Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon Fishing Report for W/E 21st March 2015.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon Fishing Report for W/E 21st March 2015.

The salmon fishing on the Tay in Perthshire has improved dramatically this past week with good conditions for fishing and settled water levels prevailed. Milder weather with heavy rain combined to cause a big river over a week ago and this could have been the catalyst for even better catches which hopefully will continue over the next few weeks. Expectation is high on the river for 2015 after successful springs in 2014 and 2013 and hopefully favourable conditions may trigger off improving runs and catches as we go deeper into March to give everyone a chance of landing a spring “Bar of Silver” as the last 2 years have proved.

Spring salmon were landed last week in much better numbers with superb conditions giving the river the best results for the season so far. Good numbers were landed daily as the river receded and the quality of the salmon caught remains outstanding with fish caught in the late teens and early twenties. There is a lack of kelts that maybe reflects the poor autumn run and early big spates.

Beat catches reported
(week ending 21st March)
SALMON & GRILSE: Lower Redgorton 1, Upper Redgorton 1, Benchil 4, Catholes Stanley 4, Upper Scone 9, Pitlochrie 2, Catholes Campsie 2, Burnmouth 8, Stobhall 5, Taymount 17, Ballathie 3, Cargill 4, Islamouth 6, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 1, Kercock 3, Murthly 2 6, Newtyle 3, Dunkeld House 8, Dalmarnock 1, Lower Kinnaird 1, Upper Kinnaird 4, Findynate 1, Farleyer Upper 2, Loch Tay Fish n' Trips 2, Coupar Grange 6, River Ericht 2, Portnacraig Pitlochry 2.
Total: 108 Largest: Murthly 2 24lbs

Salmon have been caught on the lower river this past week in much better numbers, which is understandable with the superb conditions making it ideal as fish are running slowly due to the colder water temperatures currently however this may change with the temperatures rising currently. The beats around Stanley traditionally lead the way in these conditions in early spring and should be a barometer for the runs and that has proved the case so far. The beats at Stanley are leading the way as expected with consistent catches coming from Stobhall, Taymount, Burnmouth, Catholes, Pitlochrie and Benchil.

In the Stanley area Upper Scone had a good week on the Pitlochrie beat with Pitlochrie pool being the favoured spot in big water.

Early in the week Andrew Wright had a superb day on the Pool landing 2 cracking fish including a 21 pounds beauty from the boat.

Stephen Patterson then followed that on Friday with 2 fish weighing 10 pounds a piece from the same spot.

On Saturday Swedish visitor Robin Johansson landed a lovely 12 pounds fish casting a fly from the anchored boat again from the Pool. On the same beat also in the Swedish party lady angler Marie Bergman caught a 9 pounds fish casting the fly in Horsey from the bank. Further down stream Benchil continued to do well for both Upper Scone and Stanley. The Swedish fly fishers landed 4 fish from the beat during the week with Steffan Franzmann, Patrik Carlsson, Mikael Leander and Tony Neilkson all landing fish on the cast fly from bank and boat up to 16 pounds from all over the beat. Further down stream only odd fish have been reported with the Redgorton beats being successful. John Patterson caught a 7 pounds fish from the Upper beat in the boat on Shochie Green. Catholes produced a few fish during the week with the Swedish guys catching on the fly.

Mikael Johansson landed a superb 16 pounds fish from the Catholes stream and

Patrik Carlsson caught a nice fish casting from the boat in the Black Stones. Burnmouth had a steady week with fish up to 20 pounds mainly from the boat.

Roy Thomson had success with a superb 19.5 pounds fish on a harled Rapala from the boat. Taymount and Stobhall had good week with fish on every day.

Taymount in particular did well with excellent days on Monday and Saturday. The week started off well with 6 fish landed on Monday off the top beat with David Budd, Terry Booth, Tim McFarlane and Ian Thorpe all having a day to remember landing fish up to 17 pounds. The week continued in the same vain with good fish landed from the Linn pool for Tim McFarlane and David Budd. Ian Thorpe landed a 14 pounds beauty from the Aldrens on the fly and later in the week Ed Slaven, Danny Fulton, Billy Davidson and Dougie Wangert caught fish up to 16 pounds. Cargill and Ballathie started to pick fish up on a regular basis as more fish ran the river in warmer water.

Cargill caught a few fish during the week with Neil French, David Harrington, Peter Drummond and Scott Denovan landing good fish into double figures.

On Ballathie Mark Robson landed his first ever salmon weighing a superb 18 pounds under the guidance of ghillie Garry McErlain. Islamouth reported more fish this week and with a dropping water this should improve further this week as conditions suit the fly more.

The Middle river is seeing more fish and this should improve over the coming weeks in rising temperatures.

Kercock started to see a few fish caught and also reported a few lost as well. Dougie McIntosh caught a superb 17 pounds fish on his birthday and Graham McIntyre and Ewan Morrison landed other fish up to 10 pounds. The Murthly beats are figuring more in the catches with the No 2 beat landing fish up to 24 pounds.

Newtyle caught a few fish last week with Jimmy Black landing an 8 pounds fish from the Steps and Neil Mitchell catching an 11 pounds fish from the Ferry pool from the boat. Dunkeld House had another successful week with a good few fish landed. Mrs Caplan started the week off with a superb 23 pounds fish from the boat in the Gauge pool.

Brian Joseph figured well in the catches from the beat with a couple of fish up to 16 pounds and Mike Elgie caught a couple of fish up to 14 pounds on a Toby Salmo. Dalmarnock reported a fish and Upper Kinnaird caught a couple on Wednesday.

The Upper area is also starting to see odd fish. Salmon were reported from Findynate, and the Farleyer beats as they run up to Loch Tay. Fish n’ Trips continue to see salmon caught up in the Loch with Adrian Parr being successful with a 10 pounds fish. Salmon are also reaching the Dam at Pitlochrey with a couple of fish caught there this week. Les Dargie and Saul MacKay were both successful landing good salmon on the fly from Green bank on the Port-na-Craig bank.

The Isla is starting to see salmon run the river with the Coupar Grange beat producing on a more regular basis. They registered a couple of fish for the last three days in the week.

The Spring Salmon fishing season is deep into March and expectation is very high after previous seasons and poor overall catches last year. Last weeks catches hopefully encouraged everyone after fish were caught in the system in much better numbers. Let us hope with improving conditions after big water and an upturn in catches will continue as last year proved. Tight lines!

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.

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