Spate · Limestone · Swaledale / North Yorkshire, GB-ENG

River Swale

Photo of River Swale

Muscular spate river with power and temperament — strong current, broken water, boulder-strewn runs where spiders excel.

Good · Grayling
Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymph · sizes_14_18
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
River dropping into shape after a lift. Fishing well — get there before it drops out.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.19 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp13.6°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymph
Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymphsizes_14_18
in season · matches water height · all-rounder · regional default
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.19 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp13.6°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather14°C
WindS 16 km/h
Pressure1012 hPa
Rain · recent5.0 mm
Rain · ahead6.4 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Grayling
Ideal
14°C est.ideal 4–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Grayling
When
September through February — prime October into December. The Swale's grayling fishing is best below Catterick once water settles.
Where
Below Catterick where the river slows and grayling shoal in the deeper glides and gravel runs.
Method
Upstream wet with North Country spiders — Snipe and Purple, Greenwell's Spider, Dark Watchet. Switch to Euro-nymphing through the deeper pockets. Dry fly when sedges or olives come off.
Kit
9 ft #4 for the wets and dries; 10 ft #3 nymphing rod for the deep pockets. 4 to 5 lb fluoro tippet, 12 ft leader.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 9 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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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 · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
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
Grayling fly box
North Country spider water

The muscular one — powerful, boulder-strewn, all necks and seams and eddies. The broken water gives the fish no time to think, which is exactly why spiders earn their keep here.

Local classics: Snipe & Purple·Partridge & Orange·Waterhen Bloa
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
River Ure
14 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Mainsgill Farm Trout Fishery
15 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
River Tees
17 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
River Balder
21 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Hury Reservoir
22 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Swale
    River Swale — image via Wikipedia (River Swale)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Muscular spate river with power and temperament — strong current, broken water, boulder-strewn runs where spiders excel. Cover-water fishing at its best: every seam, neck, and eddy holds a fish. The turbulent water gives fish seconds to decide; a Snipe & Purple fished tight in the broken seams produces immediate takes. Strong wading skills essential — the Swale's current demands respect. Excellent grayling in winter. Club-based (Richmond & District) with day permits available. A river for practicing watercraft and reading current.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Fail
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: Moderate
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: High
  • Temperature: Good
What this classification means

EA waterbody 'Swale from Muker Beck to Clapgate Beck' (GB104027069121) — the upper-Swaledale main stem (Reeth, Grinton, Marske, Downholme). Latest EA data (Cycle 3, 2022): Moderate ecological status. Chemical 'Fail' reflects the England-wide ubiquitous-substance failure (mercury and PBDE in biota); the 2022 cycle itself records chemical as 'does not require assessment'. Corrected 2026-06-18 from GB104027069000, which is Colburn/Risedale Beck (a Swale tributary), not the main stem.

EA (England) · GB104027069121

The full read · show the working · for Grayling · confidence 75%
How the 69 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity45 × 18%8.1
Feeding Time20 × 13%2.6
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity59 × 12%7.1
Conditions total= 69
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 22 March → 30 September
  • Grayling 16 June → 14 March

    The Swale is an outstanding grayling river. Most association and club water follows the full statutory window. Autumn through December is the classic period. Check Richmond & District Angling Club and local DA rules.

    Prime sport 1 September → 31 December

Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Clubs & associations