Spate · Granite · Argyll, GB-SCT

River Orchy

The River Orchy flowing beneath Dalmally Bridge in Argyll, Scotland, with hills in the background.

A scenic west-coast / Argyll spate salmon river feeding the Loch Awe system, where timing and water height matter.

Prime · Atlantic Salmon
Blue Charm · small double / tube
Primelive now
Prime conditions — go now
River dropping into shape after a lift. Classic taking window — fish through the heads and tails.
70% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.65 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp11.7°C
  • ClarityColouredClearing
Today's fly
Blue Charm
Blue Charmsmall double / tube
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Falling
0.65 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp11.7°C
ClarityColoured
Weather13°C
WindSW 19 km/h
Pressure1009 hPa
Rain · recent32.8 mm
Rain · ahead25.5 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
12°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 working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

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

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds with Pro.

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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
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.

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box

A balanced Scottish river profile. Early season nymphs and spiders, then more dry-fly and emerger fishing as hatches strengthen on steadier glides and richer water.

Beats · 1

A picturesque Argyll spate river where timing and water height matter. Late May brings the first realistic salmon, with July-October the stronger period. Conservation messaging should be prominent: return all salmon, grilse and sea trout, carry a net, and fish to the Awe District C&R code.

Dalmally BeatsAgent booking
The strongest import in the Awe/Orchy system — named beats around Dalmally booked via FishPal and local routes.
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What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Awe
18 km
30
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Loch Tay
42 km
86
Brown trout · Char · Salmon
River Lochy
48 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Endrick Water
53 km
6
Brown trout · Sea trout · Atlantic salmon
Loch Lomond
57 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Orchy flowing beneath Dalmally Bridge in Argyll, Scotland, with hills in the background.
    The River Orchy at Dalmally Bridge, Argyll.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A scenic west-coast / Argyll spate salmon river feeding the Loch Awe system, where timing and water height matter. Early salmon reach the Orchy in late May, with July to October the stronger period. Conservation messaging is prominent here: 100% catch-and-release for salmon, grilse and sea trout across all beats for the entire season. Granite-based upland geology shapes this river. Atlantic salmon stocks are Category 3 (declining) — all salmon must be released under Scottish Government conservation guidelines.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal pattern in peak season

  • Granite
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow9025% weight
  • Clarity4020% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 11 February → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts