Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 3rd March 2018.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 3rd March 2018.

The Tay, Perthshire has now entered March for salmon fishing as February disappears and we have had a very cold weather pattern continue settling the river back to lower water levels and excellent conditions for fishing although cold. Expectation is high on the river for 2018 after a string of successful springs over the last 5 years plus the fantastic news of a 35 pounds fish being landed on the river recently has put the Tay again at the centre of everyone's attention. Hopefully the weather will remain reasonably settled over the coming weeks and give everyone a chance of landing a spring "Bar of Silver" and even possibly a fish of a lifetime.
Beat catches reported
(week ending 3rd March)
SALMON & GRILSE: Benchil 1, Catholes 1, Upper Scone 1, Islamouth 4, Dalguise 1, Edradynate 1, Loch Tay Fish n' Trips 1, Portnacraig Pitlochry 1.
Total: 11 Largest: Benchil 18lbs

More Spring salmon were landed last week in bitterly cold weather and river conditions favouring those who braved the elements in most cases. The river has settled back a fair bit with the cold forecast but may rise in the coming week with slightly milder temperatures melting snow on the low ground. The numbers are disappointing with eleven fresh spring salmon recorded last week but it must be said they were in extreme conditions with some anglers struggling to get to the river with all the snow chaos in the country. 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 truly memorable as typical Tay specimens due to their size and depth. Hopefully there will be a lot more of them to come.

The Lower river saw a few fish being landed last week with Catholes featuring earlier in the week.

Steven Todd caught a lovely fresh fish casting the fly from the boat in the Black Stones which made his visit to the area more pleasant having fished on several different parts of the river over a number of days. Later in the week Phil Walker lost a good fish in the same place on the fly and on Saturday a further fish was lost on the fly in Erics. When the river temperature is low the Stanley beats tend to be a bench mark of the early run as the fresh fish have to start climbing up through the rapids in that area taking rests in the pools.

Benchil recorded its first fish in the week for Ralph Haraada travelling all the way for his local river, the Wye to sample the Tay. He landed an 18 pounds fish in the Todd Holes on a Shad. The Pitlochrie beat also featured with John Dalton landing an 11 pounds fish on Upper Scone fly fishing from the boat at the tail of the famous pool. Now that we have entered March and a spring run develops, these beats should feature heavily. Much further up river Islamouth continues to do well with a good height for the beat just below the mouth of the Isla.

Wednesday saw Graham Davies landing a 14 pounds fish on the fly and on Friday Stuart McArther caught a couple also on the fly weighing up to 16 pounds.

The Upper area has featured last week as fish move up the system giving everyone hope of landing one of these memorable fish. Fish were recorded at Dalguise and Edradynate last Monday.

The Tummel is also seeing limited sport with another good fish caught on the fly from the Angling Club Port-na-craig beat below Pitlochry Dam weighing 14 pounds.

Loch Tay saw a fish caught this past week at Fish n Trips landed by Grant Tigwell weighing 9 pounds on Saturday.

Another news worthy subject has seen the Tay Bailiff team planting more eggs and ova into the newly rewatered river Garry from the hatchery at Almondbank this past week weather permitting. After several protracted years of negotiation between various parties with the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board showing a lead, water finally flows in reasonable levels in the river to allow salmon to populate it and help the district thanks to a European river directive. In the winter the Bailiffs helped by Ghillies (who sponsored another brood stock team equipment) from the river helped to attain the fish required to achieve the maximum number of eggs for stripping to augment natural spawning. The hatchery fish are now being used to kick start the Garry and make things happen quicker than a natural repopulation. Brood stock are also being used to repopulate other areas and help underpopulated areas of the river where there is a maximum impact as has been seen over the last few years. Certainly positive news for the future of the river Tay and district.

The Tay is certainly the place to come to for the chance of a fish of a lifetime. The sheer size of the river produces very powerful large salmon and the possibility of a 40 pounds fish must be on the cards now. The food source for atlantic salmon is moving further away from our shores with seas temperatures rising and salmon are spending longer at sea before they are returning making the possibility of much bigger fish returning. The fish that are being caught now is further evidence of that phenomenon.

These continue to be disappointing total figures however the sheer class of the fish caught continues to be outstanding and with a settled river all be it very cold the coming week should see improved catches with a settled forecast as well.
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 one's expectations over the coming weeks and months and when you visit the Tay you catch a fish of a lifetime. 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.

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White