Lowland · Mixed · South East / Wexford, IE

River Sow

River Sow venue image

A small Wexford sea-trout river that meets the tide at Castlebridge, giving up around 250 sea trout in a season — most of them in July, and most of them in the two miles above and below the Castlebridge road bridge.

Poor · Sea Trout
Black & Silver Tube · 1–2 inch
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Slaney
  • Water temp9.0°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
BS
Black & Silver Tube1–2 inch
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Proxy gauge
Level
Rising
Proxy
via Slaney
Water temp9.0°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather4°C
WindN 9 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent17.9 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Sea Trout
Ideal
9°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Sea Trout
When
From dusk into the first half of the night.
Where
Deeper pools and slower glides · hold water and current seams.
Method
Fish dark patterns on a sink-tip or lightly sunk line, especially near structure.
Kit
10 ft #6/7 rod, floating line with a sink-tip option, 8–10 lb fluoro tippet for the swing.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2
Large Cinnamon SedgeHatch
2
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Sea Trout fly box
BS
Black & Silver TubeTop
1–2 inch · Tube
In deep pools and dark water, silhouette and contrast do the work colour cannot. A fly that reads as black against depth is enough. Fish it broadside, hold the swing, let it hang at the dangle — that is when the best fish take.
Medicine Fly
Medicine Fly
8–12 · Streamer
Slim and mobile — fished sunk through the pool when surface work is not producing. Consistently takes fish that will not come to the surface.
SF
Snake Fly (Black)
2–4 inch · Streamer
A mobile eel-like profile that undulates through deep pools — effective when sea trout are lying deep and not responding to conventional wets.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Bann (Wexford)
27 km
0
Brown trout · Sea trout
River Boro
14 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Slaney
16 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Urrin
17 km
Sea trout · Brown trout
Owenavorragh River
35 km
Brown trout · Sea trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The nearby Ballyteige canal and Inch River take small runs of their own. It is sea trout you are here for, so carry the licence for them.

Hatches & food

A small lowland Wexford sea-trout stream with limited upwing life; its fishing is built almost entirely on summer sea trout taking sedges and terrestrials at dusk in the tidal water around Castlebridge.

  • Mixed
Why this score · for Sea Trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9018% weight
  • Feeding Time7013% weight
  • Pressure857% weight
  • Insect activity6912% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 17 March → 31 August

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
ConnemaraIrish fishingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Permits & access
At a glance

River Sow is a lowland river in South East / Wexford, Ireland. It sits at about 20 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: sea trout and brown trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 17 March to 31 August. Core methods listed: floating-line wet fly down-and-across; night fishing for sea trout; small-fly evening approach. Nearby waters in our listings include River Boro at 14 km, Slaney at 16 km and River Urrin at 17 km.