Spate · Mixed · Cantabria, ES

Besaya

Besaya — El río Besaya

The Besaya joins the Saja to form a combined estuary.

Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14–18
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level1.12 mLast reading 28 min ago
  • Water temp10.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14–18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.12 m
lowspate
Water temp10.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather10°C
WindSE 7 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent18.7 mm
Rain · ahead3.6 mm

The nearest gauge is at Puente de Torres. It doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
10°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.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds as a supporter.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

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

Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
Late March BrownHatch
2
3
2
Large Brook DunHatch
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Cantabrian fishing licence required
  • Managed cotos at Somahoz and Iguña should be checked by annex and named-stretch rules before travel.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Saja
15 km
0
Brown trout · Sea trout
Pas
16 km
0
Brown trout · Sea trout
Río Híjar
21 km
0
Brown trout
Embalse de Alsa
13 km
Brown trout
Saja
15 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Besaya — El río Besaya
    El río Besaya
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Official notices reference the Besaya cotos of Somahoz and Iguña. Mixed geology with some urban influence in the lower reaches, but upper sections have genuine wild brown trout character in bouldery runs. Less glamorous than the Saja but relevant for structured trout fishing in managed cotos. SAIH gauge coverage available.

Hatches & food

In Cantabria's shorter mountain and foothill trout rivers, fish make the most of spring olives and stoneflies in clear windows between freshets, then switch to evening caddis and small buzzers through the warmer months, with terrestrials becoming a key option in sheltered glides and under tree cover once summer settles in.

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

WFD classification · ES018MSPFES111MAR000370

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time60 × 13%7.8
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity61 × 12%7.3
Conditions total= 79
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 31 July
Related guides
Fly Fishing Near Santanderfeatured in this guidePyrenees PlaybookSpanish riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Besaya is a spate river in Cantabria, Spain. It sits at about 409 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 46 km long. The species listed for this water is brown trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 1 April to 31 July. Best window recorded for anglers: April–July in line with the open period, with different tactics for margins, inflows, and headwater sections. Core methods listed: nymphs; dry fly; streamers. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 3 gauges. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Nearby waters in our listings include Embalse de Alsa at 13 km, Saja at 15 km and Saja at 15 km.