Scouting more than 400 High Mountain lakes on foot to select only the twelve best requires a lifetime of hard trekking and work.
The character of the native trout from these Pyrenean waters is very particular. The style of fishing we offer is considered technical. Fishing small and medium-sized mountain rivers using light floating lines and finding the best hotspots where you have to work very hard to catch a good fish. The conditions of the rivers are excellent for fishermen who delight in not just catching but also understanding what kind of fish there are and under which conditions they can be caught, more than how many or how big they are.
Day 1: Pick-up and welcome to the Lodge
Transfer by light aircraft from Pamplona Airport to the lodge area. Welcome drink and appetizer if you feel like one and check in to the Lodge.
You will then be able to take a bath, have a rest in one of the rest areas or go for a walk by the bank of the River Aragon, in the village of Santa Cilia.
After your arrival, Ivan Tarin Salvelinus' Head Guide and one of the owners, will talk to you about the most important things you should know during your stay: the peculiarities of the region, fishing sectors, rules, species, flies, equipment, etc.
If you want to fish in the River Aragon that afternoon all will be ready for you. Dinner is at 8pm and later we usually stay on talking whilst having a drink.
Day 2: High mountain spring stream
Going upstream on one of our neighboring rivers we enter the Reserva de los Valles. There we can enjoy the ancient villages of Hecho and Anso and have some traditional “tapas”. We will walk for about 15 minutes after an initial approach to the source of the valley on forest tracks. We will be able to fish, surrounded by animals and dolmens, in meanders flowing amongst the grass meadows of this unique high mountain spring stream, deep into this spectacular U-shaped glacial valley. Sight-fishing from the border with hoppers is very usual in this 3-10 metre wide river.
Day 3: Ordesa & Monte Perdido National Park
After a spectacular 1.5-hour approach, on forest tracks surrounding the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, we can enjoy fishing in a turquoise blue river, considered the wildest in the whole Pyrenees.
From more than 35 km of streams and pools we can choose many different stretches to fish. During this trip, fishing is complemented by extraordinary views of the borders of the most important National Park in Spain.
Day 4: 14 ” Canyon Brook Trout
We climb by four-wheel drive on forest tracks to the upper stretch of the River Aragon valley and enter the Anayet Natural Park, after a short (about 30 minutes) high mountain walk. We then reach our goal: two canyons, each about 10 km, with extremely cold and well oxygenated water.
Here brook trout are in their ideal habitat, growing up rapidly and offering a good fight to anglers. It is a very visual and active fishing style, with few, short-range casting strokes, and continuous catches, due to the high population. Brook trout fishing conditions are so ideal in these canyons that we did not find anything similar in our Chilean and Angentinian Patagonia destinations in January and February. That’s why we have chosen our name, Salvelinus, it is the latin name for brook trout!
Day 5: Helicopter fishing expedition to Ibons
After a short 10-minute approach by helicopter, overflying 3000-metre peaks, and crossing the Garcipollera National Reserve, we land on the shore of one of more than 400 lakes in the Pyrenees: a specially selected “ibon” for sight-fishing extremely strong brown trout.
The water is so clear here that we can easily see the bottom of the lake up to 5-metres down as well as the trout's vertical ascent to take our offering. After a two-hour, effortless descent, a vehicle will be awating us to go back to the lodge.
Day 6: Trophy Trout in early morning & Brook Trout, spring stream or lower reach
The very first rays of sunshine will find us deep in San Juan de la Pena Natural Park only 10 km away from the lodge. We can contemplate, from the outside, the majestic Medieval Monastery, the place where Aragon was born. Our objective: Trout up to 20 inches. Here we find a bigger, 10-25 meter wide river with a lot of pools, holding an good number of trophy trout in some of them, which are used to feeding early in the morning. Sometimes streamers offer the best results for big ones. For this river you must not forget dries and nymphs. At midday we go back to the lodge for lunch. We will chose our next destination depending on your preferences in the moment: brook trout, high mountain spring streams or lower reaches.
Day 7: High Mountain Lakes of Panticosa's Spa or Pre-Pyrenean spring creek
After getting our strength back while having a buffet breakfast, we will make our way towards Glaciares Pirenaicos Natural Park, where we will enjoy the High Mountain Lakes of Panticosa's Spa, which forms the biggest group of glacial lakes in the Spanish Pyrenees.
In this special place we can either practice technical fishing for reluctant brown trout in a high-mountain, clear-water river, or in case you are hooked... fish in one of the lakes.
If you want to complete the itinerary with wild rainbow trout and you don’t mind a 2 hour car-trip crossing the Canyon National Park and Sierra de Guara, we can use this day for fishing for rainbows on a medium size Pre-Pyrenean spring stream.
Day 8:
If you want you can fish in the early morning in front of the lodge before breakfast. Transfer by light aircraft to Pamplona Airport.We hope you will return next year to continue your fly fishing experience in the Spanish Pyrenees.
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