Spate · Carboniferous Coal Measures · Gwent Valleys, South East Wales (Sirhowy Valley, Ebbw tributary)

Sirhowy

Sirhowy venue image
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A former coal and iron valley river — 1890s reports found Tredegar discharging raw sewage directly into it — that has genuinely recovered a healthy wild brown trout population, confirmed independently by two clubs and a 2008 ecological survey (otters, breeding dippers, and bullhead, a clean-water indicator species, are all present).

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather26°C
WindSW 7 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–14°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
⛔ Water at 22°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

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

Beats · 2

Islwyn & District's day ticket covers most of the fishable lower-middle river; Gwent Angling Society's upper-river water is members-only.

Islwyn & District AnglersDay tickets
Lower/middle river, roughly Cross Keys to Blackwood — one ticket also covers the club's Ebbw and Rhymney water.
Gwent Angling Society — upper SirhowyMembers
About 3 miles of the upper river near Tredegar — deep holding pools, root-lined runs, a notable March Brown hatch, and fast recovery after spate (fishable the next day when bigger neighbouring rivers are still blown).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Probably above the atlantic salmon safety line — these are likely cooler, but carry a thermometer.
Afon Cynon
19 km
~21°C
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A former coal and iron valley river — 1890s reports found Tredegar discharging raw sewage directly into it — that has genuinely recovered a healthy wild brown trout population, confirmed independently by two clubs and a 2008 ecological survey (otters, breeding dippers, and bullhead, a clean-water indicator species, are all present). The honest caveat: current storm-overflow data shows the river still takes frequent, sustained sewage discharges around Tredegar and Blackwood-Pontllanfraith — real recovery, but not a finished job. No grayling here — the Grayling Society's own regional guide, thorough about this corner of Wales, doesn't list the Sirhowy.

  • Carboniferous coal measures
Why this score · for atlantic salmon
  • Temperature030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
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