The Híjar rises on the southern slope of the Cordillera Cantábrica and falls through the Campoo country to feed the Embalse del Ebro. A different Cantabrian river to the Atlantic-flowing systems — drier landscape, Mediterranean side of the divide, mixed limestone-and-sandstone geology. Wild brown trout only. The middle reaches around Reinosa and Entrambasaguas hold the most fishable water, with classic pool-riffle structure and partial canopy. Best fished from late April through June; the river drops away quickly in the dry Castilian summer.
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