Spate · Carboniferous Limestone · Wales / South West Wales (Gower / Llanelli), GB-WLS

Afon Llwchwr (Loughor)

The River Loughor meandering through a grassy flood plain near Pontarddulais, Wales

This Carboniferous limestone river.

Today · Prime conditions — go now
Black Gnat
Forecast · Today
Prime conditions — go now
Settled and taking. Work it methodically.
50% projected
Today's fly
Black Gnat
Black Gnat
Conditions on the water · Today
Proxy gauge
Level
Falling
Proxy
via Cothi
Water temp13.4°C
ClaritySlightly coloured
Weather17°C
WindN 28 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent4.9 mm
Rain · ahead5.0 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Cothi. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
13°C est.ideal 1016°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
Water at 19.8°C — above the atlantic salmon caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) Heather Fly

Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 95%
Also:Reed Smut85%Autumn Dun51%Cinnamon Sedge46%
Peak emergence window12 food groups active

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

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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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
2
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
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.

Beats · 1
Pontarddulais AA — Loughor day ticket via Fishing PassportAccess varies
Five miles of Pontarddulais AA water on the Loughor — sewin (the Loughor's reputation rests on large sea trout), late-season salmon, brown trout.
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What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 2
Water here around 20°C — probably warm enough to stress Atlantic Salmon . These are likely cooler.
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Loughor meandering through a grassy flood plain near Pontarddulais, Wales
    The River Loughor (Afon Llwchwr) meandering through its flood plain near Pontarddulais
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

This Carboniferous limestone river. Atlantic salmon are under serious conservation pressure — Natural Resources Wales mandates catch-and-release for salmon on all rivers, so all fish must be returned. The Loughor is the short one with the big estuary — a relatively brief river that punches above its weight on sewin and carries a useful late-season salmon run. Pontarddulais AA holds five miles of fishing on a single fifteen-pound all-species day ticket. The estuary above Llanelli holds back the run; when fish come, they come in numbers. Night sea-trout tactics dominate from June onwards.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), primarily nocturnal

  • Carboniferous limestone
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature530% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity1520% weight
  • Feeding Time5015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 March17 October
  • Sea trout 3 March17 October
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Clubs & associations