Freestone · Limestone · Haute-Savoie

Fier

The Fier river flowing over rocks through a wooded limestone gorge near Lovagny, Haute-Savoie, France.
Contributor photo

Canyon @ Gorges du Fier @ Lovagny

Guilhem Vellut - CC BY 2.0

The Fier cuts through the Bornes and Aravis on its way down towards the Rhône — fast, cold, limestone-clear, and punctuated with gorges that turn casual fishing into a day's expedition.

Poor · Brown Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather23°C
WindSE 4 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead26.5 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Through the open trout season. Spring once snowmelt drops; sedges through summer evenings; small dark flies into autumn close.
Where
Pool tails and pocket water through the Haute-Savoie valley. Alpine freestone character — clear water, fast pockets.
Method
Upstream dry to risers; dry-dropper through the riffles. The water reads clear — long leader, fine tippet. Move slowly, cast accurately.
Kit
9 ft #4 — French freestone default. Floating line, 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 22.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

See the full hour-by-hour hatch timeline with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Alpine RhithrogenaHatch
2
3
3
2
Sculpin / Baitfish (Rivers)Hatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 2
Probably above the brown trout safety line — these are likely cooler, but carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. The Fier river flowing over rocks through a wooded limestone gorge near Lovagny, Haute-Savoie, France.
    Canyon @ Gorges du Fier @ Lovagny
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Fier cuts through the Bornes and Aravis on its way down towards the Rhône — fast, cold, limestone-clear, and punctuated with gorges that turn casual fishing into a day's expedition. The upper and middle reaches hold wild brown trout in pocket water that rewards the kind of fishing where you can read the seams in your sleep. Standard Alpine drill: heavy nymph, tight line, pick the cushion behind each boulder. Dry fly comes into its own when the olives and caddis are working in the slower pools between the ragged sections. The gorges limit access to specific entry points — the AAPPMA marks them — and once you're in, you may not get out easily, so plan accordingly. The prime window is May through late June. By July the lower reaches warm and the fishing moves upstream.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyModerate
  • ChemicalUnknown

WFD classification · FRDR530

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 90%
How the 12 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature6 × 28%1.7
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity52 × 12%6.2
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.1°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 49
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Booking & contacts