RIVER SEGRE. TOP WATERS.

River Segre in Catalonia (Spain), near Andorra and France is the best river in the Pyrenees with big brown trouts and a good population of them. This year the best fly fisherman’s of Spain get the country champion ship in this waters.

The sitting is very nice and the people are friendly. The food is very good and the menus have a lot of variety of dishes. They are not expensive. The same with the hotels and fondas.

One hundred kilometers with the top waters for fly fish with our dry or wet flies, nymphs and streamers. The river is big and fairly clean. Near Andorra leads the river Valira, his biggest tributary. The Valira’s waters in Spain are very good and nice for fly fish. Segre&Valira are two gradient stone rivers. The river Valira is a high gradient stone with 10 km of travel in Spain, then the river continous up stream to Andorra, the other country in the heart of the Oriental Pyrenees. River Segre have a part 50 Km of high gradient Stone, another part with 20 km of medium gradient stone and a 30 km final part of tailwater streams (Dams). In all the way the river have deep pools sometimes very large. In this pools we can fish large trout. The high Segre runs into a huge glacier trough. The landscape is beautiful and precious. High mountains and meadows where the river flows in a calm environment. 56% of the river is No Kill, the other part the law let to carry 4 trout of 22 cm minimum. In the lower areas of the river we can fish large specimens of brown trout and also large rainbows. The trout are very combative and wild. All the trout who lives in the gradient stone are wild trout, born in the river itself. Repopulation are not allowed in this area.

In spring the trout feeds in midday, but in the summer they eats all day, but in the evening and in the dusk, the trout gets the magic hour, “le coup de soir”, and then the trout feeds on the surface caddis flies. This fly fishing is very thrilling.

In the big pools it’s necessary double hauling to have good presentations of our flies at long distances.

Trophy Trout

If you want catch a big trout in Catalonia, river Segre is the best river. All pools have large trout, but some have real trophy trout. River brown trout with 70 cm and 80 cm, and more…

For catch large trout you can use dry flies, wet flies, nymphs and all the fishing techniques, but this trout are fish who eats another fish, cat fish, small barbels and small trouts. Fishing with streamers are the best technique for fish trophy trout. Also you should be cautious with the tippet, large trout can be fished with a 6X, so is better to use a stronger tippet, like a 3X or 1X when you are fishing with streamers. The size of streamers, it depends of the tastes of the fly fisherman wants to cast. Some fly fishers wants flies in size 2 or 5, but some fisherman’s use always big flies, like the same are currently used for pike or permit.

Equipment

Flies and Tippets

The common dry flies that I recommend to use are, red tag, royal wulff, elk’s and hair deer’s caddies, cul de canard, black ant’s, and some imitations of quironomids in dry flies (sizes 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 depending the models and the insects imitations). Hare ear, phaisant tail and quironomids in nymphs always weighted in sizes 14, 16, 18. The wet flies most used are the models of “ ahogadas de gallo de León” the typical wet flies in Spain. The tippets I recommend are in numbers 5X and 6X in 12” and 14”, 16” leaders, for delicate presentation.

Fly rods and Fly reels

For fish the river Segre, 4 and 5 lines in 9 foot and 10 foot rods. Fast action rods and progressives actions specially recommended. A good large arbour fly reel with a good and progressive brake. Fishing with streamers we need a 6-7 line in a 9 foot rod.

Waders and Boots

In Catalonia the felt soles are prohibited to avoid dangerous fungal contaminations. We use gum soles (Vibram or similar) with studs. Tungsten studs are very used, and there are perfect. The boot must be robust, strong so very comfortable inside.

The breathable waders with reinforced in the legs with a real breathability, with a polartec 200 trousers in spring and another trouser very thin for the summer.

Always I recommend for all fly fisherman’s to use a wading staff.

Required to use always a net for every fly fisherman

I use a classic net of wood with a magnetic net holder.

Important to use a hat or a cap, we are in Spain!!!