Freestone · Granite · East / Wicklow

River Liffey (Upper / Blessington)

River Liffey (Upper / Blessington) terrain map
Prime · Brown Trout
Partridge and Orange · 14-16
ReopenedReported 31 Jul 2026

Reopened — water temperatures have fallen

ESB reopened the Shannon and Liffey systems (including Blessington Lake) to angling from Friday 31 July 2026 as water temperatures dropped to acceptable levels. Permits are available again through the IFI permit site.

Shannon & Liffey systems reopen for fishing ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date. Always confirm locally before travelling.

Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River steady at a fishable height. On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Dargle (Tinnehinch Fishery)
  • Water temp16.5°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Dargle (Tinnehinch Fishery)
Water temp16.5°C
ClarityClear
Weather23°C
WindSW 12 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.4 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from River Dargle (Tinnehinch Fishery). The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
17°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
Excellent — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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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
Green PeterHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
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.
  • Eastern Regional Fisheries District
  • Club-managed (Blessington and District AC)
  • Day tickets available
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Pollaphuca / Blessington Lakes
7.0 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Pike
River Liffey (Middle / Kildare)
8.0 km
84
Brown trout
Curragh Springs Fishery
13 km
Rainbow trout
Bohernabreena Reservoirs
20 km
Brown trout
Corkagh Park Fishery
24 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 80 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature88 × 28%24.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity65 × 12%7.8
Conditions total= 80
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via River Dargle (Tinnehinch Fishery)proxy
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 30 September
Related guides
ConnemaraIrish fishingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts