Stillwater · Sandstone · South West / Somerset

Clatworthy Reservoir

Clatworthy Reservoir venue image
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A small Somerset reservoir tucked into the Brendon Hills, where the coombes hold the water close and the coves give it the bay-and-headland structure that rewards exploratory boat fishing.

Fair · Rainbow
Diawl Bach · 12-14
Fairlive now
Good summer conditions for Clatworthy Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
64% confidence
What moved it
  • WindW 20 km/hModerate breeze
Today’s fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Washing-line, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Moderate breeze
W 20 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp—
Air temp14°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for rainbow
When
Current conditions suit Clatworthy Reservoir well for summer tactics. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Booby (8-10) on a fast strip on floating line or static on sinking. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Booby (8-10) on a fast strip on floating line or static on sinking. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.

Plan B

If the main plan stalls, drop to a size 14–16 midge — switch to a washing-line or suspender rig and change drift line before you change food group.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
74%
Cloud100%
Wind65%
Temp60%

A good match for this venue — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Wimbleball Lake
7.0 km
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River Tone
12 km
Brown trout
Exe Valley Fly Fishing
13 km
Rainbow trout
Hawkridge Reservoir
18 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Hawkridge Fishery
18 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A small Somerset reservoir tucked into the Brendon Hills, where the coombes hold the water close and the coves give it the bay-and-headland structure that rewards exploratory boat fishing. Cruising rainbows are the signature — fish that quarter the margins and cove mouths rather than milling in open water, and on the right evening they'll take a dry fly from the surface without a second look. Ten boats available, with bank fishing on the dam and accessible end. Stocked and managed by South West Lakes Trust with enough wild character to keep things honest.

  • Reservoir
  • Sandstone
Why this score
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Booking & contacts