Spate · Sandstone · Sutherland

River Brora

Photo of River Brora
Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Small Spate Salmon Fly · single / small tube
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
River steady at a fishable height. A short window at best — fish the sure lies and move on.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.58 mLast reading 13h ago
  • Water temp18.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
SS
Small Spate Salmon Flysingle / small tube
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.58 m
Last reading 13h ago
Water temp18.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindNW 14 km/h
Pressure1029 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 10–14°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
Water at 18.1°C — above the atlantic salmon caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
SS
Small Spate Salmon FlyTop
single / small tube · Small Spate River Salmon Fly
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Beats · 3

Brora is a Sutherland system around Loch Brora that splits cleanly by access: the lower town/association water sells visitor day tickets (£15, 1 April–15 October), while the upper river and tributaries stay estate-controlled. The river is graded Good for 2026, so a limited harvest applies under the conservation code — but most fish are still returned. Loch Brora is a separate boat/permit fishery.

Brora town / association waterDay tickets
The ordinary-access anchor — town/association water giving the realistic visitor route onto the lower Brora.
Loch Brora (context)Enquiry
The loch that splits the system — Loch Brora buffers flow between the Upper and Lower Brora and offers more accessible salmon and sea-trout fishing than the controlled main-river beats.
Upper Brora estate waterEnquiry
Private/estate water above the loch — the Upper Brora and the important Blackwater tributary.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 18°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Brora
    River Brora
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature2430% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time8015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Booking & contacts