Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon Fishing Report for W/E 23rd May 2015.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon Fishing Report for W/E 23rd May 2015.

The salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire has improved in recent weeks with good conditions for fishing and reasonably settled water levels have prevailed to give the river an excellent April and even better results in May. Traditionally in this period we see good late spring runs and steady conditions as fish spread throughout the system, 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 after conditions settled from big water earlier in the week. We recorded another superb weekly catch in the current prolific May period. Good numbers were landed daily signaling another superb late spring week 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. Sea trout are making an appearance as well with some top quality fish caught. On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have their first broods of young and Sand Pipers are on the riverbank. It is a magical time of year with the wild flowers coming out as well with Blue Bells, Primroses and Lupines appearing as well as many others. It is true what they say, “ a salmon is a bonus!”

Beat catches reported (week ending 23rd May)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 1, Upper Redgorton 2, Fishponds 1, Benchil 1, Stobhall 2, Taymount 7, Ballathie 5, Cargill 7, Islamouth 22, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 8, Kercock 3, Murthly 1 12, Glendelvine 2, Murthly 2 14, Newtyle 10, Dunkeld House 15, Dalmarnock 6, Dalguise 3, Lower Kinnaird 2, Upper Kinnaird 1, Findynate 2, Farleyer Upper 3, Farleyer Lower 1, Lochlane and Laggan 2, Coupar Grange 8, Ericht Fishing 3, Portnacraig Pitlochry 13, Loch Faskally 9, Ruan Ruarie 2.
Total: 167 Largest: Cargill 20lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 6, Lower Redgorton 7, Luncarty 1, Upper Redgorton 2, Stobhall 1, Taymount 1, Murthly 2 1, Lower Aberuthven 1, Lochlane and Laggan 2, Coupar Grange 3.
Total: 25 Largest: Waulkmill 5lbs

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 have encouraged 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.

On the Lower Tay below Stanley there have only been odd fish recorded but Sea Trout are starting to appear in numbers 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. Upper Redgorton produced 2 salmon on Tuesday for members of Perth and District Angling Club. Danny Fulton continued his luck with a 10 pounds fish on the fly from the Long Shot at Benchil. Fish were also recorded on Almondmouth and Fishponds. Taymount had a good week with 5 and Stobhall had a couple. Ballathie and Cargill had better weeks with fish up to 20 pounds as water levels started to suit the beats.

Cargill landed 7 Springers and lost a few others.

Successful anglers included Stewart Scott with a personal best of 20 pounds, Keith Schofield and party did well with everyone catching fish up to 14 pounds. Islamouth had a superb week with 22 fish landed on the fly. Amongst the successful anglers Jonathan Fenwick caught his first Tay fish from the Ash Tree pool on a Willie Gunn tube, James Aird,

Robin Valentine and

Andrew Templeton alao caught fish up to 10 pounds from all over the beat as it came into a great height for fly fishing. Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had another good week with 8 fish. Iain Jardine, Mr Tansley and the Collett party did well with fly and spinner on Wednesday with fish up to 12 pounds mostly liced and on Thursday Neil Hudders and Raymond Edmondson had a good day with fish up to 8 pounds.

The Middle river is fishing very well with more fish and continuing good results this past week again and this should continue over the coming weeks in rising temperatures. Kercock had a better week and were seeing fish running through the beat.

Amongst the successful anglers was Brian Taylor with a 10 pounds beauty. Murthly and Glendelvine had another superb week with 27 fish between them off the three beats up to around 20 pounds. Newtyle caught on most days with another successful week of 10 fish. Their week started off with David Gardiner catching a 10 pounds fish in the Ferry pool,

Steve Higgins also caught in the same pool with a couple of fish up to 12 pounds. Craig Carter and Brian Campbell caught fish later in the week up to 12 pounds. Dunkeld House had another outstanding week with 15 fish including another red letter day with 6 caught on Wednesday up to 15 pounds.

The successful anglers included Ian Shuttleworth, Jim Fleming and Jim McDonald with 2 and

Brian Joseph catching 3 fish up to 11 pounds. There seems to be a good run into the middle areas of the river with a lot of the fish caught being sea liced.

Dalmarnock continue to do well with good catches week on week. Successful rods included Ben Marshall on fly and David Smart on spinner. Dalguise have been working away quietly with some quality fish landed this past week including a 10 pounds fish for Adam Walters and a 17 pounds landed by Richard Witt on a Koster from the Bridge pool. The Kinnaird beats reported 3 fish in the week.

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 410 with more fish being caught in Loch Faskally in the last week. All the beats below the dam including East and West Haugh have been producing fish over the last week, which has been good news. At Pitlochry Dam 13 salmon were caught and fish were landed most days during the week on the Angling club stretch. Early in the week Colin Hislop, Steve Watt and Jimmy Ross caught fish up to 10 pounds with lots of fish seen as they gather below the dam to run as the water temperature rises. Visiting angler Nick Webster celebrated his birthday in style with 2 fish up to 10 pounds on spinners on Wednesday. On Thursday Tom Monaghan caught a 12 pounds fish on the spinner, George Renwick caught an 11 pounder on the fly, Jimmy Ross followed up his success of Monday with an 8 pounder on the fly and Andy Huthwaite caught a very fresh fish on the fly. Further downstream in the Clubs Sawmill stream Les Dargie, Iain Mclaren and Alley Gowans caught fish up to 15 pounds on the fly during the week. Brain Lindsay at Ruan Ruarie on flying C caught 2 fish on the Garry up to 12 pounds.

Later in the week Roger Collins, Gordon Hanslip and Stuart Humphreys caught fish on the fly up to 14 pounds. Loch Faskally reported 9 salmon including an 11 pounds fish for Kevin Maybury on a Zebra Toby. Down at East Haugh lady angler Sue Brazendale had a good fish on a spinner and Rab Jamieson caught a fresh fish on the fly.

The Upper areas are also to seeing odd fish. Salmon were reported from the Farleyer, and Findynate beats consistently in the week as they run up to Loch Tay.

On Loch Tay fish are continuing to be caught in reasonable numbers but nothing was reported last week.

The Isla is starting to see salmon run the river. Coupar Grange reported 8 in the middle of the week.

The Ericht is also seeing fish run up the river with 3 reported off the lower river below Blairgowrie.

The Earn are also seeing a spring salmon and Sea Trout run with fish reported from Lochlane and Laggan.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is well into May and expectation is very high after previous seasons and poor overall catches last year. April and May’s catches so far hopefully have 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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