Spate · Mixed · Co. Donegal / Foyle System (border), GB-NIR

River Deele

River Deele terrain map

A Donegal tributary of the Foyle, flowing through Convoy and entering the main river about a mile below Lifford Bridge.

Today · A good day — worth the effort
Elk Hair Caddis
Forecast · Today
A good day — worth the effort
A reliable day. Match the fly size to the water height and cover the lies.
50% projected
Today's fly
Elk Hair Caddis
Elk Hair Caddis
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.37 m
Water temp12.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather15°C
WindN 24 km/h
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent10.8 mm
Rain · ahead0.5 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
12°C est.ideal 10–16°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.
Why this works
Excellent — conditions well-balanced, with water temperature particularly in your favour.
Likely species
Aquatic beetles
  • Diving beetlesMost likelyLower confidence
    #8–10–12 · Adult
    Twitch a beetle pattern along weedy edges at dusk.
Molluscs
  • Pond snailsMost likelyLower confidence
    #10–12–14 · Adult
    Dead-drift or twitch a snail pattern near weed beds.
Oligochaetes
  • Aquatic wormsMost likelyLower confidence
    #12–14–16 · Adult
    Dead-drift a worm pattern deep - a year-round staple.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

12pm(now) — Black Gnat

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 72%
Also:Autumn Needle Fly64%Iron Blue48%
Peak emergence window8 food groups active

Peak activity at 6pm — Caperer (Caperer, 10 food groups active)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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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 · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
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
Atlantic Salmon fly box

Boyne/Slaney summer grilse: fish lie shallow at the tail and neck of pools, so a single hook fished just sub-surface won't snag and covers a taking fish better than a treble. Keep dressing sparse — a small silver stoat, blue charm or Ally's shrimp style in a light build fits.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
About this water

A Donegal tributary of the Foyle, flowing through Convoy and entering the main river about a mile below Lifford Bridge. Traditionally rated an excellent trout river from June onwards, with a rich head of brown trout and a run of sea trout from June that the river is best known for locally; some salmon also pass through. Deele Community Anglers manage the fishery and carry out habitat and conservation work on the water. Loughs Agency licence required, alongside a local day permit on most stretches. Atlantic salmon are managed under DAERA and Loughs Agency conservation byelaws, with mandatory catch-and-release on many waters; check current rules before fishing.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; treat the fly recommendation above as regional consensus rather than an observed hatch calendar.

Sea trout here

Sea trout from June onwards is the Deele's best-known run, per Deele Community Anglers

  • Mixed
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow9025% weight
  • Clarity7520% weight
  • Feeding Time8015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 20 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

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