Spate · Upland · North West Wales / Gwynedd / Eifionydd

Dwyfor / Dwyfach

The Afon Dwyfor river flowing below the bridge at Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, Wales, lined with trees.

Upland headwaters define this river.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.05 mLast reading 19h ago
  • Water temp21.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.05 m
Last reading 19h ago
Water temp21.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather20°C
WindS 13 km/h
Pressure1021 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 Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Mainly autumn. Fish on the drop after rain — 12 to 24 hours into a falling spate.
Where
Lower Dwyfor pools above the tidal limit near Llanystumdwy.
Method
Small doubles 10 to 12 across-and-down on a floating line; small tubes on a sink-tip in spring or coloured water. Fish the named lies in each pool, working systematically before moving on. Mandatory catch-and-release under NRW byelaw — every salmon goes back.
Kit
10 ft #7/8 single-hander or 11 ft switch — small spate scale; double-handers are wasted on these rivers. Floating line plus light sink-tip. 10 to 12 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 21.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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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
1
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
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
Atlantic Salmon fly box

Wild-river first principles. Early-season nymphs and practical searching, then dry flies, emergers and spiders as hatches and surface activity improve.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. The Afon Dwyfor river flowing below the bridge at Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, Wales, lined with trees.
    Afon Dwyfor below Pont Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, Wales.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Upland headwaters define this river. Atlantic salmon are under serious conservation pressure — Natural Resources Wales mandates catch-and-release for salmon on all rivers, so all fish must be returned. The Dwyfor drops out of Cwm Pennant under Cnicht and the Moelwynion and runs to Cardigan Bay near Cricieth; the Dwyfach joins from the north-east before the tidal stretch. Mountain and moorland country, rain-fed and acidic in its upper reaches. NRW's catchment work has been blunt about the pressures — abstraction, acid flushes, mine legacy — and the sewin trend is downward. Honest sport in the right water; not a guarantee.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), primarily nocturnal

  • Upland
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

NRW (Wales) · UKGB110065053730

Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature130% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time5015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April → 17 October
  • Sea trout 3 March → 17 October
  • Trout 3 March → 30 September

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — NRW 2024 catchment summary classifies sea trout as at risk with a downward trend. Acid flushes, abstraction regulation, and small-catchment volatility all bear on the runs. Honest small-river sport when conditions align — not a destination.

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
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