Tay Report for week ending 20th February 2010.
The third week of February on the Tay was as disappointing as last week’s 14 spring salmon. This week 11 salmon were recorded from all over the district.
The river was running below 1 foot on Saturday after a very cold week with night temperatures down to below -8C on the lower Tay. The river gradually dropped away as the week went on with good conditions for spring fishing, it remained cold. The river temperature stayed at 36F or 2C for the week and dropped to 34F or 1C on Saturday, which should be good for the coming week especially on the lower Tay.
This week the lower river due to the very cold conditions and also the river level dropping away to below 1 foot by Saturday dominated the catches.
The lower river produced 9 out of the 11 spring salmon caught. Best spring salmon for the week came from the Ballathie beat with a 20 pound springer caught on a Kynoch from the boat. Ballathie also recorded an 18 pound spring salmon as well caught by Heather Booth harling from the boat in the Bridge Stream. Neil Tong from Perth caught a fresh 18 pound springer on the Islamouth Beat from the bank on a Devon on Saturday.
Upper Scone caught 2 spring salmon on Monday on the fly. One casting from the bank and the other in the boat falling to the Thomas party.
Bo Bo Forest was lucky on Saturday at Cargil catching a lovely 13 pound spring salmon from the boat.
The middle Tay produced only 1 salmon from Coupar Grange.
A superb 28 pound springer from the Glendelvine beat at Murthly was caught last week and there is now a picture of this cracking salmon. Gordon Hogg from Bridge of Allan hooked this magnificent spring salmon on a small Kynoch from the boat in the famous Boat pool with the aid of Scottish Ghillie Steve McIrvine. The powerful salmon ran 500 metres down river before being landed. Both salmon and angler are still recovering! This was the same pool that Miss Ballantine caught her whopping 64 pound salmon.
The upper river recorded 1 salmon from the Pitlochry Dam beat run by the Pitlochry Angling Club. The 13 pound spring salmon was caught by Stuart Beveridge fly fishing off the Portnacraig bank.
Many thanks for all the pictures everyone sent me of opening week spring salmon and thanks to all who have sent me their individual fishing experiences over the last season on the river. I would be most grateful if you to do the same this season by emailing stanley.fishing@ukonline.co.uk to be included in this report.
Prospects for the week commencing 22nd February 2010.
As of Monday the river is settled and running at a low level after last weeks cold weather.
The weather is to remain cold this coming week with little sign of any rain.
The boat at Benchil with ice on it on Saturday morning.
The water temperature is 34 degrees Fahrenheit or 1 degrees Celsius meaning you have certainly to spin or fish a fly slow and deep.
Fly fishing on the lower Tay at Benchil on the lower Tay at Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland.
With very cold water recently it is likely that most springers will have been bottled up in the lower river. If there is a bit of fresh water and milder conditions this may enable some salmon to run further upstream. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the lower and middle river. There will no doubt be quite a few kelts about on many beats and possibly some later run fish which have yet to spawn. Hopefully the return to higher water conditions will see the spawning season wind up quickly but if you find such fish, please avoid gravelly areas where they might be spawning.
The river is running low and cold, meaning the salmon will be running slowly and should favour the lower Tay beats.
There is good availability throughout the river so why not have a go.
As to methods, once the river settles fishing by any method will have to be slow and deep with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. Harling is also a favoured method at this time of year but be warned wrap up well or it will not be a pleasant experience.
Finally you are reminded that the Tay's policy for January - May 2010 is that all spring salmon should be released, i.e. the Tay has adopted a policy of 100% catch and release for spring salmon. Spring salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations.
If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on stanley.fishing@ukonline.co.uk to be included in this report.
Tight lines.
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2 comments:
"the powerful salmon ran 500 meters down the river . . ."
Somebody must have put a shilling in its metre?
Stumpy boater
roon aboot 1700 ft, plenty of backing needed there and permission from owners two beats down. well done
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