Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon Fishing Report for W/E 2nd May 2015.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon Fishing Report for W/E 2nd May 2015.

The salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire has improved in recent weeks with good conditions for fishing and settled water levels have prevailed to give the river an excellent April. May traditionally sees good spring runs and good conditions as fish spread throughout the system and this may be the catalyst for even better catches which hopefully will continue over the next few weeks. Expectation remains high on the river for 2015 after consistent catches recently and hopefully favourable conditions may trigger off improving runs as we go deeper into May to give everyone a chance of landing a spring “Bar of Silver”.

Spring salmon were landed last week in continued better numbers with superb conditions but colder spring sunshine. Good numbers were landed daily recording the best week of the season so far from all over as the river level receded and the quality of the salmon caught remained outstanding with fish caught in the late teens and early twenties.

On the nature front the first Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows have arrived, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have their first broods of young and Sand Pipers are on the river banks.

Beat catches reported
(week ending 2nd May)
SALMON & GRILSE: Upper Redgorton 1, Fishponds 1, Stobhall 8, Taymount 4, Ballathie 4, Cargill 1, Islamouth 10, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 5, Kercock 2, Murthly 1 7, Murthly 2 22, Newtyle 11, Dunkeld House 10, Dalmarnock 7, Dalguise 3, Lower Kinnaird 2, Upper Kinnaird 2, Farleyer Upper 2, Farleyer Lower 2, Loch Tay Fish n' Trips 7, Coupar Grange 11, Ericht Fishing 1, Portnacraig Pitlochry 9, Loch Faskally 5.
Total: 137 Largest: Dunkeld House 22lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 1, Benchil 1, Cargill 1, Coupar Grange 2.
Total: 5 Largest: Waulkmill 4lbs

Salmon have been caught throughout the system this past week in reasonable numbers, which is understandable with the superb conditions making it ideal as fish are running harder due to the warmer water temperatures and fish are spreading throughout the river. Rain at the start of this week may encourage more to run. The mandatory government catch and release restrictions have ended however the river would ask everyone to still release all spring fish to preserve what we have for future years. Return rates are at an all time low and spring salmon are a precious resource to the Tay and all rivers in Scotland. If an area of the river starts to kill salmon to excess the mandatory policy will ultimately increase beyond the spring and maybe for the whole season that would not be a popular concept for our fragile rural economy. Thank you for all who preserve the recommendations and shame on the few who cannot, their shortsighted outlook will bring everyone down and cost jobs throughout Scotland’s river systems.

Unfortunately on the Lower Tay below Stanley there have only been odd fish recorded but Sea Trout are starting to appear however on the beats just above the Stanley area catches remained reasonable despite rising water temperatures. The time of year has arrived when all the boats come off the beats at Stanley and below until July for summer fishing. Bank fishing is available with reasonably priced daily permits and summer permits covering the whole period. On Upper Redgorton Greggor Nimmo caught a 6 pounds fish on the fly from the boat and

Fishponds recorded a 7 pounds fish from the Craigs on Saturday. Taymount and Stobhall continued to do well throughout the week and Ballathie and Cargill picked up fish as well.

A party of Swedish fly fishermen enjoyed a good week at Cargill but only landed one fish with several others lost. Islamouth had another consistent week with 10 fish landed on fly from boat and bank. The last 3 days in the week saw Iain Mitchell’s party do well with

Michael Hindhaugh landing a 9 pounds fish from the Long Head,

Iain Mitchell land a 9 pounder in Sandyford and

Neil Tong caught casting from the boat in the Long Head. Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had a better week with a few fish. This is the report from the beat by Calum McRoberts. “The wee lift in water gave us some much improved sport on the back of it and we landed five salmon after Wednesday with Malcolm Anderson of the Caledonia Fly Company and Anders Moe from Norway both catching fish on the fly. Mr Brown and

Charlie Stone also did well landing fish during their stay.”

The Middle river is seeing more fish with far better results this past week and this should continue over the coming weeks in rising temperatures. Kercock had two fish for the week with plenty hooked and lost as well for good measure. Martin Hunter caught his first fish on the fly at 8 pounds and Neil Williams caught a 10 pounds fish on a Willie Gunn. The Murthly beats had a superb week with around 30 fish between them. On Murthly 2 Charlie Stone and Christen De Wolff had three for a couple of days up to 13 pounds. Newtyle had another very successful week with fish on most days. The week started off well with John Stamp and

Scott Dickson landing fish up to 10 pounds on fly and spinner. Joe Greenwood caught an 8 pounder from the Ferry pool and Simon Morris caught a superb 18 pounds fish from the Steps pool.

Andy Morris and Jon Amos were successful at the end of the week. The Dunkeld and Birnam Angling club have been catching a few fish as well but they have not been registered. Dunkeld House continued their impressive season with several fish during the week up to 22 pounds. Early in the week

Peder Vangen and Gary Scott caught lovely fish on the fly. On Tuesday 4 fish came from the beat with Eric Robinson landing a superb 22 pounds fish from the Gauge pool. Later in the week the

Norwegian fly fishers were doing the trick in the Cathedral stream and Gauge pools with fish up to 12 pounds. Dalmarnock are having a much better time catching consistently with fish up to 19 pounds caught on fly and spinner. Dalguise and the Kinnaird beat have also been seeing fish caught.

The Tummel is continuing to produce fish on a regular basis as fish make their way up to Pitlochry dam and through it as the counter is now showing in excess of 250 with more fish being caught in Loch Faskally in the last few days. All the beats below the dam have been producing fish over the last week, which has been good news. At Pitlochry Dam 9 salmon were caught and fish were landed most days during the week on the Angling club stretch. The week started off well with Dave Stewart and Steve Watt catching on fly up to 12 pounds.

Gary Westhead had a cracking 14 pounds fish on the fly from the Port-na-Craig bank on Tuesday, Ally Gowans caught a 13 pounds fish from the Town bank on Thursday, then at the end of the week the fly was the answer for Roger Collins, Gary Waugh and

Thomas Andrew with fish up to 12 pounds. Dairmid Harvey bucked the fly trend and caught 2 fish on Payos up to 16 pounds. It was another steady weeks fishing for the club water.

The Upper area is also starting to see odd fish. Salmon were reported from the Farleyer beats consistently in the week as they run up to Loch Tay.

On Loch Tay fish are continuing to be caught in reasonable numbers. Reported fish came from Fish n’ Trips this past week.

Peter Fonda, American visitors Clair Donnelly and Keith Gellings from Michigan and Ben Tregoning from Farlows in London caught fish up to 12 pounds.

The Isla is starting to see salmon run the river however reports have been lean. Coupar Grange reported 1 earlier in the week but saw 10 caught in the last 3 days.

The Ericht is also seeing fish run up the river with odd ones off the lower river below Blairgowrie.
The Earn are also seeing a spring salmon run but nothing was reported.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is into May and expectation is very high after previous seasons and poor overall catches last year. April and last weeks catches hopefully encouraged everyone after fish were caught in the system in continuing better numbers. Let us hope with improving conditions and an upturn in catches will continue. Tight lines!

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 robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in the reports.

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