Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 30th July 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 30th July 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire is now in Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but a run is developing and catches are improving as we enter August after another steady July despite some unsettled conditions at times. The river has had fresh water and is hovering around or just above 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 2500 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in August to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay “Bar of Silver”.

Summer salmon and now improving grilse numbers were landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was a more productive week with around 170 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was around 20 pounds on several beats. Spring has now transferred 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 summer run develops. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall and now summer awaits.

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 30th July)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 12, Waulkmill 3, Lower Redgorton 7, Upper Redgorton 6, Fishponds 8, Benchil 8, Upper Scone 4, Pitlochrie 1, Stobhall 10, Taymount 17, Ballathie 7, Cargill 11, Islamouth 13, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 4, Kercock 5, Delvine Burnbane 3, Glendelvine 5, Murthly 2 15, Newtyle 4, Dunkeld House 4, Dalmarnock 4, Dalguise 1, Lower Kinnaird 3, Upper Kinnaird 4, Farleyer Upper 1, Farleyer Lower 2, Ericht Fishing 1, Portnacraig Pitlochry 2, Loch Faskally 2.
Total: 167 Largest: Benchil 22lbs
SEA TROUT: Lower Redgorton 1, Taymount 1, Dunkeld House 1.
Total: 3 Largest: Taymount & Dunkeld House 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 spread in the system. The lower river is now the barometer for the runs with water temperatures around 60F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing summer run.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone as a summer run starts to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing improving sport as the summer run enters the river and now earlier run fish have started to drop back towards their final destinations of Almond, Shochie and Ordie which can only help sport in this area. The beats just above the tide has started to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Lower Redgorton and Waulkmill catching around 20 fish between them. This figure would have been a lot higher had it not been from a very dirty spate at the start of the week unsettling everything.

Upper Redgorton and Fishponds are seeing improving catches with 14 between them. On Upper Redgorton Adam Neilsons party enjoyed success with fish up to 16 pounds landed throughout the week.

On Fishponds some cracking summer salmon were caught in the week up to 21 pounds. Mr Dawkins caught a superb 15 pounds fish from the Craigs, an Italian visitor caught an 18 pounds fish and Will Shaw caught a 21 pounds beauty. The Stanley beats produced a similar amount with Dave Barwick landing 2 super fish up to 16 pounds from Horsey for Upper Scone on the Pitlochrie beat.

Sandy Datta also had a fish from Horsey later in the week on a spinner.

On Stanley American Visitors Bruce and Denise Bauman from Boston enjoyed a good week of fly casting tuition and fishing both catching their first Scottish salmon from the Tay. John Morrison had a superb 22 pounds fish from the Little Shot on Benchil and other fish were caught on the fly by Malcolm Anderson and Richard McGill. Taymount and Stobhall had good weeks catching 27 between them.

On Taymount James Fleming had a superb morning catching 4 fish up to 16.5 pounds on fly as a guest of Gordon Wilson of Carbon Financial on his first day and described it as an “experience of a lifetime”. Ballathie and Cargill catches are steadily improving as the water drops to a better height for them.

Cargill had fish up to 21 pounds with Bill Hannan, Godfrey Holden and Frank Holt all being successful. Islamouth had a steady week with 13 fish. Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had a better week with 4 fish which included a few grilse.

Simon Littlejohn enjoyed success with a 4 pounds beauty from the House pool on the fly.

The middle river has slowed down with rising river temperatures over recent weeks but the recent rain must help in the weeks to come.

Kercock had a quieter week with 5 fish which included the odd grilse.

Delvine and Burnbane had 3 in the week which included a cracking 19 pounds beauty for John Bawden from Sparrowmuir. Glendelvine had a much better week with 5 fish and Murthly 2 had another superb week with 15 fish.
Newtyle had 4 for the week which included a cracking 19 pounds fish for Farquhar Murray on the fly from the Boil.

Dunkeld House also had 4 for the week which included an 18 pounds beauty for Neil Wood on the fly from the Cutty Stone. Brain Joseph also enjoyed success on the beat with a couple of grilse. Dalmarnock had 4 in the week as well with Peter Reed from Denmark landing a 12 pounds fish from the Glide. Dalguise and the Kinnaird beats shared 8 fish between them.

The upper river was seeing sport with a fish caught on the Farleyer beats and recent fresh water should improve activities in the weeks to come.

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 is now over 5000 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 success for Martin Wilson and Gordon MacDermid on the fly from the Pitlochry beat but there has not been a lot of rods fishing recently. Loch Faskally also reported a couple of fish in the week.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht with 1 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 over and we are now in Summer as we enter into August and expectation of a developing 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 August. It has been a reasonable start with well over 2500 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