Monday, January 30, 2017

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 28th January 2017.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 28th January 2017.

The river Tay opened on the 16th January undeterred in mild conditions for the time of year, scores of anglers flocked to the banks of the river to mark the opening of the salmon season with great publicity in the press and on television. The various issues and activities appeared on Television, Radio and Press giving the river extremely high exposure that was invaluable with the great news of re-watering the river Garry. It has been a reasonably quiet start to the season with good water and milder conditions throughout December and now January.

The first week has seen a similar weather pattern continue with settled water levels and good conditions for fishing which kept up into last week. Expectation is high on the river for 2017 after a string of successful springs over the last 4 years and hopefully settled weather over the coming weeks will give everyone a chance of landing a spring “Bar of Silver”.

(week ending 28th January)
SALMON & GRILSE: Stobhall 1, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 1, Glendelvine 1, Upper Kinnaird 1.
Total: 4 Largest: Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 19lbs

Odd Spring salmon were landed last week in good weather and river conditions favouring those who braved the elements in some cases. Four fresh spring salmon were recorded last week. It is early yet with only small runs coming into the river and fluctuating weather can make fishing difficult. 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.
A typical example of this was the 20 pounds beauty caught by Paul Kelly in the Castle pool at Meikleour and Upper Islamouth.
Another cracker was caught by Scott Buchan on Stobhall ably assisted by experienced ghillie and longtime servant Bob Campbell weighing 17 pounds. Further fish were reported on Glendelvine and Upper Kinnaird making a disappointing week despite good conditions.

The Spring Salmon fishing was well and truly underway after all the excitement of opening day’s celebrations. It has been a quiet start but let us hope the season lives up to every ones expectations over the coming weeks and months. Tight lines!

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Salmon Fishing Scotland Prospects for Tay, Perthshire w/c 30th January 2017.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Prospects for Tay, Perthshire w/c 30th January 2017.

The Salmon fishing season is well and truly started now on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we enter the third full week and we have been encountering some milder conditions and colder winter weather occasionally over the last week and prior to the Opening day. This has settled the river back to nearly summer levels with the lack of rain. We have had good settled conditions over the last week but that looks like breaking in the coming week. On the opening weeks several anglers braved the elements in pursuit of that magical spring salmon. The weather hopefully will turn colder to give a greater chance of producing some sport and some early "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.
Currently the river is running at a low level for the time of year (just under 2’ on the Ballathie gauge).
The weather is looking a bit more unsettled over the next few days but then turn colder towards the end of the week. Colder conditions certainly benefit the river at this time of year slowing the spring salmon run down and giving everyone a chance to catch as they run up the river slowly. The milder weather prior to the start gave us more water and would have encouraged salmon to run the river. Colder weather will settle the river back to a good level and make ideal spring fishing conditions. The water temperature was as high as 42 degrees Fahrenheit or 5.5 degrees Celsius and then fell back to around 38/3 with the cold spell over the last few days. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature may come back further with the colder forecast for the week ahead but there have been salmon running throughout the system after milder conditions prior to the opening day and resulted in fish being caught well up the system. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river. There will no doubt be quite a few kelts about on many beats and possibly some later run fish, which have yet to spawn. Should you require guidance on salmon identification in early season please see this link for some help.
As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method should be slow and deep with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. Harling is also a favoured method in early season but be warned wrap up well or it will not be a pleasant experience.
Tackle recommendations for fishing the Tay throughout the season.

Fly Rods.
The Tay is a large river especially when running at a normal level and even in lower levels you are fishing another river within the mighty one so therefore a 15 foot fly rod for a 10 weight line is certainly minimum requirement for much of the season. Do not come under gunned. In some parts of the river where it is especially wide even longer rods are used. It should be noted however that it is better to cast a shorter controlled line than try to cast out with your capabilities and have the lines end up in a mess and decrease your chances.

Fly Lines.
In early season when the water is cold you need to cast larger flies and get them deeper in the water to fish them slowly. There is a tremendous choice on the market nowadays which can be quite confusing to many anglers. Any type of Skagit line that can easily cast a 15 foot sinking leader of various depths is a good choice especially to the less experienced. Iflights and a tip of choice attached are another good bet as these lines enable you to cast a longer line than normal with ease. For more experienced anglers, there are a vast array of shooting heads of different sinking abilities available as well. These tactics can be used in late season as well when the water starts to cool down.
Once the water temperature starts to climb by April then tactics change to mainly floating lines and sink tips with much smaller conventional flies. Again, the choice of lines is incredible from longer belly Spey lines to shooting heads. If you go to shooting heads, then it is important to choose a good shooting backing as line management can be a big issue casting longer lines on a river such as the Tay.
Spinning Rods.
Rods.
You should have a minimum of a 10 foot rod for casting baits of 20gm to 60gms.
Line.
A main line of 20 pounds in nylon or 30 pounds in braid. You should use a lesser poundage far a cast such as 15 pounds so if you get caught up on the bottom you do not lose a large part of your main line.
Baits.
Tobies from 18gm upwards. Toby Salmos are very popular in 30gms. Conventional weighted Devon’s are good especially in the Spring. Rapalas and Vision 110’s are very effective and of course Kynochs are popular for harling.
What flies should I take?
In early season bigger flies such as Tube Flies, Temple Dogs and Monkey type flies up to 2 inches in body length and larger conventional patterns in 4’s and 6’s in lower water are required. A point of note is that a lighter Tube such as an aluminium or plastic body is far easier to cast than brass. Current line technology enables you to get these lighter flies to the correct depths. Ask your ghillie for tip advice on the day.
As river temperatures rise to a more conventional approach then a size range in your box should be from 6 in higher water to 12 in lower water and even smaller on exceptionally low conditions. Cascade type patterns seem to be the most popular and recently feeler flies have come to the fore. It is always worth a go with a Sun Ray type fly with a long wing whether casting normally in colder conditions to stripping it fast in warmer water.
Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy for January – 1st April 2017 is that all spring salmon must be released, i.e. the Tay has a policy of 100% mandatory release of all salmon caught under the new Scottish Government Statutory Conservation Regulation. Spring salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the release of salmon as it is a now legal requirement during this period even if a fish has died. The Board's bailiff team will be enforcing this new legislation.
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

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 21st January 2017.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 21st January 2017.

The river Tay opened on the 16th January in mild conditions for the time of year, scores of anglers flocked to the banks of the river to mark the opening of the salmon season with great publicity in the press and on television. The various issues and activities appeared on Television, Radio and Press giving the river extremely high exposure that was invaluable with the major announcement of water back in the Garry. It has been a reasonably quiet start to the season so far.
There were opening day events throughout the Tay district with the larger ceremonies taking place at Meikleour and Kenmore.
At Meikleour the Tay Board official opening took place with James Smith of SSE and Claire Mercer-Nairn formally opening the river with the symbolic first cast in front of an enthusiastic crowd after introductions from Tay chairman Bill Jack who raised all the issues and welcomed the new season on the mighty river. The ceremony at the Meikleour on Monday morning marked the official start of the 2017 season. It was organised by the Tay board in conjunction with the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce. A good crowd witnessed the event with television coverage by the BBC and STV news plus double page articles in the national press. Anglers attending the event raised over £400 for Angling for Youth Development.
The major announcement was that “dry” River Garry will flow again and was made on the opening day of the salmon season on the River Tay.
It means that spawning salmon will have access for the first time in over 60 years to the tributary of the Tay which could lead to 1,500 adult salmon returning to the river annually.
As anglers made their first casts of the year at ceremonies on the Tay, Bill Jack, chairman of the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board (TDSFB) said: “It is difficult to envisage any other single project that would benefit salmon in the Tay system as much as this will.”

After decades of extensive water abstraction for hydro power, ten miles of the Garry which has been essentially dry since the mid 1950s, will run again.

The formal announcement was made at the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board’s (TDSFB) annual ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Tay salmon fishing season, at Meikleour Fishings.

The traditional blessing of the boat and river with a Quaich of whisky was performed by James Smith of SSE.

In a second opening ceremony, further upriver also in cold conditions, a large crowd of anglers and local residents gathered at the Kenmore Hotel in Perthshire before a pipe band led them to the water’s edge where they waited for the season to be officially opened. Scott McKenzie, poured a dram into the river before the fishing got under way.
The pouring of whisky is a symbolic gesture to keep the salmon “in good health”.

SSE confirmed that engineering work will commence in a few weeks to restore flows to the River Garry, some 15 miles north of Blair Atholl and an initial breach has already been made at the Struan Weir to begin this process.

Mr Smith, SSE’s Managing Director of Generation, said the announcement was in tune with their environmental responsibilities.

“We recognise this stretch of the River Garry as a special case for water restoration,” he said. “Although it will result in a loss of potential hydro energy for SSE we are delighted to play our part in restoring water flow and allowing salmon back to the upper Garry.”

Mr Jack added: “This most welcome news is a milestone in salmon conservation.”

“Some ten miles of the main river and seven miles of tributary will once again be capable of producing salmon,” he said.

“We estimate that this is likely to produce an additional 1,500 adult, predominantly spring, salmon returning to the river annually.

“We are very pleased to have been able to work with SSE and SEPA to a successful conclusion.”
Ian Buchanan of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “This is by far the most significant river restoration project of this type that has been achieved to date in Scotland, if not the UK, thanks to the EU Water Framework Directive.”

Farlows from London had come up to fish the first couple of days at Stanley and organised a good opening day ceremony with fishing director Brian Fratel fronting the celebrations. Joe Hardy, owner of the Tayside Hotel in the village blessed the water with whisky.

The Opening week saw odd spring salmon registered in the best conditions for years on the river after reasonably mild weather for the time of year as Europe freezes and fish were spread throughout the river. Hopefully with more settled conditions over the week to come a good few more spring salmon will enter the river and be landed to get our season off to a flying start. The opening day saw 5 fish registered with the largest fish of 19 pounds being caught at Dunkeld.
Robert Harvey claimed the Redford Trophy catching the fish in the Grotto pool from the boat. Further fish were caught on the beat in the week with
Barry Ward landing a 12 pounds fish in the Gauge pool. Meikleour saw 2 fish landed on the opening day with a 14 pounds for Gerard McAuley. Further much up the system Fish n’ Trips recorded a couple of fish from opening day and later in the week.

As the week went on other fish were caught. Ballathie got off the mark with a couple of fish up to 11 pounds. Upper Scone got off to a good start with 2 superb fish up to 20 pounds caught harling from the Wash House on the Pitlochrie beat at Stanley.
Firstly, Andrew McCaig had a 14 pounds beauty then a couple of days later
Ken Watkins caught a superb sea liced 20 pounds specimen. The beats around Murthly caught first week fish with Glendelvine and Murthly getting on the score sheet.
Jamie Thomson and John Dewar both landed fish from the boat at Glendelvine. Further fish came from Lower Kinnaird and Farleyer.

There has been a good few young sea trout in the river presently and various beats are recording them up to around 1 pounds in weight. This is not unusual and has happened in the past. It maybe shows the sea trout populations are recovering with improving inshore food sources getting better. These fish enter the rivers at this time of year but will disappear back to sea to feed up and return in the summer as mature sea trout in the next month or so.

The Spring Salmon fishing was well and truly underway after all the excitement of opening day’s celebrations. It has been a reasonable start so let us hope the season lives up to every ones expectations over the coming weeks and months. Tight lines!


Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Prospects for Tay, Perthshire w/c 23rd January 2017.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Prospects for Tay, Perthshire w/c 23rd January 2017.

The Salmon fishing season is well and truly started now on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland and we have been encountering some milder conditions and colder winter weather occasionally over the last week and prior to the Opening day. This has settled the river back to normal levels. We have had good settled conditions over the last week and that looks like continuing. On the opening week several anglers braved the elements in pursuit of that magical spring salmon. The weather hopefully turn colder to give a greater chance of producing some sport and some early "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.
Currently the river is running at a good height for the time of year (just over 3’ on the Ballathie gauge).
The weather is to remain settled over the next few days but then turn colder towards the end of the week. Colder conditions certainly benefit the river at this time of year slowing the spring salmon run down and giving everyone a chance to catch as they run up the river slowly. The milder weather prior to the start gave us more water and would have encouraged salmon to run the river. Colder weather will settle the river back to a good level and make ideal spring fishing conditions. The water temperature was around 41 degrees Fahrenheit or 5 degrees Celsius and may fall below that level in the coming days. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature may come back further with the colder forecast for the week ahead but there have been salmon running throughout the system after milder conditions prior to the opening day and resulted in fish being caught well up the system. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river. There will no doubt be quite a few kelts about on many beats and possibly some later run fish, which have yet to spawn. Should you require guidance on salmon identification in early season please see this link for some help.
As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method should be slow and deep with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. Harling is also a favoured method in early season but be warned wrap up well or it will not be a pleasant experience.
Tackle recommendations for fishing the Tay throughout the season.

Fly Rods.
The Tay is a large river especially when running at a normal level and even in lower levels you are fishing another river within the mighty one so therefore a 15 foot fly rod for a 10 weight line is certainly minimum requirement for much of the season. Do not come under gunned. In some parts of the river where it is especially wide even longer rods are used. It should be noted however that it is better to cast a shorter controlled line than try to cast out with your capabilities and have the lines end up in a mess and decrease your chances.

Fly Lines.

In early season when the water is cold you need to cast larger flies and get them deeper in the water to fish them slowly. There is a tremendous choice on the market nowadays which can be quite confusing to many anglers. Any type of Skagit line that can easily cast a 15 foot sinking leader of various depths is a good choice especially to the less experienced. Iflights and a tip of choice attached are another good bet as these lines enable you to cast a longer line than normal with ease. For more experienced anglers, there are a vast array of shooting heads of different sinking abilities available as well. These tactics can be used in late season as well when the water starts to cool down.

Once the water temperature starts to climb by April then tactics change to mainly floating lines and sink tips with much smaller conventional flies. Again, the choice of lines is incredible from longer belly Spey lines to shooting heads. If you go to shooting heads, then it is important to choose a good shooting backing as line management can be a big issue casting longer lines on a river such as the Tay.

Spinning Rods.

You should have a minimum of a 10 foot rod for casting baits of 20gm to 60gms.
Line.

A main line of 20 pounds in nylon or 30 pounds in braid. You should use a lesser poundage far a cast such as 15 pounds so if you get caught up on the bottom you do not lose a large part of your main line.

Baits.
Tobies from 18gm upwards. Toby Salmos are very popular in 30gms. Conventional weighted Devon’s are good especially in the Spring. Rapalas and Vision 110’s are very effective and of course Kynochs are popular for harling.

What flies should I take?
In early season bigger flies such as Tube Flies, Temple Dogs and Monkey type flies up to 2 inches in body length and larger conventional patterns in 4’s and 6’s in lower water are required. A point of note is that a lighter Tube such as an aluminium or plastic body is far easier to cast than brass. Current line technology enables you to get these lighter flies to the correct depths. Ask your ghillie for tip advice on the day.
As river temperatures rise to a more conventional approach then a size range in your box should be from 6 in higher water to 12 in lower water and even smaller on exceptionally low conditions. Cascade type patterns seem to be the most popular and recently feeler flies have come to the fore. It is always worth a go with a Sun Ray type fly with a long wing whether casting normally in colder conditions to stripping it fast in warmer water.

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy for January – 1st April 2017 is that all spring salmon must be released, i.e. the Tay has a policy of 100% mandatory release of all salmon caught under the new Scottish Government Statutory Conservation Regulation. Spring salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the release of salmon as it is a now legal requirement during this period even if a fish has died. The Board's bailiff team will be enforcing this new legislation.
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

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire 2017 Opening Celebrated with Major Announcement.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire 2017 Opening Celebrated with Major Announcement.

This was an article in the Courier written by Richard Burdge.

A ten mile stretch of a Perthshire river is to be “brought back to life” thanks to a landmark agreement.
Fittingly the announcement that the “dry” River Garry will flow again was made on the opening day of the salmon season on the River Tay.

It means that spawning salmon will have access for the first time in over 60 years to the tributary of the Tay which could lead to 1,500 adult salmon returning to the river annually.
As anglers made their first casts of the year at ceremonies on the Tay, Bill Jack, chairman of the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board (TDSFB) said: “It is difficult to envisage any other single project that would benefit salmon in the Tay system as much as this will.”

After decades of extensive water abstraction for hydro power, ten miles of the Garry which has been essentially dry since the mid 1950s, will run again.

The formal announcement was made at the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board’s (TDSFB) annual ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Tay salmon fishing season, at Meikleour Fishings.

The traditional blessing of the boat and river with a Quaich of whisky was performed by James Smith of SSE.

In Highland Perthshire another ceremony was held at Kenmore where anglers were piped down to the river by the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, led by Provost Liz Grant.

SSE confirmed that engineering work will commence in a few weeks to restore flows to the River Garry, some 15 miles north of Blair Atholl and an initial breach has already been made at the Struan Weir to begin this process.

Mr Smith, SSE’s Managing Director of Generation, said the announcement was in tune with their environmental responsibilities.

“We recognise this stretch of the River Garry as a special case for water restoration,” he said. “Although it will result in a loss of potential hydro energy for SSE we are delighted to play our part in restoring water flow and allowing salmon back to the upper Garry.”

Mr Jack added: “This most welcome news is a milestone in salmon conservation.”

“Some ten miles of the main river and seven miles of tributary will once again be capable of producing salmon,” he said.

“We estimate that this is likely to produce an additional 1,500 adult, predominantly spring, salmon returning to the river annually.

“We are very pleased to have been able to work with SSE and SEPA to a successful conclusion.”
Ian Buchanan of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “This is by far the most significant river restoration project of this type that has been achieved to date in Scotland, if not the UK, thanks to the EU Water Framework Directive.”

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Salmon Fishing Scotland Prospects for the Tay, Perthshire, Scotland Opening Day 2017.

Prospects for the Tay, Perthshire, Scotland Opening Day 2017.

There are now only a few hours until the river Tay opens its salmon fishing season for 2017. The excitement is building slowly with anticipated large crowds expected at Meikleour and Kenmore for the public opening day events.
The salmon fishing season on the River Tay will be opened at the Meikleour Fishings Boathouse on Monday 16 January. A ceremony, organised by the beat in conjunction with the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board (TDSFB) and the Tay Foundation, will mark the start of the 2017 season.
The riverside reception by the Meikleour Fishings is open to all from 9 am and the formal opening of the river, accompanied by music and pipers, takes place at 9.30 am. All anglers are welcome to fish Upper Islamouth for a £10 donation to Angling for Youth Development.

Expect a major announcement at this event to benefit the river for years to come.

“It is great to make the first cast of the salmon fishing season on the Tay.
“Scotland is recognised across the world as the destination for salmon and freshwater fishing. Game and coarse angling is worth more than £100 million to the Scottish economy, and supports almost 3,000 jobs, which shows the importance of maintaining and enhancing the quality of our rivers and fish stocks.


William Jack, chairman of the TDSFB, commented: “Salmon angling on the Tay is not just a pastime enjoyed by many from all walks of life but is also a significant contributor to the local economy in this area creating many jobs for ghillies and in the hospitality sector.

Dr David Summers, Director of the TDSFB, added: “There is particular interest in the Tay this year as our ‘spring’ catches have been tending to increase in the last 4 years following a period of decline. The number of larger salmon returning to the river also seems to be on a rising trend.”
Anglers enjoying their first casts last season.
At Kenmore a traditional opening of the salmon season on the River Tay will also be held with a parade of fishermen to the river bank with the Vale of Atholl Junior Pipe Band, the 1st cast of the season will be made to mark the opening of the River Tay and a speaker will wish the anglers 'tight lines' for the season.

There will also be several other smaller ceremonies on the various beats up and down the river to mark the opening.
Full details on the large Opening day events.

Currently the river is running around 3 feet on the Ballathie gauge with a colder weather forecast. Colder and more settled weather is now with us at long last giving the river a great chance of producing some good sport and some early "Bars of Silver" on the opening day and beyond.

A superb Tay bar of silver.
On the first day of the season anglers will be competing for the Redford Trophy, for the heaviest salmon caught and safely released from the River Tay on opening day was first fished for in 1986. It was named after the late Ian Redford of Errol, the then co-owner of the Newtyle beat who tragically died the year before.

The angler who lands the biggest salmon on the day will not only be presented with the Trophy but will receive a £250 tackle voucher courtesy of James Crockart & Sons, the famous Blairgowrie tackle and gun shop.

Anglers who land a witnessed opening day springer should contact Crockarts at 01250 872056 by no later than 5 p.m.

The weather is to be cold and settled as the week goes on. The water temperature was high for the time year but has fallen back to just around 38 degrees Fahrenheit or 3 degrees Celcius, which is more typical for this time of year but this could change by the end of this week. The temperature may come back further with the colder forecast during the week ahead but any salmon that are running may be spread throughout the system after milder conditions prior to the opening day giving everyone a good chance for the coming week. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river. There will no doubt be quite a few kelts about on many beats and possibly some later run fish, which have yet to spawn. Spring salmon identification help for those not sure about the different types of fish in the river at this time of year.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be slow and deep with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. Harling is also a favoured method at this time of year but be warned wrap up well or it will not be a pleasant experience.

Finally you are reminded that the Tay's policy for January – 1st April 2017 is that all spring salmon must be released, i.e. the Tay has a policy of 100% mandatory release of all salmon caught under the new Scottish Government Statutory Conservation Regulation. Spring salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the release of salmon as it is a now legal requirement during this period even if a fish has died. The Board's bailiff team will be enforcing this new legislation.
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.


Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Salmon Fishing Scotland Complete Tay Salmon Fishing Review 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Complete Tay Salmon Fishing Review 2016.

Tay Salmon Fishing Review 2016.

The river Tay in Perthshire, Scotland has had a disappointing but interesting salmon fishing year by modern standards as the FishTay web site have reported only 4775 Salmon and Grilse being caught for the 2016 fishing season. There was effectively no autumn run. It must be said that salmon fishing catches are no longer easily achieved with this situation being mirrored right across the north Atlantic sea board due to problems at sea with a continued increase in Smolt mortality that is out of the rivers control. In terms of the salmon and grilse catch, the 2016 season total shows an 13% decrease on 2015 and a 24 % decrease on the 5-year average for FishTay beats. It should also be noted that there were no catches in the last 2 weeks of October this and last year due to the extension fishing being stopped in 2014 halfing the October catch effectively and making the 5-year average worse.


Catches reported per month through the season were as follows Jan 18, Feb 158, Mar 323, Apr 531, May 647, Jun 507, Jul 564, Aug 695, Sep 746 and October 586. The spring period from January to May continues to be a positive part of the season, and interestingly it outscored the autumn for the first time in decades. The catch was like 2015 and represents a 7 % increase on the 5-year average. This confirms the trend starting on the Tay 4 years ago with much better spring fishing. The early spring was steady with a better February and the late spring remained positive for the middle river confirming the spring proportion of the catch on the Tay is increasing year on year with this year’s catch being 35 % of the total. We are continuing to see the start of a change in the cycles as in the past and it would have been unthinkable in recent years that there would be more spring salmon caught than autumn fish.
Tay Salmon Catches % by Season 1952-2016.

Further evidence of this phenomenon was a strong June ending the 2016 spring run. The summer period including June to the end of August decreased by 16 % on a stronger 2015 which was disappointing. The run seemed only to last until mid-August. The autumn period was not good and fell back on 2015 with no real run to speak of, September to October showed a 26.8 % decrease on 2015 in reasonable conditions. The Grilse run was poor again pointing to an improving Spring. Another aspect of the catch was the continuation of larger multi sea winter salmon being caught throughout the Tay system in the 20 to 30 pounds’ class, which the river has been famous for over the years.

To provide some context it should be said the 2016 salmon rod catch was disappointing compared to 2015 apart from another strong spring however no run to speak of in the autumn from Mid-August sent alarm bells ringing with the spring outscoring the autumn. Hopefully there will be improvements to come in 2016 but the question should be asked why and has the autumn run disappeared for the foreseeable future due to cyclical change? The spring was again the big plus which is all ready creating massive interests in spring fishing for 2017 with much anticipation after this year’s autumn failing. The summer was reasonable with the end of the spring run and a steady July to mid-August but the autumn was more difficult throughout the river with a distinct absence of a run possibly due to the north Atlantic problems in the sea and this year we could not complain about a lack of water which is more worrying. Thankfully we have a hatchery at Almondbank to help, this maybe something to further develop for the future with all the weather extremes being thrown at us in recent years.

Tay Salmon Catches Season by Season 1952-2016.

The river has had a reasonable year with some positives but everyone expects a lot more so every effort must be made to take the river forward to the levels of the past and put the mighty Tay in its rightful position of being the premiere salmon fishing destination in the world. The river has had another good spring run and catch this season, which may just be down to the majority of anglers returning salmon over the past seasons. Thank you to all anglers who have this season returned their salmon and spring salmon to maintain our sport for the future, it is vitally important and is a great contribution by individuals who care for their sport and the river. Well done! It should be pointed out there are several beats that do not report catches on the FishTay website and the full rod catch for the River Tay in 2016 will be a bit higher than shown on the FishTay website.

2016 REPORT month by month by TDSFB director David Summers.

The 2016 Tay salmon season opened on Friday 15 January. Although there had been relentless rain throughout the winter and major flooding in early January, by great fortune the few days immediately before opening day saw a return to drier wintry weather.
This allowed the river to drop back and clear for a sunny opening day morning. Four springers were caught on the day. The largest landed was a 24 pounder at Findynate.
However, the Redford Trophy for the largest Tay fish of opening day was eventually awarded to Gail O’Dea for a 14 pounder from Taymount’s Linn Pool. After a circulating photograph revealed the 24 pounder appeared to have been hooked on the outside of the jaw. While a few more springers were caught on the second day of the season, catches seemed to dry up over the following week despite continued good water, which was a cause of some slight concern. However, with about a week of January to go, the rain returned once again and the river remained high and unsettled until about ten days into February. Very little could be caught therefore. Only 18 fish were reported on the Fishtay website in January compared to a five year average of 38. The hotspot during this period was the Linn Pool on Stobhall/Taymount.

While February started badly, the fishing picked up in the second week, when colder drier weather set in. From then on, the river was generally fishable. For some of the time the nights were frosty and snow fell inland. Given the loss of the first week or so, the fact that 159 fish were reported on Fishtay for the month against a five year average of 109 was a welcome relief from the initial concerns in January. The largest catches were made in the area from Stanley up to the Linn Pool.

Fishing conditions were generally reasonable throughout March. For most of time, the river ran between about three and five feet with only a few quick lifts, one at the start, one in the middle and one near end of month. Temperatures were generally fairly average, although some days were cool. 322 salmon were reported on Fishtay compared to a five year average of 343, but that average reflects some good Marches in the last few years. The best of the catches were spread from Stanley up to the Islamouth area, with Islamouth gaining the highest score. Middle Tay beats also started to pick up and some fish were caught on Loch Tay too.

April commenced with a rise in level, but the remainder of the month was mainly dry and the Tay fell from about five feet to less than one foot by the end. It also turned cool, with some snow even down to low levels at the end of the month. The total catch is again likely to have been very good, with 531 salmon reported on Fishtay against an average of 428. The catches were now better spread, with the middle river, the Tummel and Loch Tay all getting their share. However, the conditions favoured low water beats like Murthly 2 and Islamouth. The latter did very well with water on the low side for attracting fish into the Isla.

May saw a rise at the start of the month but the river then fell away until the 22nd when there was another rise. Thereafter it turned dry again. May proved to be another good month with 647 salmon reported on the Fishtay website against an average of 597. The focus for catches was mainly in the middle Tay area, the Tummel and the Isla, although the top beat was Islamouth with 98. That was the beat’s best May for at least five years.

Like May, June was mainly a low water month. In the first half, the Tay was generally well under a foot on the Ballathie gauge. On the 16th, the Tay rose to about two feet and the second half saw levels slightly higher but still only at around one foot on average. These water levels helped some beats and hindered others, as might be expected. Islamouth was, once again, the main beneficiary recording an excellent 109. Overall, it was another good month with the main concentration of catches occurring from Stobhall/Taymount upstream, including the middle Tay area. The Isla also continued to see sport but, by then, the Tummel and Loch Tay had cooled off. Although the 506 fish reported on Fishtay was slightly less than the five year average of 526, it should be noted that, in the period 2011 – 15, four of the Junes were among the best since official records started in 1952.

July was a wetter month than June, though by no means a “wet” month. At the start, levels were slightly higher than they had been in June but, with several small to moderate rises over the month, the base level rose by about a foot by the month’s end. 565 fish were reported on Fishtay compared to a recent average of 530, although it should be remembered that recently Julys have been poorer compared to what they were a decade and more ago.

While August commenced with quite low water, there were several modest rises early on and the base level rose to around three feet, peaking on the 12th. Thereafter, it was generally dry, often warm, and the level had fallen well back by the end of the month, although some small daily fluctuations did not always help the fishing. August saw a marked change in the catches however. Only 693 fish were reported on Fishtay compared to a recent average of 954. This was the start of a trend that set in for the autumn and seemed in part to have been due to a poorer grilse run.

September started off with quite low water but a good spate on 10th saw the river rise up to 6 feet, the first of four similar rises through the month. It was hoped initially that, with water, good runs of fresh fish would appear. However, that didn’t really happen. Almost all beats, but not all, struggled compared to what they would expect. 742 fish were reported on the Fishtay website against a five year average of 1341. September was the most disappointing month of the year.

The final fortnight or so of the Tay salmon season was set up with a spate of nearly 6 feet on 29 September. Thereafter, levels fell away gradually, and the river stood at just over a foot on 13 October. On the 14th, rain returned and, on the last day, the river ran five feet up, but fortunately not coloured enough to wipe out fishing. While the Tay closed on the 15th, further rain saw the Earn peak on the 18th, but thereafter there was no appreciable rain there and the Earn closed on 31 October with quite low water. While the Eden saw a small rise on the 24th, it was a similar situation there too. Overall, October proved another disappointing month but not as bad in proportion as September. 578 fish were reported on the Fishtay website against a five year average of 1361. However, that 1361 includes several years of a trial season extension. 679 were reported in 2015 when there was no extension.

What bald figures cannot convey is that, in the autumn, the great majority of the fish caught were to some extent coloured and more of them appear to have been MSW than might be typical. After August, there was an unusual lack of fresh run fish. Indeed, such were the catches of coloured fish in some beats late on, that summer catches perhaps did not do justice to the numbers of fish that must have entered the river at that time. The lack of fresh autumn fish was obviously a great disappointment after good spring catches and good spring fish counts, but it transpires the Tay was not alone. This appears to have been a widespread problem.

Catch and release – spring salmon
In 2015 and 2016, the Board continued to recommend a policy of 100% catch-and-release of salmon up to the end of May. At the time of writing, the latest figures available are only for the 2015 season. These show an increase in compliance from 90% to nearly 97% from 2014 to 2015. This increase must reflect the introduction in 2015 of national mandatory catch and release to 31 March.

Although very few spring salmon were killed in the Tay district in 2015, more were still killed compared to any other district in Scotland, but once again, this will partly reflect the fact that the Tay produced the highest catch of spring salmon in Scotland in 2015.

Catch and release – summer
In addition to continuing the spring salmon policy, in 2015 and 2016, the Board continued the policy that, after May, all female fish should be released and no more than one male fish should be kept per day, which should be clean and, where possible, weigh less than 10 pounds (i.e. clean male grilse). While 2016 data are not yet available, 2015 data show that the catch and release rate, post- spring, generally continues to edge upwards shown in graph below. It should be noted that the apparent reduction in October 2015, reflects the fact the previous four years included trial season extension fish. However, once the 2016 figures are available, it may be that the percentage released in the autumn will be even higher owing to the relative lack of fresh run fish in autumn 2016.


Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

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