Lowland · Mixed · East / Louth-Monaghan

Monaghan Blackwater

Monaghan Blackwater terrain map
Terrain map

The Monaghan Blackwater rises near the Bragan mountains and runs through Monaghan town toward the Ulster Blackwater at Caledon.

Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-18
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
Low and clear — careful approach country. A morning for the obvious fish only.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Fane
  • Water temp21.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-18
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Fane
Water temp21.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather26°C
WindSE 22 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead10.5 mm

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

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
21.0°Cideal 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.
Why this works
⚠️ Water at 21°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots. Otherwise poor — water clarity is in the right range.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Terrestrial BeetlesHatch
2
3
3
2
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here at 21.0°C. Nothing cooler within range.
About this water

The Monaghan Blackwater rises near the Bragan mountains and runs through Monaghan town toward the Ulster Blackwater at Caledon. It carries wild and stocked brown trout, and increasingly the Dollaghan — the fast-growing migratory trout of Lough Neagh, which runs the river and is best fished after dark, much as you would fish for sea trout. A small salmon run arrives late in the season. Monaghan Anglers Association stocks and manages the water; day tickets are about €5.

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 80%
How the 21 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature14 × 28%3.9
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time65 × 13%8.5
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity61 × 12%7.3
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 60
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowproxy via River Faneproxy
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 March → 30 September
Related guides
ConnemaraIrish fishingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts