Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 14th May 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 14th May 2016.

Spring salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire is now in mid-May after another successful April equaling last year’s totals. The river has fallen back to summer levels giving excellent conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches improving rapidly. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now well over 1000 fish recorded so far and after successful springs in 2015, 2014 and 2013 plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in May to give everyone a chance of landing a spring “Bar of Silver”.

Spring salmon were landed throughout last week with better weather and catches have spread with higher river temperatures. It was another productive week with 160 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was 21 pounds from Murthly. Spring is disappearing but improving runs are coming into the river and better weather is making fishing easier with lower water last week and a bit of fresh water which may have encouraged more fish to run the river as the run strengthens. The spring fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall.

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. Blue bells a coming out in the woods, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Beat catches reported
(week ending 14th May)
SALMON & GRILSE: Benchil 1, Pitlochrie 2, Stobhall 7, Taymount 2, Ballathie 5, Cargill 5, Islamouth 27, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2, Kercock 3, Murthly 1 13, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 23, Newtyle 12, Dunkeld House 3, Dalmarnock 2, Dalguise 2, Lower Kinnaird 7, Upper Kinnaird 6, Findynate 2, Farleyer Upper 4, Farleyer Lower 4, Loch Tay Fish n' Trips 1, Keithick Mains 5, Portnacraig Pitlochry 8, Loch Faskally 13.
Total: 160 Largest: Murthly 2 21lbs
SEA TROUT: Lower Kinnaird 2.
Total: 2 Largest: Lower Kinnaird 2lbs

The majority of the salmon have been caught in the lower river up to recently, which is understandable with the cold conditions but that has changed with warmer water allowing fish to run further giving improving results up the river including odd fish from Loch Tay and Loch Faskally now as fish start to spread in the system. Recently the boats come off the lower river below Stanley with summer bank fishing now available. The middle river is now the barometer for the runs as water temperatures rise to the early 50’s.

This past week saw a few fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats with Islamouth area proving the best beat as fish hesitate at the mouth of the Isla. 3 salmon came from the Stanley beats with James McKay landing a lovely fresh fish from the bottom of the Skellies on the Benchil beat. On Saturday Canadian visitors Craig and Callum Cook caught a fish a piece from the Corner pool on the Pitlochrie beat on Tobies. Stobhall and Taymount amassed 9 fish between them with Stobhall having the loins share of 7. Ballathie and Cargill caught 5 each in better conditions for the beats.

On Ballathie Jean Norton caught a couple of fish from the boat up to 12 pounds and

Ryan McShane landed an 11 pounds beauty on the fly from the Cradle in the week.

On Cargill Bill Young had a 12 pounds fish on the fly from the Cradle, Andrew Callaghan caught a 13 pounds fish from the Sands on a Toby then later in the week Guy McCourt caught a lovley 15 pounds fish from the Bridge Stream. Islamouth had another very successful week with 27 fish landed and the owners enjoying some great days at the end of the week. The dropping water has not helped Upper Isalmouth and Meikleour with only a couple of fish landed in the week. Richard Kew had the beats 50th fish of the season with a cracking 10 pounds fish caught on the fly from the House pool and Mike Brown caught an 8 pounds fish on the fly from the Boxwood pool.

The middle river is fairing much better with rising river temperatures over recent weeks.

Kercock had 3 in the week with some outstanding fish being caught on the beat recently
including 16 pounds fish for Tomas Lundquist from Sweden and Sam Datta. The Murthly beats are doing very well currently with 36 fish between them in the week.

Phil Black enjoyed a superb evening with 2 cracking fish caught on the fly.

Malcolm Anderson and Iain Wilson also enjoyed success on the beat over a 3 day visit on the fly commenting on sheer quality of the fish caught. Newtyle continued the theme with 12 fish from the beat during the week. This included Roger Kerrison catching his first ever salmon, a minted 9 pounds beauty on the fly from the Boil. Dunkeld House had 3 in the week and Dalmarnock caught 2.

Mark French caught a lovely 10 pounds fish on the fly from the Ram’s Horn on the fly. Dalguise also caught a couple with Robert Andreson Brown catching his first ever salmon weighing 9 pounds.

The Kinnaird beats mustered 13 fish between them in the week which included a lovely fish for 13 year old Joep Swartberg on the fly from the top beat as well as a cracker for

Austrian Dr Fritz Seifert.

The upper river is seeing improved sport with fish caught on Fyndynate and the Farleyer beats. Ian Griffin from Cheshire reported success on the fly from Bolfracks and the Taymouth Castle beat catching several fish for him and his son up to 24 pounds during the weeks visit to the area. 1 fish was reported from the Loch this past week from Fish n’ Trips.

The Tummel is continuing to have good sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club with 8 landed last week and there are now over 1100 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally. It was a much quieter week at the Dam but still there was action most days despite the water levels collapsing back to summer levels. At the start of the week Graham Nichols, Neil McLellan and Ally Gowans all caught on fly. Later in the week the pattern was continued with Iain McLaren and Gordon Nichol landing fish up to 16 pounds.

2 fish came off the stretch on Saturday with Dave Stewart and Diarmid Harvey getting into the action with the fly being the successful weapon. Loch Faskally saw an upturn in sport with fish bolting through the dam in numbers with 13 landed in the week. Successful anglers included Campbell Dixon, Donna Davies and Kennith Parks catching fish up to 12 pounds all on Tobies.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht with 5 fish being reported last week from Keithick Mains.

Fish have been reported running the Lyon as well but low water levels have curtailed sport. No news from that part of the river last week.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is now in May and expectation remains very high after previous good springs. Last week’s catches were again heartening and more fish are running with warmer weather. Let us hope this is a sign of an upturn in catches as last May proved. It has been a reasonable start with well over 1000 fish recorded so let us hope the season lives up to every one’s expectations over the coming weeks and months. Tight lines!

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White