Freestone · Mixed · Lothian, GB-SCT

River Almond (Lothian)

Photo of River Almond (Lothian)
Today · A good day — worth the effort
Black Gnat
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
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.42 m
Water temp15.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindN 23 km/h
Pressure1005 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
Ideal
16°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
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12:00

12:00(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 93%
Also:Reed Smut85%Cinnamon Sedge49%Autumn Dun44%
Peak emergence window11 food groups active

Peak activity at 12:00 — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
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.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Almond (Lothian)
    River Almond (Lothian) — image via Wikipedia (River Almond, Lothian)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts