Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 24th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 24th September 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire has now seen Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but we are now in Autumn and there has been a run in the past few weeks and catches have improved however we are now looking for an increase in runs after another steady August despite some unsettled conditions at times. The river has had fresh water from a reasonable spate last week after some heavy rain giving reasonable conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 3200 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in September to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay “Bar of Silver”.

Summer salmon and grilse have been running and landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with more water and dropping temperatures making the resident salmon more aggressive. It was another steady week despite more turbulent conditions at times with around 180 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was in the low twenties. Spring transferred into summer and steady runs came into the river plus better weather was making fishing easier with lower water however plenty fresh water may have encouraged more fish to run the river with summer disappearing and hopefully an autumn run develops in earnest as temperature start to drop. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall, Autumn is upon us and traditionally large fish are caught.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies but departing south one by one, Ospreys gone off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Soon we will be seeing the arrival of large skeins of Geese as the temperatures start to drop. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!

Beat catches reported (week ending 24th September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 18, Waulkmill 14, Lower Redgorton 9, Luncarty 2, Upper Redgorton 2, Fishponds 4, Benchil 1, Upper Scone 8, Pitlochrie 1, Burnmouth 1, Stobhall 16, Taymount 15, Ballathie 17, Cargill 15, Islamouth 18, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 6, Kercock 4, Newtyle 3, Dunkeld House 6, Dalmarnock 7, Dalguise 2, Lower Kinnaird 1, Upper Kinnaird 1, Edradynate 1, Farleyer Upper 3, Farleyer Lower 1, Keithick Mains 2.
Total: 178 Largest: Upper Scone & Stobhall 23lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 2, Lower Redgorton 2, Taymount 1.
Total: 5 Largest: Waulkmill & Taymount 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 as they enter the river with water temperatures falling to around 56F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing run and the spate should encourage more salmon to run and shake the residents up.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone however the summer run seems to have come to an end and we await an autumn run to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing steady sport with small runs entering the river and now earlier run fish have dropped back towards their final destinations of Almond, Shochie and Ordie which can only help sport in this area. The beats just above the tide continue to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and Lower Redgorton catching 41 between them in a better week. Waulkmill saw Neville Johnsons party have success and Dr Colin Jones had a superb on Lower Redgorton landing 3 fish up to 18 pounds on the fly. On Luncarty Frank Muller had a couple in the week on Toby. Upper Redgorton and Fishponds found life difficult with only 5. Upper Scone rods had an enjoyable week with Roddy McKay catching fish up to 23 pounds off both Benchil and Pitlochrie. Tim Greenfields party had a hard week on Stanley with
David Boothroyd catching a good 12 pounds fish on the fly from Horsey and
Andrew Shorthouse catching a fish from Benchil in the 90th minute on Saturday afternoon on a red Devon. Burnmouth saw Mike Steely catching the only fish of the week on a Rapala. Taymount and Stobhall had better weeks sharing 31 fish. Donald Normans party had a hard but enjoyable week on Stobhall. Ballathie and Cargill had good success as well with 32 salmon in the week. On Cargill the fly out fished all the other methods. There are good number of coloured fish in the beat but encouragingly a few silver fish appeared in the latter part of the week. David Sands,
Neil French, Roy DeVoss and Guy McCourt all featured in this week’s catches. Islamouth had a good week with 18.
Neil Tongs party enjoyed success later in the week with 3 fish landed up to 20 pounds and odd silver fish included.
Meikleour and Upper Islamouth had 6 in the week with fish landed up to 18 pounds including a 14 pounds fish for Robert Dale.

The middle river has slowed down over recent weeks and are praying for rain to liven things up in the weeks to come.
Kercock had 4 fish which included a 15 pounds beauty for Matt Blake. On Murthly Ian and Isabel Scruton had an enjoyable few days with Donald Tritton landing fish on the fly. Newtyle had 3 in the week and Dunkeld House saw more action with 6. Mark Caswell caught a good 18 pounds fish from the Cathedral Stream and George and Sandra Pollock enjoyed success with a couple of fish up to 17 pounds. Dalmarnock had a reasonable week with 7 fish but lost numerous others however Mike Sutton enjoyed good success with 5 fish in the week. Further up Dalguise and the Kinnaird beats had odd success.

The upper river was seeing sport with odd fish caught and recent fresh water has improved activities with fish recorded on Edradynate and Farleyer beats.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club and there is now over 6300 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.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht and 2 fish were reported last week from the Keithick Mains.

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 however nothing was reported.

The Spring and Summer Salmon fishing seasons are over and we are now in Autumn as we progress through September with the expectation of a developing late run. Last week’s catches were more encouraging. Let us hope there is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go deep into September. It has been a reasonable start with well over 3200 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

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 26th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 26th September 2016.

The Salmon fishing season is now deeper into Autumn on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we see the last week of September after more fresh water at the end of last week and varying conditions for anglers with unsettled river levels at times mostly due to torrential rain to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical salmon. Hopefully that will improve and maintain catches in the coming week as this has been sought to liven the river up yet again. The summer run has now petered out with grilse sprinkled in amongst some heavy summer salmon and the prospect of improving catches hopefully will be maintained from last month with more autumn arriving giving better sport in the coming week with settling conditions and more fresh salmon running. The weather is looking more settled in the coming days with the chance of a little rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.
On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies but departing south one by one, Ospreys gone off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Soon we will be seeing the arrival of large skeins of Geese as the temperatures start to drop. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!
Currently the river is settling back after fresh water and is above summer levels (Just below 5’ and falling on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a lower level for the Tay in the coming week.
The weather has been more unsettled last week but hopefully will settled down in the next few days with good conditions which should improve this coming week. Some heavy downpours have given the river water from rain last week but the river is dropping back again and clearing with better weather forecast. This current week looks better at the start with little or no rain forecast. The feeling on the system with fish all over the beats and only a few fresh fish running is that we could do with a massive spate to stir things up and hopefully encourage more fish to run. That is exactly what has happened so let us see what happens as the river settles down. Calmer weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal autumn fishing conditions. The water temperature is now dropping which is good news as well with colder nights causing fish to become more aggressive is currently around or just below 56 degrees Fahrenheit or 13.5 degrees Celsius last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The lower river is currently doing best in the current conditions and this confirms historical results later in the season. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.
As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay salmon. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110’s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.
The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.
Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.
The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?
Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
• All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
• All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
• No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
• Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.
Salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.
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, September 20, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 17th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 17th September 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire has now seen Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but we are now in Autumn and there has been a run in the past few weeks and catches have improved however we are now looking for an increase in runs after another steady August despite some unsettled conditions at times. The river has had fresh water from a reasonable spate last week after some heavy rain giving reasonable conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 3200 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in September to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay “Bar of Silver”.

Summer salmon and grilse have been running and landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was a steady week despite more turbulent conditions at times with around 180 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was a superb 28 pounds monster on Kercock. 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 disappears and hopefully an autumn run develops. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall and now summer awaits with Autumn not far away.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!

Beat catches reported (week ending 17th September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 27, Waulkmill 10, Lower Redgorton 9, Upper Redgorton 6, Fishponds 7, Benchil 1, Catholes 1, Upper Scone 12, Pitlochrie 1, Stobhall 4, Taymount 7, Ballathie 9, Cargill 14, Islamouth 10, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 10, Kercock 7, Delvine Burnbane 1, Murthly 2 13, Newtyle 6, Dunkeld House 1, Dalmarnock 3, Dalguise 5, Lower Kinnaird 2, Upper Kinnaird 1, Edradynate 2, Findynate 4, Farleyer Upper 2, Lochlane and Laggan 2, Ericht Fishing 2.
Total: 179 Largest: Kercock 28lbs
SEA TROUT: Taymount 1, Lochlane and Laggan 2.
Total: 3 Largest: Lochlane and Laggan 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 as they enter the river with water temperatures around 60F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing run but a big spate would encourage more salmon to run and shake the residents up.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone however the summer run seems to have come to an end and we await an autumn run to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing steady sport with small runs entering 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 continue to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and Lower Redgorton catching 46 between them in a better week. Generally, all the beats have quietened off this past week and a spate is required to liven things up. On Lower Redgorton Ian Muir and Colin Jones enjoyed success on the fly. Upper Redgorton finished with 6 in the week for the Robbins party and Fishponds had 7. Upper Scone had a good week with 12 with Gary Perks and The Gallachers having fish most days. Stanley had a quiet week however Johnathan Newell caught a small grilse in Horsey on the fly from the Pitlochrie beat. Stobhall and Taymount had 11 between them with Nigel Gibbs party enjoying a week at Taymount. Cargill and Ballathie fared better with 23 fish in the week. Cargill had a good week with some good heavy fish caught up to 20 pounds or so. Steven Curnow enjoyed success throughout the week with fish to 20 pounds,
Ian Jardine caught his 1000th fish of his salmon fishing career and Clive Downhill caught 2 fish up to 22 pounds. Islamouth had 10 in the week as did Upper Islamouth and Miekleour.
Beat owner Claire Mercer Nairne caught a grilse from the beat on the fly and others were caught throughout the beat in the week.

The middle river has slowed down over recent weeks and are praying for rain to liven things up in the weeks to come.
Kercock had a good week with 7 fish which included Jim and James Redmound landing fish up to 15 pounds celebrating Jim’s 60th birthday.
Geoff Coates had a memorable week including a 24 pounds monster. The beats above improved with a few more fish from lows the previous week. Murthly 2 finished with 13 fish up to 20 odd pounds mostly on fly. Newtyle had a better week with 6.
Dalmarnock had 3 in the week with Kathryn Cross catching her first ever fish.
Dalguise had a reasonable week with the Briggs party enjoying success with fish up to 17 pounds. The Kinnaird beats had 3 in the week.

The upper river was seeing sport with odd fish caught and recent fresh water has improved activities with fish recorded on Edradynate, Findaynate and Farleyer beats.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club and there is now over 6200 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.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht and 2 fish were 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 with 2 fish reported last week from Lochlane and Laggan.

The Spring and Summer Salmon fishing seasons are over and we are now in Autumn as we progress through September with the expectation of a developing late run. Last week’s catches were more encouraging. Let us hope there is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go deep into September. It has been a reasonable start with well over 3200 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

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 19th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 19th September 2016.

The Salmon fishing season is now in Autumn on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we go deeper into September after more fresh water last week and varying conditions for anglers with unsettled river levels at times mostly due to torrential rain to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical salmon. Hopefully that will improve and maintain catches in the coming week as this has been sought to liven the river up.
The summer run has now petered out with grilse sprinkled in amongst some heavy summer salmon and the prospect of improving catches hopefully will be maintained from last month with autumn arriving giving better sport in the coming week with settling conditions and more fresh salmon running. The weather is looking more settled in the coming days with the chance of a little rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.
On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!
Currently the river is settling back after fresh water and is above summer levels (Just above 2’5 on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a lower level for the Tay in the coming week.
The weather has been more unsettled last week but hopefully will settled down in the next few days with good conditions which should improve this coming week. Some heavy downpours have given the river water from rain last week but the river is dropping back again with better weather forecast. This current week looks better at the start with little or no rain forecast. The feeling on the system with fish all over the beats and only a few fresh fish running is that we could do with a massive spate to stir things up and hopefully encourage more fish to run. That is exactly what has happened so let us see what happens as the river settles down. Calmer weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal autumn fishing conditions. The water temperature is hovering around or just below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The lower river is currently doing best in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results later in the season. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.
As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay salmon. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110’s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.
The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.
Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.
The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?
Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
• All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
• All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
• No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
• Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.
Salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.
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, September 13, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 10th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 10th September 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire has now seen Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but we are now in Autumn and there has been a run in the past few weeks and catches have improved however we are now looking for an increase in runs after another steady August despite some unsettled conditions at times. The river has had fresh water from a reasonable spate last week after some heavy rain giving reasonable conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 3200 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in September to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay “Bar of Silver”.
Summer salmon and grilse have been running and landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was a steady week despite more turbulent conditions at times with around 100 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was a 21 pounds beauty on Upper Islamouth and Meikleour. 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 disappears and hopefully an autumn run develops. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall and now summer awaits with Autumn not far away.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!

Beat catches reported (week ending 10th September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 10, Waulkmill 2, Lower Redgorton 3, Luncarty 4, Upper Redgorton 2, Fishponds 3, Benchil 3, Upper Scone 7, Stobhall 3, Taymount 10, Ballathie 10, Cargill 11, Islamouth 2, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 6, Kercock 12, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 2, Newtyle 1, Dunkeld House 1, Dalmarnock 1, Lower Kinnaird 2, Lochlane and Laggan 4, Ericht Fishing 1.
Total: 101 Largest: Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 21lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 2, Fishponds 4, Ballathie 2, Cargill 1.
Total: 9 Largest: Fishponds & Ballathie & Cargill 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 as they enter the river with water temperatures around 60F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing run but a big spate would encourage more salmon to run and shake the residents up.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone however the summer run seems to have come to an end and we await an autumn run to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing steady sport with small run entering 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 continue to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and Lower Redgorton catching 15 between them.Generally, all the beats have quietened off this past week and a spate is required to liven things up. That has happened at the end of the week so look out in the coming week! Upper Redgorton and Fishponds had 5 between them for the week. The Sly party had limited success on Upper Redgorton meanwhile Fishponds had 3 but they were all caught on Saturday after water. Luncarty benefited from the water of Friday with Dougie Wangerts party having 4 in the day with several others lost. Upper Scone had a good day on Monday on Benchil with 5 fish grassed with Francois Stoven and his son doing well. Later in the week Robin Menzies, Patrick Paul and Francois Stoven had more success. Benchil also produced for Stanley with American visitor Adam Andrews catching an 11 pounds fish from the Little Shot and Gordon Pollock defying the odds in dirty water on Saturday landing a 6 pounds fish on the fly. Stobhall and Taymount managed 13 between them in the week. Meanwhile Ballathie and Cargill amassed 21 in the week. The Sly party enjoyed success on Ballathie and the Hart party had success with Cargill. Islamouth struggled with 2 in the week however Upper Islamouth and Meikleour fared better with 6 which included
Martin Miller landing a 5 pounds fish from the Tunnel Hole, Peter Writer catching a 6 pounder in the Boxwood Bush and
Scott Sykes landing a 14 pounds fish from Islamouth.

The middle river has slowed down over recent weeks and are praying for rain to liven things up in the weeks to come. Kercock had a good week with 12 fish which included Jim and James Redmound landing fish up to 15 pounds. The beats above struggled with just odd fish.
The upper river was seeing sport with odd fish caught 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 and there is now over 6050 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.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht and 1 fish were 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 with 4 fish reported last week from Lochlane and Laggan.

The Spring and Summer Salmon fishing seasons are over and we are now in Autumn as we progress through September with the expectation of a developing late run. Last week’s catches were disappointing. Let us hope there is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go deep into September. It has been a reasonable start with well over 3200 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

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 12th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 12th September 2016.

The Salmon fishing season is now in Autumn on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we go deeper into September after a couple of spates last week and varying conditions for anglers with unsettled river levels at times mostly due to torrential rain to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical salmon. Hopefully that will improve and maintain catches in the coming week as this has been sought to liven the river up. The summer run has now petered out with grilse sprinkled in amongst some heavy summer salmon and the prospect of improving catches hopefully will be maintained from last month with autumn arriving giving better sport in the coming week after conditions have settled. The weather is looking more settled in the coming days with the chance of a little rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.
On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they get on their bike so to speak and all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!
Currently the river is settling back after more heavy showers at the end of the week and is now well above summer levels (Just above 3’7 on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a lower level for the Tay in the coming week.
The weather has been more unsettled at the end of last week but hopefully will settled down in the next few days with good conditions which should improve this coming week. Some heavy downpours have given the river water from rain last week but the river is dropping back again with better weather forecast. This current week looks better at the start with little or no rain forecast. The feeling on the system with fish all over the beats and only a few fresh fish running is that we could do with a massive spate to stir things up and hopefully encourage more fish to run. That is exactly what has happened so let us see what happens. Calmer weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal autumn fishing conditions. The water temperature is hovering around or just above 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The lower river is currently doing best in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results later in the season. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.
As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay salmon. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110’s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.
The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.
Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.
The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?
Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
• All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
• All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
• No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
• Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.
Salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.
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, September 6, 2016

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 3rd September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 3rd September 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire has now seen Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but we are now in early Autumn and there has been a run in the past few weeks and catches have improved however we are now looking for an increase in runs after another steady August 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 3200 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in September to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay “Bar of Silver”.

Summer salmon and grilse have been running and landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was a steady week despite more turbulent conditions at times with around 80 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was a 20 pounds beauty on Upper Kinnaird. 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 disappears and hopefully an autumn run develops. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall and now summer awaits with Autumn not far away.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being see catching trout to feed their young, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but some are over again 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 3rd September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 9, Waulkmill 8, Lower Redgorton 4, Upper Redgorton 2, Fishponds 3, Benchil 4, Upper Scone 3, Stobhall 5, Taymount 8, Ballathie 7, Cargill 5, Islamouth 6, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2, Kercock 4, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 1, Newtyle 1, Lower Kinnaird 5, Upper Kinnaird 1, Farleyer Upper 1.
Total: 80 Largest: Upper Kinnaird 20lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 1, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2.
Total: 3 Largest: Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 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 as they enter the river with water temperatures around 60F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing run but a big spate would encourage more salmon to run and shake the residents up.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone however the summer run seems to have come to an end and we await an autumn run to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing steady sport with small run entering 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 continue to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and Lower Redgorton catching 21 between them. Generally all the beats have quietened off this past week and a spate is required to liven things up.
Upper Redgorton and Fishponds managed 5 between them with Ian Muir and his son both catching on the fly from the Craigs. Upper Scone and Stanley managed 7 for the week all falling on the
Benchil beat with again Ian Muir featuring with 2 good fish casting the fly from the boat in the Long Shot.
Steven Hogg also had a fish on the fly from the Little Shot with Malcolm Anderson landing a grilse from Upper Neil’s Head on a Vison. Stobhall and Taymount had 13 in the week with Alistair Sheach’s party enjoying success on Taymount.
Ross Harper and Roger Worth were amongst the fish in the week.
Ballathie and Cargill had 12 in the week with Hector Rawsons party enjoying success on Cargill while the Ibbotson’s and Sheddon’s caught on Ballathie. Islamouth had 6 for their week and Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had 2. Simon Littlejohn had a grilse on the fly from the Castle stream.

The middle river has slowed down over recent weeks and are praying for rain to liven things up in the weeks to come. Kercock had a quiet week with 4 fish. The beats above struggled with just odd fish. The Kinnaird beats caught 6 between them including a 20 pounds fish off the Upper beat.

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 and there is now over 5900 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. An interesting graph has been compiled showing the count against temperature.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht however 0 fish were reported last week.
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 last week.

The Spring and Summer Salmon fishing seasons are over and we are now in Autumn as we progress through September with the expectation of a developing late run. Last week’s catches were disappointing. Let us hope there is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go deep into September. It has been a reasonable start with well over 3200 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

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