Spate · Limestone · North West / Sligo

Drumcliff / Glencar

The Drumcliff River flowing dark and peaty beneath overhanging trees, viewed from a stone bridge, County Sligo.
Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Ally's Shrimp · 8-12
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Drowes
  • Water temp19.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Ally's Shrimp
Ally's Shrimp8-12
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via Drowes
Water temp19.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather18°C
WindSW 12 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent6.6 mm
Rain · ahead1.7 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Drowes. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
20°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 19.9°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 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour 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
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Mixed access
  • Drumcliff River and Glencar Lough
  • State rod licence required.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 2
Water here around 20°C — probably warm enough to stress Atlantic Salmon . These are likely cooler.
Lough Gill & Bonet
11 km
~17°C
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Garavogue River
7.0 km
~18°C
Salmon · Sea trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The Drumcliff River flowing dark and peaty beneath overhanging trees, viewed from a stone bridge, County Sligo.
    The Drumcliff River, County Sligo
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

EPA WFD 2019-2024 — Moderate ecological status; corrected (was Good) 2026-06-18. Source: EPA Ireland WFD 2019-2024 classification (catchments.ie / EDEN).

EPA (Ireland) · IEWE_35D040250

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 / flowproxy via Drowesproxy
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 February → 30 September
  • Trout 15 February → 30 September
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsIrish Salmon Rivers Guidefive great salmon fisheriesConnemaraIrish fishing
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts