Freestone · Mixed · Pyrénées-Orientales / Vallespir, FR

Tech

Tech — Le Vallespir et la rivière Le Tech

Eastern Pyrenean river flowing from high mountains toward the Méditerranée through Spain-adjacent terrain.

Today · Closed season
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
45% projected
Today's fly
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.12 m
Lifting fast
Water temp14.9°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather18°C
WindN 15 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent4.3 mm
Rain · ahead7.3 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
15°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
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 2pm

12pm(now) — Reed Smut

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 40%
Also:Autumn Dun23%Cinnamon Sedge23%
Peak emergence window8 food groups active

Peak activity at 2pm — Autumn Dun (Autumn Dun, 10 food groups active)

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 2 as a supporter.

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14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
Grayling seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Alpine RhithrogenaHatch
1
2
2
1
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box

More balanced than the mountain-river pack. French nymphing still matters, but there is more room for dries, spiders and general searching flies.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Tech — Le Vallespir et la rivière Le Tech
    Le Vallespir et la rivière Le Tech
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Eastern Pyrenean river flowing from high mountains toward the Méditerranée through Spain-adjacent terrain. Geology shifts between granite and schist. Wild brown trout water, 1st-category. Short, spate-responsive character. Best from spring through early summer when snowmelt provides good volume. Technical mountain water — small streams upper, better volume lower. Check local regulations.

Hatches & food

In the Pyrenean gaves and headwater torrents, resident brown trout move from early-season olives and March browns into strong spring and early-summer stonefly activity, then a long spell of evening caddis and small buzzers, with terrestrials most relevant on wooded lower gaves and much less important high above the tree line.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRDR235 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRDR235

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity78 × 12%9.4
Conditions total= 87
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling 3rd Saturday of May → 3rd Sunday of September

    France national rule: grayling opens 3rd Saturday of May in all waters. In 1st category (salmonid) rivers, grayling closes with the trout season on the 3rd Sunday of September. Departmental regulations may impose additional restrictions. Always check the relevant département's 2026 arrêté préfectoral.

Related guides
Booking & contacts