Stillwater · Mixed · North West / Cumbria

Ghyll Head Reservoir

Ghyll Head Reservoir venue image

Sheltered 11-acre reservoir fishery a few miles south of Bowness-on-Windermere, WADAA-managed and open all year to members and day-ticket anglers.

Good · Rainbow
Diawl Bach · 12-14
Goodlive now
Good summer conditions for Ghyll Head Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
68% confidence
What moved it
  • WindNW 8 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Washing-line, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
NW 8 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp12°C
CloudClear
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Ghyll Head Reservoir. 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.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 with Pro.

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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
Gammarus Scud (Olive)
Gammarus Scud (Olive)
10-14 · Gammarus Scud
Washing-line, sub-surface
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
66%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Sheltered 11-acre reservoir fishery a few miles south of Bowness-on-Windermere, WADAA-managed and open all year to members and day-ticket anglers. Regularly stocked with rainbows averaging 2lb+ (fish to 8lb) plus occasional browns; strong nymph water with Hawthorn, beetle and big Caenis hatches.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April30 September
Related guides
Booking & contacts