A famous clifftop loch on the Berwickshire coast a mile inland from St Abbs, stocked with rainbow and brown trout and run as a competition venue with a long pedigree. You fish it with the North Sea audible on a quiet day and gannets working the cliffs in the distance, and the combination is, reasonably enough, one of the things that keeps people coming back. Boat and bank, fly only, day tickets. Coldingham has been a fixture of Scottish competition fly fishing for decades and retains the slightly formal, slightly traditional air of a venue that has known every development in modern stillwater tactics and held onto its own character throughout. For a Borders angler or a visitor on the coast road, it's a genuinely memorable water.
Good drifting conditions on Coldingham Loch
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
The hawthorn fly is on. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
61% confidence in this read
Live now
Conditions on the water
Trends shown where the gauge supports them
Wind
S 11 km/h
Light breeze
Wave
20 cm ripple
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
8°C
Cloud
Overcast
Pressure
—
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
How to fish · for brown trout
The brief
When · where · method · kit
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
The hawthorn fly is on. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.
Method
Method not yet authored.
Kit
Kit not yet authored.
Today's tactical plan
The plan
Plan A · Plan B · what to watch · bank or boat
The plan
Plan A
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. 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 is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.
Watch for
Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.
Boat — drift
A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.
Hatches & runs
What's on, when
Twelve months at a glance
Through the year
0–3 scale · May highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
1
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Today's fly · curated pack
Top pattern + the box
6 patterns from this venue's curated pack
Evidence
Why today scores what it does
The factors driving today's verdict
Why this score
- Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
- Hawthorn Fly is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Detail · next 12h
Precipitation
The reading most likely to move tomorrow's verdict
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
Coldingham Loch · profile
Who this water suits
Strengths · watch-outs · best for
About this water
Coldingham Loch, on the water
Field guide · contributor-editedColdingham Loch · about
What this water is
Background · character · contributors
About this water
A famous clifftop loch on the Berwickshire coast a mile inland from St Abbs, stocked with rainbow and brown trout and run as a competition venue with a long pedigree. You fish it with the North Sea audible on a quiet day and gannets working the cliffs in the distance, and the combination is, reasonably enough, one of the things that keeps people coming back. Boat and bank, fly only, day tickets. Coldingham has been a fixture of Scottish competition fly fishing for decades and retains the slightly formal, slightly traditional air of a venue that has known every development in modern stillwater tactics and held onto its own character throughout. For a Borders angler or a visitor on the coast road, it's a genuinely memorable water.
- Loch
- Mixed
Coldingham Loch · directions
How to get to the water
Directions
Coldingham Loch · zones
Where the rules change
Seasons · zones · per-species rules
Seasons & zones
- Trout15 March → 31 October
Coldingham Loch
Terrain map
A famous clifftop loch on the Berwickshire coast a mile inland from St Abbs, stocked with rainbow and brown trout and run as a competition venue with a long pedigree.
Species
Good drifting conditions on Coldingham Loch
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
The hawthorn fly is on. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
61% confidence in this read
Conditions
Wind
S 11 km/h
Light breeze
Wave
20 cm ripple
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
8°C
Cloud
Overcast
Pressure
—
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
Condition match
73%
Cloud50%
Wind100%
Temp60%
A good match for this venue — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
The hawthorn fly is on. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.
Method
Method not yet authored.
Kit
Kit not yet authored.
The plan
Plan A
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. 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 is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.
Watch for
Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.
Boat — drift
A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.
Why this score
- Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
- Hawthorn Fly is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Through the year
0–3 scale · May highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
1
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Directions
About this water
A famous clifftop loch on the Berwickshire coast a mile inland from St Abbs, stocked with rainbow and brown trout and run as a competition venue with a long pedigree. You fish it with the North Sea audible on a quiet day and gannets working the cliffs in the distance, and the combination is, reasonably enough, one of the things that keeps people coming back. Boat and bank, fly only, day tickets. Coldingham has been a fixture of Scottish competition fly fishing for decades and retains the slightly formal, slightly traditional air of a venue that has known every development in modern stillwater tactics and held onto its own character throughout. For a Borders angler or a visitor on the coast road, it's a genuinely memorable water.
- Loch
- Mixed
Seasons & zones
- Trout15 March → 31 October
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
A famous clifftop loch on the Berwickshire coast a mile inland from St Abbs, stocked with rainbow and brown trout and run as a competition venue with a long pedigree. You fish it with the North Sea audible on a quiet day and gannets working the cliffs in the distance, and the combination is, reasonably enough, one of the things that keeps people coming back. Boat and bank, fly only, day tickets. Coldingham has been a fixture of Scottish competition fly fishing for decades and retains the slightly formal, slightly traditional air of a venue that has known every development in modern stillwater tactics and held onto its own character throughout. For a Borders angler or a visitor on the coast road, it's a genuinely memorable water.
Other water nearby · 5