Spate · Carboniferous Coal Measures · Gwent Valleys, South East Wales (Ebbw Valley, Usk tributary)

Ebbw

The River Ebbw running through a wooded gorge at Risca, South Wales, in autumn colour.
Tomorrow · Slow going — better windows ahead
Black Gnat
Forecast · Tomorrow
Slow going — better windows ahead
Little in your favour today. Fish the certain lies, or leave it for a better one.
40% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.35 m
Lifting fast
Water temp17.2°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather17°C
WindN 6 km/h
Pressure1025 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
17°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Very poor — barometric pressure is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 62%
Also:Daddy Long Legs38%Cinnamon Sedge31%
Peak emergence window9 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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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 · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Autumn DunHatch
2
3
2

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

Beats · 1

Islwyn & District Anglers' day ticket is the practical way onto this river; no other controller was confirmed with a primary source in this pass.

Islwyn & District AnglersDay tickets
One ticket covers Ebbw water alongside the club's Sirhowy and Rhymney stretches.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Rhymney
7.0 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Sirhowy
8.0 km
Brown trout · Salmon
River Taff
16 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
Rhondda
18 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
River Ely
23 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Ebbw running through a wooded gorge at Risca, South Wales, in autumn colour.
    River Ebbw HDR
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature5130% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity020% weight
  • Feeding Time2015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
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