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

Sirhowy

Sirhowy venue image
Today · A good day — worth the effort
Elk Hair Caddis
Forecast · Today
A good day — worth the effort
A reliable day. Match the fly size to the water height and cover the lies.
50% projected
Today's fly
Elk Hair Caddis
Elk Hair Caddis
Conditions on the water · Today
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Taff
Water temp12.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather12°C
WindN 23 km/h
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from River Taff. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
12°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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though river flow could be better.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 18 Uhr

12 Uhr(now) — Black Gnat

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 72%
Also:Autumn Needle Fly64%Autumn Olive43%
Peak emergence window9 food groups active

Peak activity at 18 Uhr — Caperer (Caperer, 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

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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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 · October 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 · 2

Islwyn & District's day ticket covers most of the fishable lower-middle river; Gwent Angling Society's upper-river water is members-only.

Islwyn & District AnglersDay tickets
Lower/middle river, roughly Cross Keys to Blackwood — one ticket also covers the club's Ebbw and Rhymney water.
Visit official site ↗
Gwent Angling Society — upper SirhowyMembers
About 3 miles of the upper river near Tredegar — deep holding pools, root-lined runs, a notable March Brown hatch, and fast recovery after spate (fishable the next day when bigger neighbouring rivers are still blown).
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Rhymney
8.0 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Ebbw
8.0 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Taff
10 km
74
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
Rhondda
13 km
72
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
Afon Cynon
19 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Boards & regulators