Freestone · Limestone · Ryedale / North York Moors, GB-ENG

River Rye

A three-arched stone bridge over the River Rye, surrounded by lush green riverside vegetation near Rievaulx, North Yorkshire.
Good · Grayling
Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymph · sizes_14_18
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
55% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.12 mLast reading 20h ago
  • Water temp14.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymph
Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymphsizes_14_18
in season · matches water height · all-rounder · regional default
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.12 m
Last reading 20h ago
Water temp14.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindE 23 km/h
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.3 mm

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

Water temperature for Grayling
Warm — slow
14°C est.ideal 4–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Grayling
When
Autumn into late winter — October through February prime. The Rye holds grayling in the lower and middle reaches reliably.
Where
Faster gravel runs and the heads of riffles below Helmsley. Deeper glide tails as winter cold pushes fish deeper.
Method
Upstream wet with North Country spiders — Snipe and Purple, Greenwell's Spider, Dark Watchet. Switch to Euro-nymphing through the deeper pockets. Dry fly when sedges or olives come off.
Kit
9 ft #4 for the wets and dries; 10 ft #3 nymphing rod for the deep pockets. 4 to 5 lb fluoro tippet, 12 ft leader.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 14 Uhr

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
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Hawthorn FlyHatch
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Grayling
North Country spider water
Local classics: Waterhen Bloa·Greenwell's Spider·Partridge & Yellow
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Costa Beck
17 km
Brown trout
River Derwent (Yorkshire)
22 km
28
Brown trout · Grayling
Dromonby Farm Fishery
23 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Bellflask Fishery
33 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Maran Lakes
34 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. A three-arched stone bridge over the River Rye, surrounded by lush green riverside vegetation near Rievaulx, North Yorkshire.
    _DSC7440
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Fail
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: High
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: High
  • Temperature: High
What this classification means

EA waterbody 'Rye from River Seph to Holbeck' (GB104027068200) — the Ryedale main stem through Helmsley and Nunnington (Ryedale Anglers water; classifying sites at Rievaulx Bridge, Helmsley and Nunnington Road Bridge). Latest EA data (Cycle 3, 2022): Moderate ecological status. Chemical 'Fail' reflects the England-wide ubiquitous-substance failure (mercury and PBDE in biota); the 2022 cycle itself records chemical as 'does not require assessment'. Corrected 2026-06-18 from GB104027068220, which is the Riccal (a Rye tributary), not the main stem.

EA (England) · GB104027068200

The full read · show the working · for Grayling · confidence 55%
How the 76 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature95 × 28%26.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time15 × 13%2.0
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity77 × 12%9.2
Conditions total= 76
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
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
  • Grayling 16 June → 14 March

    The Rye and its tributaries hold excellent grayling. Most water is club-managed — check local Yorkshire DA rules.

    Prime sport 1 September → 31 December

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Fly Fishing Near Yorkfeatured in this city guideGrayling Playbookgrayling tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts