Freestone · Granite · Normandy / Calvados (lower Normandy freestone)

Noireau

Noireau terrain map
Terrain map

Normandy stream with mixed geology — chalk influence in lower reaches, granite further up.

Marginal · Brown Trout
Spent Spinner · 16-20
Marginallive now
Slow going — pick your moments
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp19.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Spent Spinner
Spent Spinner16-20
Upstream dry
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp19.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather19°C
WindNE 18 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.3 mm

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

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
19°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⚠️ Water at 19.1°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots. Otherwise poor — water clarity is in the right range.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 5pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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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
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Autumn OliveHatch
1
2
1
GrannomHatch
1
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 19°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
About this water

Normandy stream with mixed geology — chalk influence in lower reaches, granite further up. Wild brown trout. Pastoral water, intimate in places, more open in others. Fly-fishing on accessible beats. Spring (April–May) offers good dry-fly potential when insect activity aligns. Some sections may have restrictions; check AAPPMA before visiting.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRHR302

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 80%
How the 33 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature38 × 28%10.6
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity54 × 12%6.5
Conditions total= 58
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
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Pyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts