Spate · Mixed · Angus, GB-SCT

South Esk

Sunset light over the River South Esk as it flows through Brechin, Angus, Scotland.
Tomorrow · Prime conditions — go now
Elk Hair Caddis
Forecast · Tomorrow
Prime conditions — go now
Settled and taking. Work it methodically.
70% projected
Today's fly
Elk Hair Caddis
Elk Hair Caddis
Conditions on the water · Tomorrow
Live gauge
Level
Falling
0.45 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp12.1°C
ClarityClearing
Weather13°C
WindN 20 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent1.4 mm
Rain · ahead4.4 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Ideal
12°C est.ideal 10–16°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
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though river flow could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 18h

12h(now) — Black Gnat

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 63%
Also:Autumn Needle Fly63%Autumn Olive46%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost9 food groups active

Peak activity at 18h — Caperer (Caperer, Weather boost)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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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 · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
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
Fly box · Atlantic Salmon
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
North Esk
11 km
86
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
River Isla (Tayside)
33 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Atlantic salmon
Dee (Aberdeenshire)
38 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Grayling
Dee (Aberdeenshire)
38 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Grayling
River Muick
40 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Sunset light over the River South Esk as it flows through Brechin, Angus, Scotland.
    The River South Esk at Brechin, Angus, at sunset.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

SEPA WFD 2022 — South Esk: Good status. Corrected 2026-06-18 (was recorded Moderate). Source: SEPA WFD 2022 classification (spatialdata.gov.scot / SEPA Aquatic Classification Hub).

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC005799

Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature10030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 16 February → 31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts