Stillwater · Peat · Western Isles / Lewis & Harris

Hebridean daylight sea-trout loch framework (including Loch na Craoibhaig / Hamanavay)

Loch na Craobhaig on the Isle of Lewis, a remote Hebridean hill loch with hills on the horizon.

Out on Lewis and Harris the moorland and machair lochs run to the dozens — Loch na Craoibhaig and the Hamanavay waters are representative of a whole tribe of them.

Marginal · Trout
Elk Hair Caddis · 12-16
A patient day, if you fancy it
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
38% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindSW 24 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Elk Hair Caddis
Elk Hair Caddis12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Moderate breeze
SW 24 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp
Air temp18°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

Stale water· 1 mm in 48h

Little recent rain — fresh fish runs unlikely. Focus on resident fish and established lies.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
The daddy longlegs are on. Buzzer may also come into play as the day warms. The breeze will be blowing terrestrial insects onto the water — check the wind lanes and downwind margins for rising fish.
Where
Work Klinkhammer on the bob and Pheasant Tail Nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work Klinkhammer on the bob and Pheasant Tail Nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Watch for Sedge towards evening — this could be the best window of the day.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Trout 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.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Hebridean daylight sea-trout loch framework (including Loch na Craoibhaig / Hamanavay)'s sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 4
Gallery · 2
  1. Loch na Craobhaig on the Isle of Lewis, a remote Hebridean hill loch with hills on the horizon.
    Loch na Craobhaig, near Uig on the Isle of Lewis — a representative Hebridean daylight sea-trout loch.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Out on Lewis and Harris the moorland and machair lochs run to the dozens — Loch na Craoibhaig and the Hamanavay waters are representative of a whole tribe of them. Peat-stained, wind-raked, often barely above sea level, they hold dark little wild browns and, where a burn lets the sea in, sea trout that here break the British rule and run in daylight. The fishing is the old loch game: a team of wets, a good wave, and a willingness to walk. These are not big-fish waters as a rule, but a half-pound Hebridean brown off a peaty loch with the wind howling and the light coming and going is worth a good deal more than its weight suggests.

  • Loch
  • Peat
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Daddy Longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
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