Freestone · Mixed · North East / Aberdeenshire

Ythan

A meandering stretch of the River Ythan flowing through lush green pasture with trees along the banks near Ellon.
Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Silver Stoat's Tail · small double / microtube
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
River steady at a fishable height. A short window at best — fish the sure lies and move on.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.64 mLast reading 2h ago
  • Water temp18.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
SS
Silver Stoat's Tailsmall double / microtube
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.64 m
Last reading 2h ago
Water temp18.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather18°C
WindW 6 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead5.3 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
Warm — slow
18°C est.ideal 10–14°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
Water at 18.1°C — above the atlantic salmon caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 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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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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 18°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. A meandering stretch of the River Ythan flowing through lush green pasture with trees along the banks near Ellon.
    The River Ythan winding through green meadows near Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC023231

Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature2430% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time1515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 11 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