Lowland · Old Red Sandstone · Herefordshire / Marches (Lugg Valley, Wye tributary)

Lugg

An angler fly fishing on the River Lugg, viewed from a footbridge near Bodenham.

A Wye tributary that rises in the Radnorshire hills but does most of its work in Herefordshire, running down through Presteigne and Leominster over classic Old Red Sandstone lowland ground.

Today · A good day — worth the effort
G&H Sedge
Forecast · Today
A good day — worth the effort
A reliable day. Match the fly size to the water height and cover the lies.
70% projected
Today's fly
G&H Sedge
G&H Sedge
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Falling
0.25 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp12.6°C
ClarityClearing
Weather16°C
WindN 9 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.1 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
13°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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though river flow could be better.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

12pm(now) — Black Gnat

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 69%
Also:Iron Blue34%
Peak emergence window6 food groups active

Peak activity at 6pm — Caperer (Caperer, 10 food groups active)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

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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 · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2
Large Cinnamon SedgeHatch
2
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Beats · 2 · 1 reaches
Lugg beats — Fishing Passport · 2 beatsDay rods
Lyepole, The Eyton Beat
The 2 beats
LyepoleDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
1 mile double-bank River Lugg a few miles upstream of Aymestrey. Trout and grayling on relatively easy gravel/silt wading. No wading at all 1 Nov-2 Mar — bank/float fishing only, to protect spawning salmon redds.
Fishing Passport, max 2 tickets/day. A private holiday cottage retains a 1-rod right and may curtail access in summer. Fly only 3 Mar-31 Oct; winter grayling trotting 1 Nov-2 Mar.
Visit official site ↗
The Eyton BeatDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
~1.5 miles mostly double-bank River Lugg a few miles upstream of Leominster, becoming renowned as a winter grayling destination with specimen fish. No wading at all 1 Nov-2 Mar — bank/float fishing only, to protect spawning salmon redds.
Fishing Passport, max 2 tickets/day. Footpath bridge permanently closed by the local council (May 2024) — low-water chest-wader crossing possible between two weirs. Parking ~450m.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Arrow
20 km
Brown trout · Grayling
River Severn
33 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
River Teme
34 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
Monnow
38 km
73
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
Llynfi
40 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Chub
Gallery · 2
  1. An angler fly fishing on the River Lugg, viewed from a footbridge near Bodenham.
    Fly fishing on the River Lugg near Bodenham, Herefordshire.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A Wye tributary that rises in the Radnorshire hills but does most of its work in Herefordshire, running down through Presteigne and Leominster over classic Old Red Sandstone lowland ground. Fishing Passport beats around Aymestrey and Leominster have built a strong reputation for winter grayling, including specimen fish, alongside wild brown trout — with wading suspended entirely from November to March to protect spawning salmon redds.

  • Old red sandstone
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsGrayling Playbookgrayling tacticsTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Boards & regulators