Chalk Stream · Limestone · Gloucestershire (Cotswolds), GB-ENG

River Leach

The River Leach, a small Cotswold chalk stream, flowing past grassy banks near Southrop, Gloucestershire.

The Leach runs through the Cotswolds — limestone-influenced, clear, spring-fed, moving through stone-walled country with the unhurried pace that chalk-influenced water has.

Today · Closed season
Coch-y-bonddu
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
45% projected
Today's fly
Coch-y-bonddu
Coch-y-bonddu
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.05 m
Lifting fast
Water temp15.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather18°C
WindN 24 km/h
Pressure1011 hPa
Rain · recent2.2 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
15°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 4pm

12pm(now) — Daddy Long Legs

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 39%
Also:Pale Watery25%Cinnamon Sedge23%
Weather boost9 food groups active

Peak activity at 4pm — Small Spurwing (Small Spurwing, 12 food groups active)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Brown SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box

The heartland of English dry fly fishing. Upstream dry fly and emerger presentation dominates. Nymphing restricted or discouraged on many beats. Gin-clear alkaline water, prolific weed growth, educated wild brown trout. Precise imitation and delicate presentation are paramount.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Private.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Leach, a small Cotswold chalk stream, flowing past grassy banks near Southrop, Gloucestershire.
    The River Leach near Southrop, Gloucestershire.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Leach runs through the Cotswolds — limestone-influenced, clear, spring-fed, moving through stone-walled country with the unhurried pace that chalk-influenced water has. It passes through Eastleach, where there's a clapper bridge worth seeing whether or not the fishing is the reason you came. Wild brown trout throughout, mostly in the tight bends where undercut banks give them depth and the current concentrates their food. Small-river chalk stream fishing, which means one fish properly approached matters more than ten covered carelessly.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Poor
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: Good
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: Good
  • Temperature: High
  • Physico-chemical quality elements: Good
  • Chemical: Does not require assessment

EA (England) · GB106039030040

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time45 × 13%5.9
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity69 × 12%8.3
Conditions total= 83
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts