Rye Water

East / Kildare, IElimestonelimestone19 km

A Liffey tributary on IFI's Dublin trout-river list — small-stream wild brown trout fishing on the Kildare limestone plain, joining the Liffey at Leixlip. Brown trout average around 10 oz with fish to 3 lb taken annually; good olive and sedge hatches, especially in spring. Access is patchy: the principal day-ticket stretch from Sandford's Bridge down to the Leixlip Aqueduct is managed by Leixlip & District Angling Association, with tickets via the Leixlip Amenities Centre. The Carton Estate / Maynooth reach has the best holding water but riparian access is limited. The kind of tributary an angler learns over a season rather than turns up to cold.

Species

Brown trout

Best window

April–August. Spring olives and summer sedges are the productive hatches.

Methods

  • upstream dry fly
  • dry-dropper
  • short-line nymph
  • spider / soft hackle

Recommended flies

Olive Dun (14–16)Klinkhåmer (16)Pheasant Tail Nymph (14–18)Hare's Ear (14–16)Partridge & Orange (14–16)Elk Hair Caddis (14–16)

Seasons

trout

15 February – 30 September

Eastern Regional Fisheries District. Wild brown trout on the Kildare limestone plain. Leixlip & District AA day-ticket beat.

Tactical notes

Treat as a small-stream wild trout river. Dry-dropper, spiders, small Pheasant Tails. Wild fish, not large but worth knowing. No dedicated gauge — the Liffey 09001 Leixlip station is the nearest signal at the Rye confluence.

Regulations

Leixlip & District Angling Association manages the Sandford's Bridge → Leixlip Aqueduct stretch — day tickets from Leixlip Amenities Centre, Collinstown. Carton Estate / Maynooth reach has patchy riparian access. State rod licence required for salmon/sea trout.

WFD ecological status: Unknown

Live conditions and predictions for this water are not yet available.