Freestone · Granite · Massif Central / Cantal (Artense), FR

Sumène

Sumene river in Menet

The Sumène tumbles through the Cévennes where the light on granite seems sharper than anywhere in France.

Good · Brown Trout
Hare's Ear Nymph · 14-16
New ruleReported 21 Aug 2026

Severe drought restrictions (crise) in force

The surface-water zone "Herault" (dépt 30) is at crise, the highest French drought tier, under a préfectoral arrêté. Fishing itself is not named in the restriction, but flows are low enough for the state to restrict water use — expect thin, warm water and check locally before travelling.

Arrêté préfectoral n°37847

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date. Always confirm locally before travelling.

Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp16.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp16.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather23°C
WindSE 5 km/h
Pressure1024 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
17°C est.ideal 1016°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
Good water clarity is right today, though river flow could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 2pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 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 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 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 · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Autumn OliveHatch
1
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box

French nymph-first water. Fast current, technical presentation, weighted nymphs and emergers, with dry flies when fish rise.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Sumene river in Menet
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Sumène tumbles through the Cévennes where the light on granite seems sharper than anywhere in France. Freestone water with wild trout responding to strong seasonal hatches — Baetis spring, caddis and stoneflies summer. Cold, clear flow year-round. Technical mountain fishing in places, more accessible lower down. Check Lozère regulations for restrictions.

Hatches & food

In freestone rivers of the Massif Central, resident brown trout feed through a spring build-up of olives and stoneflies into a long summer of caddis and small buzzers, with terrestrials becoming important from early summer; higher volcanic plateaux and colder headwaters tend to run later than the lower freestones.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyModerate
  • ChemicalUnknown

WFD classification · FRFR109

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 73 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature73 × 28%20.4
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time65 × 13%8.5
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity65 × 12%7.8
Conditions total= 73
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
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Booking & contacts