Spate · Mixed · Devon, GB-ENG

River Taw

Photo of River Taw
Good · Brown Trout
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear · 10-14
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.11 mLast reading 12h ago
  • Water temp17.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear10-14
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.11 m
Last reading 12h ago
Water temp17.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather15°C
WindS 9 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent9.3 mm
Rain · ahead25.0 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
17°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
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.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Local classics: Half Stone·Blue Upright·Pheasant Tail Nymph
Beats · 3
Upper Taw & tributaries (Mole, Bray, Yeo, Little Dart)Access varies
The upper Taw and its tributaries are first-rate wild brown trout and spider water with strong hatches from spring to autumn.
Visit official site ↗
Lower Taw — Barnstaple & District AA waterAccess varies
The B&DAA controls game water on the lower Taw near Bishops Tawton (the Newbridge beat) for salmon, sea trout and brown trout, and gives members subsidised day-ticket access to prime beats on the Taw, Torridge and Exe.
Visit official site ↗
River Taw Fisheries & Conservation Association (river-wide)Access varies
The RTFCA is the river-wide association of riparian owners and Taw anglers, working on the river's fish stocks and ecology rather than selling general day tickets.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Torridge
12 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
East Lyn River
30 km
Brown trout · Sea trout · Salmon
River Exe
35 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
River Teign
38 km
Brown trout · Sea trout · Salmon
River Tone
47 km
83
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Taw
    River Taw
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 72 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature59 × 28%16.5
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity64 × 12%7.7
Conditions total= 72
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.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 March → 30 September
  • Trout 15 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies the Taw 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. C&R mandatory. The river still produces salmon every season but stocks are well below historical levels; the better story now is the sea trout run, which remains one of the strongest in southern England.

Related guides
Yorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guideEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts