Pyrenees, France
Hemingway's backcountry passage
May - Sep
Pyrenees, France
Is this experience right for me?
Fishing challenge
Physical effort
Non-angler friendly
Technique
Dry fly
Fish
Brown trout
Environment
Freestone river
Day 1: the French side, green meadows, and sight-fishing
“We have to follow this road along the ridge, cross these hills, go through the woods on the far hills, and come down to the Irati valley.”
This journey retraces Hemingway’s fishing trips in the Atlantic Pyrenees. The Iraty flows here, through one of Europe’s oldest forests. This is the legendary river of The Sun Also Rises. It's a rustic, isolated, and primordial experience. The kind Hemingway lived for.
We begin in France. We leave Biarritz and drive into the heart of the Iraty Forest. On the French side, the river is intimate and cool. The canopy is dense. We wade upstream and fish "up close" in the shadows.
At sunset, we reach the refuge. It is an Etxola, a traditional Basque shepherd’s hut. We eat local food by the fire. We sleep under the stars on the border of France and Spain, far from the modern world.
Meeting point
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Located at the foot of the Roncevaux Pass, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is more than just a picturesque medieval town; it is a historic crossroads where legends and landscapes meet. Famous as the traditional starting point of the Camino de Santiago, its red sandstone walls and cobblestone streets have welcomed travelers and explorers for centuries.
Day 2: the Spanish side, canyons, and zebra trout
We wake early. We eat a shepherd’s breakfast and cross the border into Spain. In Navarre, the river changes. The water carves through deep limestone gorges. There are large pools and fast pocket water. This is the place for the great dry-fly hatches.
We spend the day hunting the Zebra Trout. It is a native Mediterranean strain. It is a prehistoric fish, wild and marked with dark stripes. To catch them, you need the precision of a sniper and the patience of a biologist.
We eat one last picnic in the high canyons. We make the final casts. Then we begin the return. It is a perfect circle of fly fishing, literature, and wild nature.
Includes
✅ 1 night accommodation in mountain shelter
✅ 2 lunches, 1 breakfast and 1 dinner
✅ 2 full-days guided fly fishing experience
✅ Fishing permits and licenses
✅ Full fishing equipment
❌ Flights / travel to reach the meeting point
❌ Evening drinks
❌ Travel insurance
❌ Anything not explicitly mentioned
FAQ
If you still need support you can contact us anytime!
From 800€
Follow Hemingway’s footsteps through the Iraty Forest on a unique cross-border fly fishing expedition. Fish for native Zebra trout across France and Spain and sleep in a traditional shepherd’s hut.
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