Spate · Volcanic · Co. Londonderry / Foyle System, GB-NIR

River Faughan

The River Faughan flowing through open countryside in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

The Faughan is the best sea trout river in the Foyle system and one of the finest small spate rivers in Northern Ireland.

Today · Slow going — better windows ahead
Black Gnat
Forecast · Today
Slow going — better windows ahead
Little in your favour today. Fish the certain lies, or leave it for a better one.
40% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.00 m
Lifting fast
Water temp15.6°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather14°C
WindN 36 km/h
Pressure999 hPa
Rain · recent2.5 mm
Rain · ahead1.4 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
16°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
Fair conditions based on river hydrology and migration patterns.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 70%
Also:Reed Smut53%Autumn Dun34%Cinnamon Sedge30%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost12 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Heather Fly (Heather Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 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 · September 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

Connemara/Mayo low water: a lightly-dressed shrimp on a floating line with sink tip, sized down from 8s in cold spring water to 12s and 14s as summer water warms and clears. Where the current runs faster, a slim tube or hairwing swung through tracks better than a shrimp.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Faughan flowing through open countryside in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
    The River Faughan, County Londonderry
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Faughan is the best sea trout river in the Foyle system and one of the finest small spate rivers in Northern Ireland. Rising in the Sperrins, it flows through Claudy to the Foyle near Derry. Fast-response basalt catchment — rises within hours of rain and clears quickly. Sea trout from May are the main draw, with salmon from April. The river is intimate and wadeable throughout. Managed by Faughan Anglers with day permits. Evening sea trout fishing from June onwards is outstanding. Volcanic bedrock underlies this river. 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; as an upland spate/headwater river, expect sparse stonefly and small upwing activity driven by rainfall rather than a dependable rise — a general expectation, not an observed hatch.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs, seasonal patterns vary by region

  • Volcanic
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
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