Spate · Slate · West Wales / Carmarthenshire

Towy (Tywi)

Towy (Tywi) terrain map
Terrain map

Wales's premier sewin (sea trout) river and major salmon river.

Species

Decent — worth a look

River dropping into shape after a lift. Cover the heads and tails before the river drops away.

55% confidence in this read
Water temperature for sea trout
Cool — slow
6°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for sea trout
  • Temperature5128% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity4518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure857% weight
  • Prey Activity1612% weight
Conditions
Level
0.70 m
Water temp
6.2°C
Estimated
Clarity
Very coloured
Colouring up
Air temp
8°C
Wind
W 13 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1008 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.2 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
22.0 mm
Moderate rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for sea trout
When
June through September; July into August prime. Night fishing from full dark when water rises above 13°C. NRW classifies the sewin stock 'At Risk' across Wales — fish carefully if at all, treat C&R as a default. The Tywi remains Wales's most productive sewin river despite the decline. Daytime fishing also works in coloured spate water — sewin take confidently when colour gives them confidence.
Where
Lower and middle Tywi pool tails through to the Carmarthen tidal limit. Walk pools in daylight before fishing them at night.
Method
Across-and-down on a floating line with small wets — Medicine, Teal Blue and Silver, Stoat's Tail. Steady swing through the tail-outs, never hurry.
Kit
10 ft #6/7, floating line, 8 to 10 lb fluoro tippet. Spare leader on a wrist spool. Headlamp sparingly; let your eyes adjust.
Why this works
Fair conditions. Pressure is favourable (85), Prey activity is weakest (16). ⏰ Sea trout become most active after dark, but this stretch closes at 20:46 — before that window fully opens. Fish hard in the last legal hour: overcast skies and warm evenings can bring fish on early even in fading light.
Through the year
0–3 scale · May highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
2

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

Directions
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About this water

Wales's premier sewin (sea trout) river and major salmon river. Night fishing for sewin from April through summer is legendary — large fish, aggressive takes. Salmon from February onwards. Fish sinking-tip line with medium tubes in spring for salmon; switch to smaller doubles and wet flies for daytime fishing. Sea trout take throughout spring and summer; night fishing (June–August, particularly July) is most productive. Flows through Llandeilo and Carmarthen.

  • Slate
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon1 April → 17 October
  • Trout3 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — NRW monitoring places 32 of 33 Welsh sea trout stocks in the 'At Risk' category. The Towy (Tywi) remains Wales's most productive sewin river and holds genuine runs, but stocks are materially below their 1970s–80s peak. Condition-sensitive: night fishing after rain is productive; low summer water is difficult. Catch-and-release is the conservation default on most beats.

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — NRW / EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this Welsh principal salmon river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. All Wales byelaws (in force 2020-2030) make catch & release mandatory. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination. The Tywi was one of Wales's premier salmon rivers; catches have collapsed.

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