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 · Closed season
Stonefly Nymph
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
40% projected
Today's fly
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.95 m
Lifting fast
Water temp8.7°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather8°C
WindN 24 km/h
Pressure1006 hPa
Rain · recent1.1 mm
Rain · ahead0.9 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
Cool — slow
9°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.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 36%
Also:Autumn Olive23%
Peak emergence window3 food groups active

Peak activity at 11am — Autumn Needle Fly (Autumn Needle Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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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 · November 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
River Roe
14 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Crana
24 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Mourne
30 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Glenelly River
30 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Lennon
31 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
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

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
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Faughan is a spate river in Co. Londonderry / Foyle System, Northern Ireland. Its recorded elevation is about 130 m above sea level and the catchment geology is volcanic. The river is described as roughly 20 km long. Our data lists brown trout, salmon and sea trout here. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 1 April to 31 October. Best window recorded for anglers: June–August (sea trout), April–June (salmon). Core methods listed: across and down wet fly (sea trout evenings); upstream nymph (trout); small doubles across and down (salmon). Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include River Roe at 14 km, Crana at 24 km and River Mourne at 30 km.