Spate · Limestone · Pyrénées-Atlantiques / Soule

Saison (Gave de Mauléon)

Clear green river flowing under an arched stone bridge past riverside houses in Mauléon-Licharre, France.
Contributor photo

Mauléon-Licharre (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)

Daniel Jolivet - CC BY 2.0

Major tributary of the Gave d'Oloron.

Poor · Brown Trout
CDC Emerger · 16-18
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
CDC Emerger
CDC Emerger16-18
Dead-drift
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather32°C
WindNE 12 km/h
Pressure1013 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.7 mm

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

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Through the open trout season. Spring olives April through May; sedges through summer; small dark flies into late September.
Where
Pool tails and seams behind boulders through the Mauléon valley. The Saison runs intimate Basque freestone water.
Method
Upstream dry to risers; dry-dropper through the riffles. Long leader, fine tippet.
Kit
9 ft #4 — French freestone default. Floating line, 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 22°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
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.
  • Carte de pêche AAPPMA obligatoire
  • Un arrêté saisonnier fixe les dates d'ouverture du saumon.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Clear green river flowing under an arched stone bridge past riverside houses in Mauléon-Licharre, France.
    Mauléon-Licharre (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Major tributary of the Gave d'Oloron. Mountain spate river with limestone clarity. Salmon and large trout. Fish during the rising phase when snowmelt brings fresh water upstream. 4-hour response time. Standard salmon flies: tubes in high water, doubles and small dries as conditions clear. Check regional arrêté for season and parcours regulations.

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

WFD classification · FRFR262

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 90%
How the 12 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature6 × 28%1.7
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time85 × 13%11.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity52 × 12%6.2
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 55
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.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • SalmonSalmon season: 15 March – 15 July (Pyrénées-Atlantiques standard). Always verify current arrêté with local AAPPMA. → 15 July

Salmon: Banned (2026) — Adour-Gaves basin renewed salmon ban for 2026.

Related guides
Pyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts