Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 25th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 25th June 2016.

Spring salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire is now nearing an end as we encounter the start of a summer run in July after another steady June. The river is hovering around summer levels despite some heavy localized rain giving reasonable conditions at times for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 2000 fish recorded so far and after successful springs in 2015, 2014 and 2013 plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in June to give everyone a chance of landing a late spring “Bar of Silver”.

Spring salmon and now odd grilse were landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was another steady productive week with around 100 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was 19 pounds from Islamouth. Spring is disappearing with a transition into summer and steady runs are coming into the river plus better weather is making fishing easier with lower water and a bit of fresh water last week 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 Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Many wild flowers are in bloom but a good few are now past their best for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Beat catches reported (week ending 25th June)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 5, Lower Redgorton 4, Fishponds 1, Stobhall 4, Taymount 10, Ballathie 3, Cargill 12, Islamouth 28, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 1, Kercock 5, Delvine Burnbane 3, Murthly 2 4, Newtyle 1, Dunkeld House 8, Dalmarnock 3, Lower Kinnaird 1, Upper Kinnaird 1, Findynate 1, Farleyer Upper 3, Farleyer Lower 1, Ericht Fishing 2, Portnacraig Pitlochry 1.
Total: 102 Largest: Islamouth 19lbs
SEA TROUT: Lower Redgorton 1, Upper Redgorton 1, Fishponds 2, Ballathie 1, Delvine Burnbane 2, Lochlane and Laggan 1.
Total: 8 Largest: Lower Redgorton 3lbs

The majority of the salmon were caught in the lower river in early spring, 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 fish from Loch Tay, Loch Faskally and beyond now as fish start to spread in the system. The middle river is now the barometer for the runs as water temperatures rise to around 60F, however more fish are now starting to be caught in the lower river with the start of a summer run.

This past week saw a few fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats with Islamouth again proving the best beat as fish hesitate at the mouth of the Isla. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing improving sport with Almondmouth and Lower Redgorton recording 9 fish between them.

Fishponds had an 11 pounds fish on Saturday with Mr Bothwell being the successful angler. Just above Stanley Taymount and Stobhall have been having success most days last week with 14 fish between them. Further up Ballathie and Cargill had 15 in the week. Cargill had another consistent week catching fish up to 16 pounds and the odd early grilse. The highlight of the week was 91 year old Tom Kenyon catching a lovely 8 pounds fish on the fly. Other successful rods included Jill and Janette Hird, Ian Jardine and Arthur Quayle.

Islamouth continues to do well with another superb week of 28 fish. Earlier in the week Andrew Roskell enjoyed 3 great days on the beat and Jean Norton landed the largest fish off the river last week with a superb 19 pounds beauty. Later in the week Patrick Hanley’s party enjoyed success as well despite some unsettled conditions for fly fishing. On Upper Islamouth and Meikleour Mr Robertson enjoyed success in the March pool landing a 10 pounds fish on a floating devon.

The beat also hosted a Ladies day on Saturday after a similar day at Newtyle the day before. 14 Women took part raising an incredible £2000 for Youth Angling Development which aims to get younger people involved in the sport.

The middle river is continuing to fare better with rising river temperatures over recent weeks and the rain has helped this past week.

Kercock saw a better week with 5 fish which included a cracking fish on the fly for Ken Mackie.

Delvine Burnbane had 3 fish in the week with Robert Harvey catching 2 in a day on the fly at the tail of Sparrowmuir. Murthly had a much quieter week with only 4 fish recorded.

Newtyle had a quiet week as well but enjoyed a great Ladies day on Friday.

Dunkeld House had a far better week with 8 fish which included Alan Dorrian landing 3 in a hour up to 12 pounds on Saturday morning, not bad going! Dalmarnock had 3 in the week with all of them caught on Saturday. Matthew Cox caught an 8 pounds fish in the Ram’s Horn on a Toby and Ian Willis caught 2 fish up to 18 pounds on the fly from the Glide and Clachantaggart. Kinnaid had a much quieter week with a fish a piece from both beats.

The upper river was seeing steady sport with fish caught on the Farleyer beats and Findynate and recent fresh water improved activities in recent weeks.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club with 1 landed last week and there are now well over 4150 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally and fish are running the Garry. This is a high figure in recent years caused by the temperature coming up quickly earlier in May and encouraging the fish to run. Recent water saw Martin Wilson catch the only fish of the week from the Pitlochry beat but there has not been a lot of rods fishing recently.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht with 2 fish being reported last week from the lower Ericht.

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.

Fish have also been running the Earn but no fish were reported.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is now showing signs of drawing to a close as we enter into July and expectation of a summer run. Last week’s catches were again heartening and more fish are running with warmer weather and some fresh water. Let us hope this is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go into July. It has been a reasonable start with well over 2000 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

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 27th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 27th June 2016.

The Salmon fishing season on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland is now in the last few days of June and we have been encountering some unsettled weather last week with some rain and varying conditions for anglers with coloured water at times to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical spring salmon with a reasonably settled river at summer levels by and large which hopefully will continue to maintain catches in the coming week. The tail end of spring salmon run continues to ascend the river in reasonable numbers with a change imminent to a summer run and catches continue to be maintained from last month giving another reasonable week. The weather is to remain unsettled in the coming days with the chance of some rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but some are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Currently the river has reasonably settled back after a small spate in the week and continues at a summer height (around 2’ on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a relatively low level for the Tay but you are now fishing a river within the mighty Tay and there is always enough water in this vast system to hopefully encourage more spring salmon to run.

The weather has been more unsettled over the last week and will continue in that vein in the coming week with rain forecast but hopefully things start to settle down again. Milder temperatures have given the river some water from some rain last week but the river has steadily dropped back to just above summer levels again. This current week remains unsettled at the start. Settled weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal late spring fishing conditions. The water temperature is hovering around 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The middle river is currently the hot spot in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results in the past but as the temperature rise and fish run further the catches will spread. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110’s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.

The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.

Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.

The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
• All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
• All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
• No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
• Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.

All salmon are a scarce and precious resource nowadays. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.

When releasing salmon please try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to give them every chance to recover prior to release. Releasing fish from boats in the river is not recommended. Further information on the policy and good release practice.

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.

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 18th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 18th June 2016.

Spring salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire is now nearing an end as we encounter the start of a summer run in June after another successful May. The river hovering around summer levels despite some heavy localized rain giving reasonable conditions at times for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 1500 fish recorded so far and after successful springs in 2015, 2014 and 2013 plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in June to give everyone a chance of landing a late spring “Bar of Silver”.

Spring salmon and now odd grilse were landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was another steady productive week with around 150 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was 25 pounds from Murthly. Spring is disappearing with a transition into summer and steady runs are coming into the river plus better weather is making fishing easier with lower water and a bit of fresh water last week 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 Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Many wild flowers are in bloom but a good few are now past their best for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Beat catches reported (week ending 18th June)
SALMON & GRILSE: Waulkmill 1, Lower Redgorton 3, Benchil 1, Upper Scone 1, Stobhall 9, Taymount 6, Ballathie 5, Cargill 18, Islamouth 33, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2, Kercock 5, Baldarroch 2, Delvine Burnbane 1, Murthly 1 3, Murthly 2 20, Newtyle 1, Dunkeld House 2, Dalmarnock 2, Dalguise 4, Lower Kinnaird 7, Upper Kinnaird 3, Farleyer Upper 1, Ericht Fishing 5, Portnacraig Pitlochry 4, Loch Faskally 2, Ruan Ruarie 2.
Total: 143 Largest: Murthly 2 25lbs
SEA TROUT: Benchil 3, Stobhall 1, Taymount 3, Ballathie 1, Delvine Burnbane 2, Newtyle 2, Dalmarnock 1.
Total: 13 Largest: Benchil & Ballathie & Dalmarnock 4lbs

The majority of the salmon were caught in the lower river in early spring, 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 fish from Loch Tay, Loch Faskally and beyond now as fish start to spread in the system. The middle river is now the barometer for the runs as water temperatures rise to around 60F, however more fish are now starting to be caught in the lower river with the start to a summer run.

This past week saw a few fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats with Islamouth area again proving the best beat as fish hesitate at the mouth of the Isla. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing limited sport but Waukmill and Lower Redgorton picked up a fish. Fish were also caught at Benchil and Upper Scone and the odd sea trout made an appearance. Taymount and Stobhall continue to pick up fish with a far more successful weeks fishing. Ballathie and Cargill are consistently catching now with the lower water conditions suiting the beats with over 20 fish coming from the area in the week. Cargill saw great sport in the week catching 18 fish up to 21 pounds.

Successful rods included Stewart Scott, Paul Pritchard, Graeme Ritchie, Callum Imray, Donald Davidson and Roger Jackson. Islamouth had another superb week despite some unsettled water at the end of the week. Early in the week a local party landed 22 fish with everyone in the party having success including Mark Hawkins, Jim Ferrie, Simon Furniss, Martin Deacon and Sandra Robbins. Later in the week Ian Gellatley and Alan McCaig had success. Upper Islamouth got back to winning ways with a couple of fish in the week.

Scott Sykes caught his first ever fly caught salmon in the Castle pool with the aid of some expert tuition from Tom Brown.

The middle river is continuing to fare better with rising river temperatures over recent weeks and the rain has helped this past week. Kercock saw a better week with 5 fish and Grant Conway was one of the successful anglers with a 15 pounds fish from the Cottage pool. Baldarroch had a couple in the week and Delvine Burnbane had one caught by Willie Cumming. The Murthly beats continue to do well especially the top beat and Stenton with some good fish up to 25 pounds.

The Dunkeld area had a quieter week with Newtyle catching one, a superb 12 pounds fish caught on the fly by Mark Little. Dunkled House had a couple as did Dalmarnock with Andrew McRoberts and Stuart Graham both landing fish on the fly up to 18 pounds. Dalguise had 4 in the week and the Kinnaird beats continued their recent success with another 10 off the beats.

The upper river was seeing steady sport with 1 fish caught on the Farleyer beats but low water and bright conditions are curtailing activities in recent weeks.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club with 4 landed last week and there are now well over 4000 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally and fish are running the Garry. This is a high figure in recent years. Recent water saw Saul Mackay take advantage with two fish landed at 9 and 10 pounds from the Dam and another two lost - all on the fly on Pitlochry bank. Iain McLaren followed up with a fresh fish of 10 pounds on the fly and lost another at the net - again on Pitlochry bank. The first fish of the season were caught at Ruan Ruarie - Steve Watt doing well landing two fish on the fly - one at 7 and the other at 14 pounds. Loch Faskally recorded a couple.

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

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.

Fish have also been running the Earn but no fish were reported.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is now into June 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 we go into June. It has been a reasonable start with well over 1500 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

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 20th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 20th June 2016.

The Salmon fishing season on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland is now in June and we have been encountering some unsettled weather last week with some rain and varying conditions for anglers with coloured water at times to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical spring salmon with a reasonably settled river at summer levels by and large which hopefully will continue to maintain catches in the coming week. The tail end of spring salmon run continues to ascend the river in reasonable numbers with a change imminent to a summer and catches continue to be maintained from last month giving another reasonable week. The weather is to remain unsettled in the coming days with the chance of some rain which should help provided settled conditions continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but some are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Currently the river has settled back after a small spate in the week and continues at a summer height (around 1’ on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a relatively low level for the Tay but you are now fishing a river within the mighty Tay and there is always enough water in this vast system to hopefully encourage more spring salmon to run.

The weather has been more unsettled over the last week and will continue in that vein in the coming weekbut with less rain as things start to settle down again. Milder temperatures have given the river some water from some rain last week but the river has steadily dropped back quickly to summer levels again. This current week remains unsettled at the start. Settled weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal late spring fishing conditions. The water temperature has risen to around 58 degrees Fahrenheit or 14.8 degrees Celsius by the end of most days last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The middle river is currently the hot spot in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results in the past but as the temperature rise and fish run further the catches will spread. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110’s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.

The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.

Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.

The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
• All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
• All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
• No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
• Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.

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. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.

When releasing salmon please try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to give them every chance to recover prior to release. Releasing fish from boats in the river is not recommended. Further information on the policy and good release practice.

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.

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 11th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 11th June 2016.

Spring salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire is now in June after another successful May. The river has fallen back to summer levels giving excellent conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 1500 fish recorded so far and after successful springs in 2015, 2014 and 2013 plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in June to give everyone a chance of landing a late spring “Bar of Silver”.

Spring salmon were landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was another steady productive week with around 100 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was 17 pounds from Port-na-Craig at Pitlochry. Spring is disappearing with a transition into summer and steady runs are coming into the river plus better weather is making fishing easier with lower water and a bit of fresh water last week 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 Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Blue bells are out in the woods and the Loopins are in full bloom as well as all the other wild flowers, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Beat catches reported (week ending 11th June)
SALMON & GRILSE: Waulkmill 1, Lower Redgorton 6, Fishponds 1, Stobhall 1, Taymount 5, Ballathie 4, Cargill 8, Islamouth 24, Kercock 2, Delvine Burnbane 2, Murthly 1 3, Glendelvine 2, Murthly 2 5, Newtyle 3, Dunkeld House 6, Dalmarnock 3, Dalguise 3, Lower Kinnaird 7, Findynate 3, Farleyer Lower 1, Keithick Mains 1, Ericht Fishing 2, Portnacraig Pitlochry 3.
Total: 96 Largest: Portnacraig Pitlochry 17lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 1, Lower Redgorton 1, Stobhall 1, Taymount 1, Murthly 2 4, Keithick Mains 1.
Total: 9 Largest: Lower Redgorton & Stobhall & Murthly 2 & Keithick Mains 3lbs

The majority of the salmon were caught in the lower river in early spring, 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 fish from Loch Tay, Loch Faskally and beyond now as fish start to spread in the system. The middle river is now the barometer for the runs as water temperatures rise to around 60F.

This past week saw a few fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats with Islamouth area again proving the best beat as fish hesitate at the mouth of the Isla. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing limited sport but Waukmill and Fishponds picked up a fish a piece. Taymount and Stobhall continue to pick up odd fish. Ballathie and Cargill amassed 12 between them as lower levels suit the beats.

On Ballathie the Loftus party enjoyed a good week with 4 fish. Cargill had a reasonable result week. They landed 8 salmon up to 15 pounds in weight and lost several more. Greg Stone caught the first grilse of the season and David Sands had a 10 pounds fish on the fly.

The water coloured up on Wednesday after some thunderstorms, but we fishing hard with spinners Paul Goldsmith was rewarded with a great day on Thursday when he landed 5 fresh salmon up to 15 pounds. Islamouth continued their great spell with another excellent week of 24 fish. Laterly Stuart Yeats party enjoyed some superb sport on the fly with 17 fish in 3 days.

The middle river is continuing to fare better with rising river temperatures over recent weeks but the lower water and bright conditions is starting to limit sport this past week. Kercock, Delvine and Burnbane managed a couple of fish a piece in the week.

A Spanish visiting angler enjoyed a good day with his daughter on Burnbane catching a 16 pounds fish on the fly while his daughter landed a 12 pounds fish. The Murthly and Glendelvine beats were a bit quieter this past week but managed 10 between them.

Newtyle had 3 in the week with Frank Donaven landing 2 superb fish up to 14 pounds on the fly.

Dunkeld house had a better week with 6 fish which included 3 fish caught by Ben King up to 13 pounds. Dalmarnock caught 3 in the week as did Dalguise. Derek Strachan and Scott Connelly had success off Dalguise on Saturday. Lower Kinnaird had another reasonable week with 7 fish.

The upper river was seeing steady sport with 4 fish caught on Fyndynate and the Farleyer beats but low water and bright conditions are curtailing activities.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club with 3 landed last week and there are now well over 3300 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally. This is a high figure in recent years.

It was a hard week at the Dam but Tuesday saw success for Jim Fisher and Jim Carson in the morning then Saul MacKay caught a 17 pounds fish on the fly in the evening.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht with 3 fish being reported last week from the lower Ericht and Keithick Mains on the Isla.

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.

Fish have also been running the Earn but no fish were reported.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is now into June 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 we go into June. It has been a reasonable start with well over 1500 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

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 13th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 13th June 2016.

The Salmon fishing season on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland is now in June and we have been encountering some unsettled weather last week with some rain but still giving excellent conditions for anglers, although coloured water at times to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical spring salmon with a reasonably settled river at summer levels which hopefully will continue to maintain catches in the coming week. Spring salmon continue to run the river in good numbers and catches continue to be maintained from last month giving another reasonable week. The weather is to remain unsettled in the coming days with the chance of some rain which should help provided settled conditions continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Blue bells are out in the woods and the Loopins are in full bloom as well as all the other wild flowers, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Currently the river has settled back after a small spate in the week and continues at a summer height (around 8” on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a relatively low level for the Tay but you are now fishing a river within the mighty Tay and there is always enough water in this vast system to hopefully encourage more spring salmon to run.

The weather has been more unsettled over the last week and will continue in that vein in the coming week with more rain at times. Milder temperatures have given the river some water from some rain last week but the river has steadily dropped back quickly to summer levels again. This current week remains unsettled. Settled weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal late spring fishing conditions.

The water temperature has risen to around 58 degrees Fahrenheit or 14.8 degrees Celsius by the end of most days last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The middle river is currently the hot spot in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results in the past but as the temperature rise and fish run further the catches will spread. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110’s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.

The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.

Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.

The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
• All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
• All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
• No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
• Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.

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. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.

When releasing salmon please try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to give them every chance to recover prior to release. Releasing fish from boats in the river is not recommended. Further information on the policy and good release practice.

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.


Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 4th June 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 4th June 2016.

Spring salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire is now in June after another successful May. The river has fallen back to summer levels giving excellent conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 1500 fish recorded so far and after successful springs in 2015, 2014 and 2013 plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in June to give everyone a chance of landing a late 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 steady productive week with over 100 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was 17 pounds from Cargill. 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 last weekend 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 Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Blue bells are out in the woods and the Loopins are in full bloom as well as all the other wild flowers, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Beat catches reported
(week ending 4th June)
SALMON & GRILSE: Waulkmill 2, Lower Redgorton 3, Fishponds 1, Stobhall 3, Taymount 2, Ballathie 4, Cargill 5, Islamouth 24, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2, Kercock 1, Delvine Burnbane 1, Murthly 1 3, Glendelvine 2, Murthly 2 14, Newtyle 4, Dunkeld House 1, Dalmarnock 2, Dalguise 1, Lower Kinnaird 7, Upper Kinnaird 1, Keithick Mains 2, Ericht Fishing 3, Portnacraig Pitlochry 2, Loch Faskally 2.
Total: 92 Largest: Cargill 17lbs
SEA TROUT: Lower Redgorton 3, Lower Kinnaird 1.
Total: 4 Largest: Lower Redgorton 4lbs

The majority of the salmon were caught in the lower river in early spring, 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 fish from Loch Tay, Loch Faskally and beyond now as fish start to spread in the system. The middle river is now the barometer for the runs as water temperatures rise to the mid 50’s.

This past week saw a few fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats with Islamouth area again proving the best beat as fish hesitate at the mouth of the Isla. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing limited sport but Waukmill and Lower Redgorton are seeing a bit of sport with fish being caught especially in the Bleachings last week with the low water suiting. Further up Taymount and Stobhall have had odd fish with Geordie Mainlands party having 2 on Thursday. Cargill and Ballathie fared better with 9 fish in the week. Chris Loftus and Iain Bowlers party enjoyed their week at Ballathie which included 4 fish in the week.

On Cargill Greg Pryce enjoyed success with fish up to 17 pounds on fly and Paul Southworth caught a 10 pounds fish from the Bridge stream on the fly also. Islamouth had another very productive week with 27 from the beat including a great start for the week with 9 on Monday for Ian Muir’s party then at the end of the week John McElroy’s party enjoyed success on each day despite bright conditions.

Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had a couple in the week which included a lovely fish for 93 year old Mr Lankshear in the Castle Stream. A further fish was caught by Julian Kollard from the Tunnel Hole.

The middle river is continuing to fare better with rising river temperatures over recent weeks but the lower water and bright conditions is starting to limit sport this past week. The Murthly beats are fishing well with 21 fish between them for the week including Glendelvine.

Stephen O’Neill and Phil Black enjoyed success on the fly from Murthly 2 with another good week with 14 fish.

Newtyle had a quieter week with 4 fish but this included Howard Jackson landing an 11 pounds fish from the Cotter and

Mike McDermott landing a couple from the Steps.

Dunkeld House had one in the week caught by Ray Bailey. Dalmarnock managed 2 in the week which included Thomas Kolesinskas landing a 13 pounds fish on the fly. Dalguise caught a single fish as well which was taken by Andy Aitken on a Sun Ray from Calum’s Corner. The Kinnaird beats continued to produce fish with the lower beat ending up with 7 in the week.

The upper river was seeing steady sport with fish caught on Fyndynate, Edradynate and the Farleyer beats in recent weeks but low water and bright conditions curtailed activities last week.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club with 2 landed last week and there are now well over 2800 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally. This is a high figure in recent years. It was a hard week at the Dam but

Neil Tong started the week off with an 8 pounds fish on Monday and

Munro Reid caught at the end of the week on the fly from the Port-na-Craig bank on Saturday. Loch Faskally saw a quieter week as well with only 2 fish.

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

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.

Fish have also been running the Earn but no fish were reported.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is now at the end of 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 we go into June. It has been a reasonable start with well over 1500 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