Freestone · Mixed · Peak District / Derbyshire, GB-ENG

River Derwent (Derbyshire)

The River Derwent flowing through the wooded valley at Matlock Bath in the Derbyshire Peak District
Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-16
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.97 mLast reading 9 min ago
  • Water temp20.6°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.97 m
Last reading 9 min ago
Water temp20.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather21°C
WindNW 17 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.4 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Olives April through May; Mayfly late May where it shows; sedges through summer; small dark flies into October. Peak District weather changes fast.
Where
Upper Derwent above Bamford is tight pocket water; the middle river through Hathersage and Calver runs through productive trout water.
Method
Upstream dry to risers when olives or sedges are off; North Country spider on the swing in cooler water — Snipe and Purple, Partridge and Orange, Waterhen Bloa. Move upstream slowly, fish each lie properly.
Kit
9 ft #4 — Yorkshire freestone default. Floating line, 9 to 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots for slick stones.
Why this works
Water at 20.6°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 7 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Local classics: Greenwell's Glory·Pheasant Tail Nymph
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 4
Water here around 21°C — probably warm enough to stress Brown Trout . These are likely cooler.
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Derwent flowing through the wooded valley at Matlock Bath in the Derbyshire Peak District
    The River Derwent at Matlock Bath, Derbyshire
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyModerate
  • ChemicalUnknown

EA (England) · UKGB104028052390

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 24 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature18 × 28%5.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity64 × 12%7.7
Limiting factor: Water temperature (20.6°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 62
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 22 March30 September
  • Grayling 16 June14 March

    Derbyshire Derwent grayling typically follows the full statutory window on club and association water. Autumn through early winter is the prime period. Check specific club rules for methods.

    Prime sport 1 September → 31 December

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts