Spate · Mixed · East / Wicklow

River Vartry

River Vartry — River Vartry, Wicklow, Ireland
Contributor photo

River Vartry, Wicklow, Ireland

dmandini (https://www.flickr.com/photos/124190141@N07) - CC BY

A short Wicklow sea-trout river under a strict IFI conservation order — closed for salmon and for sea trout over 40 cm in 2026, with one sea trout of 40 cm or less per day permitted in the open season.

Poor · Brown Trout
Partridge and Orange · 14-16
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp21.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp21.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather21°C
WindN 27 km/h
Pressure1023 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 brown trout
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⚠️ Water at 21.2°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots. Otherwise poor — water clarity is in the right range.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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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 · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sea trout runRun
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.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • IFI conservation bye-law (2026): salmon closed; sea trout >40 cm closed; one sea trout of 40 cm or less per day in season
  • Devil's Glen (Coillte) public car park is the practical access
  • Vartry Reservoir closed to angling — Uisce Éireann drinking-water supply
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. River Vartry — River Vartry, Wicklow, Ireland
    River Vartry, Wicklow, Ireland
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A short Wicklow sea-trout river under a strict IFI conservation order — closed for salmon and for sea trout over 40 cm in 2026, with one sea trout of 40 cm or less per day permitted in the open season. Worth knowing about for the broader Dublin sea-trout picture, but not the river to plan a trip around. Devil's Glen (Coillte forest car park) is the practical public access; the Vartry Reservoir itself is closed to angling as a Uisce Éireann drinking-water supply. Treat the day as a privilege — hold any fish in the water, get it back quickly, and fish carefully.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 80%
How the 20 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature12 × 28%3.4
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time65 × 13%8.5
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity52 × 12%6.2
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.2°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 54
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Sea trout1 May → 30 SeptemberClosed
Related guides
ConnemaraIrish fishingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts