Spate · Limestone · Swaledale / North Yorkshire

River Swale

Photo of River Swale
Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 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
  • Level0.58 mLast reading 2h ago
  • Water temp21.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.58 m
Last reading 2h ago
Water temp21.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather24°C
WindW 13 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Olives April into May; Mayfly late May where it holds; sedges through summer; small dark flies into October. Spate-driven — fish the drop after rain.
Where
Pool tails and riffle heads through the upper dale; below Richmond the Swale flattens into longer glides. Pocket water is key on the upper river.
Method
Upstream dry to risers when olives or sedges are off; North Country spider on the swing in cooler water — Snipe and Purple, Partridge and Orange, Waterhen Bloa. Move upstream slowly, fish each lie properly.
Kit
9 ft #4 — Yorkshire freestone default. Floating line, 9 to 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots for slick stones.
Why this works
Water at 21.8°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

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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 · August 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
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
North Country spider water
Local classics: Snipe & Purple·Partridge & Orange·Waterhen Bloa
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Photo of River Swale
    River Swale — image via Wikipedia (River Swale)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Fail
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 Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 16 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature8 × 28%2.2
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time80 × 13%10.4
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity56 × 12%6.7
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.8°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 60
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.
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