Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 24th June 2017.

Spring salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire has seen out May with improving conditions for fishing in milder weather and settling lower water levels until recently as more water has arrived plus catches are improving after a slow start to the season. Expectation and optimism is high on the river with summer arriving as spring has disappeared to give everyone a chance of landing a “Bar of Silver”.

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 24th June)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 2, Waulkmill 2, Lower Redgorton 3, Stobhall 2, Taymount 8, Ballathie 6, Cargill 1, Islamouth 16, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 4, Kercock 3, Murthly 1 1, Glendelvine 1, Newtyle 3, Dunkeld House 1, Dalmarnock 4, Dalguise 3, Upper Kinnaird 1, Farleyer Upper 2, Lochlane and Laggan 1, Portnacraig Pitlochry 1.
Total: 65 Largest: Waulkmill 24lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 5, Lower Redgorton 10, Fishponds 1, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 1, Delvine Burnbane 1, Newtyle 1, Lower Kinnaird 1, Farleyer Upper 6, Lochlane and Laggan 7.
Total: 33 Largest: Lochlane and Laggan 8lbs

May saw improvements with more salmon landed in milder weather and river conditions have improved as the weeks have gone on favouring those who braved the elements in some cases. It is early yet but considering the conditions the results so far have been disappointing as we saw out March but we are seeing an improvement with more consistent catches over the last couple of months. Settling river levels after rain recently should hopefully continue to improve catches over the next few weeks with a summer run expected. The lack of rain had dropped the river to summer levels however salmon are still running due to the Tay’s sheer size as you fish another river within it. Rain was forecast again which has helped to spice things up. It was a quieter week with only around 65 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was 24 pounds from Waulkmill. This has probably signaled the end of the spring run for 2017 with hopefully a healthy summer run to start. Some of the fish that have been caught are memorable as typical Tay specimens due to their size and depth. Hopefully there will be a lot more of them to come as the run develops further.

This past week saw a few fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats with Islamouth area continuing to be the most productive as fish hesitate at the mouth of the Isla. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing better sport and the rise in water levels in recent times may just spiced things up by encouraging summer salmon and sea trout into the river. The very lower part of the river is now producing more fish with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and lower Redgorton all catching including a superb 24 pounds fish from Waulkmill. The Greenwell party had odd fish at Stobhall meanwhile Ballathie had another reasonable week with 6.

Cargill had 1 for the week with Andy Faulkner landing it from the Pot Shot. Islamouth continues to fish well with 16 in the week.

Earlier in the week Stuart Yeats enjoyed success with a 13 pounds beauty from Donnits. Later in the week Simon Furniss enjoyed success with an 18 pounds beauty on the fly in very testing conditions with a gale blowing. Martin Deacon also caught a 14 pounder with John Furniss, Simon Bedford and Tom Deacon enjoying fishing on the beat.

Meikleour and Upper Islamouth had 4 including a 14 pounds fish for Chris Northam.

The middle river is fairing reasonably with rising river temperatures over recent weeks and more water should certainly help.

Kercock had 3 in the week which included Fish for Mark Torrance and John Banford up to 12 pounds. The Murthly and Glendelvine beats produced odd fish and Newtlye had 3 including a 9 pounds fish for Kerr Brooks. Dunkled House produced a single fish but further upstream Dalmarnock and Dalguise caught 7 between them.

Celtic and Scotland Footballer, Stephen Creany enjoyed success as did Iain Main and Robert Edmund on Dalmarnock with fish up to 10 pounds. Up at Dalguise Ross Haynes caught a 10 pounds fish from the Bridge pool on the fly and Donald Cameron caught a fish at 13 pounds. The Kinnaird beats accounted for one.

The upper river is seeing steady sport with fish recently caught however there was only odd fish reported from Farleyer last week.

The Tummel is continuing to see sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club however with only 1 landed last week by Saul MacKay and there are now well over 3000 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht however nothing was reported.

The Earn has seen a run of salmon and sea trout progress up the river with Lochlane and lagan catching a single salmon and several sea trout up to 8 pounds.

The current week has got off to a cracking start maybe signaling the start of a healthy summer run. Monday saw over 30 fish caught as a run progressed up the lower river up to 16 pounds.

The Salmon fishing season has had a quiet start but has started to show signs of picking up with improving catches and some outstanding fish landed so far so let us hope the season lives up to everyone’s expectations over the coming weeks and months. Tight lines!


Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White