Spate · Mixed · Co. Tyrone / Foyle System

River Mourne

Canoeist paddling on the River Mourne near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with green riverbanks either side.

The Mourne is the principal salmon river of the Foyle system, rising in the Sperrin Mountains and flowing through Strabane to join the Foyle at Lifford.

Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Cascade · 10-14
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
River steady at a fishable height. A short window at best — fish the sure lies and move on.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.80 mLast reading 6h ago
  • Water temp18.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Cascade
Cascade10-14
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.80 m
Last reading 6h ago
Water temp18.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindNW 18 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.2 mm
Rain · ahead1.3 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 1014°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 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 2 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
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

Connemara/Mayo low water: a lightly-dressed shrimp on a floating line with sink tip, sized down from 8s in cold spring water to 12s and 14s as summer water warms and clears. Where the current runs faster, a slim tube or hairwing swung through tracks better than a shrimp.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 18°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Canoeist paddling on the River Mourne near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with green riverbanks either side.
    The River Mourne near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Mourne is the principal salmon river of the Foyle system, rising in the Sperrin Mountains and flowing through Strabane to join the Foyle at Lifford. A classic medium-sized spate river with long glides, deep pools, and productive tail-outs. Salmon run from April with the main grilse run June–August. The river fishes best on a falling flood — Sperrin rain takes 6–10 hours to show. Managed by Loughs Agency with day permits available. The Mourne offers some of the most accessible and affordable salmon fishing in the British Isles. Sea trout run from May. Brown trout are plentiful throughout. Atlantic salmon are managed under DAERA and Loughs Agency conservation byelaws, with mandatory catch-and-release on many waters; check current rules before fishing.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; as a substantial spate river, expect flood-driven stonefly, sedge and terrestrial food to outweigh any dependable upwing hatch — treat this as general guidance only.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs, seasonal patterns vary by region

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 85%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 April31 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
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