Spate · Mixed · Angus, GB-SCT

South Esk

Sunset light over the River South Esk as it flows through Brechin, Angus, Scotland.
Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Gold-bodied Willie Gunn · double / small tube
Day off — closed today
Reopens Monday. Use the day to walk the beats.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp17.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Gold-bodied Willie Gunn
Gold-bodied Willie Gunndouble / small tube
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp17.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindW 17 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.4 mm
Rain · ahead4.8 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

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.
Likely species
Mayflies
  • Blue-winged oliveMost likely
    #16–18 · Dun
    Duns are up; a sherry spinner fall may follow.
  • Anglers curse mayfliesAlso possibleLower confidence
    #20–22 · Spinner
    Go tiny: 20-22 spent spinner, single fly, long tippet.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

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 · 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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
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
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 5
North Esk
11 km
60
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Isla (Tayside)
33 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Atlantic salmon
Dee (Aberdeenshire)
38 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Grayling
Dee (Aberdeenshire)
38 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Grayling
River Muick
40 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Sunset light over the River South Esk as it flows through Brechin, Angus, Scotland.
    The River South Esk at Brechin, Angus, at sunset.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

SEPA WFD 2022 — South Esk: Good status. Corrected 2026-06-18 (was recorded Moderate). Source: SEPA WFD 2022 classification (spatialdata.gov.scot / SEPA Aquatic Classification Hub).

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC005799

Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature2630% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
TodayFishing closed on Sundays. Sunday fishing banned on some rivers (Tweed system, some estates). Not universal — many Scottish waters allow Sunday fishing. Check locally. This rule is applied conservatively as a regional default; river-level overrides should open Sunday where confirmed legal.Closed
  • Salmon 16 February → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts