Chalk Stream · Limestone · Gloucestershire (Cotswolds)

River Leach

The River Leach, a small Cotswold chalk stream, flowing past grassy banks near Southrop, Gloucestershire.

The Leach runs through the Cotswolds — limestone-influenced, clear, spring-fed, moving through stone-walled country with the unhurried pace that chalk-influenced water has.

Poor · Brown Trout
CDC F-Fly · 18-20
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
  • Level0.05 mLast reading 7h ago
  • Water temp20.5°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
CDC F-Fly
CDC F-Fly18-20
Upstream dry, on top
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.05 m
Last reading 7h ago
Water temp20.5°C
ClarityClear
Weather32°C
WindSE 13 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 1016°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
Water at 20.5°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

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
1
Brown SedgeHatch
2
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Blue Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box

The heartland of English dry fly fishing. Upstream dry fly and emerger presentation dominates. Nymphing restricted or discouraged on many beats. Gin-clear alkaline water, prolific weed growth, educated wild brown trout. Precise imitation and delicate presentation are paramount.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Private.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Leach, a small Cotswold chalk stream, flowing past grassy banks near Southrop, Gloucestershire.
    The River Leach near Southrop, Gloucestershire.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Leach runs through the Cotswolds — limestone-influenced, clear, spring-fed, moving through stone-walled country with the unhurried pace that chalk-influenced water has. It passes through Eastleach, where there's a clapper bridge worth seeing whether or not the fishing is the reason you came. Wild brown trout throughout, mostly in the tight bends where undercut banks give them depth and the current concentrates their food. Small-river chalk stream fishing, which means one fish properly approached matters more than ten covered carelessly.

  • Limestone
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 24 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature19 × 28%5.3
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time60 × 13%7.8
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity63 × 12%7.6
Limiting factor: Water temperature (20.5°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 61
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.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April30 September
Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts