This is the lovely Rock Pool on the Dunkeld House salmon beat of the River Tay. The dark water to the right hand side is great salmon holding water and all of our Dunkeld salmon fishing guides are fully aware of.

This little River Tay salmon pool is a favourite for salmon fishing guides to bring their fly fishing instruction guest to. The dark water you see is the main salmon lie and casting a salmon fly out to this area is easy from the gently tapered riverbank of the salmon pool which I named The Trap.

This is the Kercock salmon fishing beat of the River Tay. This perfect salmon fishing pool produces many salmon each year for our salmon fishing guide team when they host fishing trip guests on the River Tay. You can see the single salmon fisher and the Dunkeld hills in the distance.

This lone angler is out fishing the perfect Dean's Burn Pool on the Newtyle Beat near Dunkeld. This fisher's colleague had just landed a perfect fresh run Spring salmon when I took this shot as their salmon fishing guide and cameraman.

Here's the River Dee with the Cairngorm Montain range in the distance. Look at this perfect streamy salmon fly fishing water which is really treasured by our River Dee salmon fishing holiday guests.

Here's an angler out fly fishing the renowned Meeting Pool on the River Tay's Upper Kinnaird salmon beat which is a perfect salmon fishing hot spot and one where many new salmon fishers are launched into the sport each year. This is the confluence of the rivers Tay & Tummel and the Tay is the river that goes up to the left hand side of frame. Look at the beautiful big riverbank oak tree to the left of frame.

Salmon Fishing In Scotland

By Jock Monteith

An insight into fishing for Atlantic Salmon on Scotland’s famous salmon rivers and useful information on where, when and how to fish for salmon in Scotland

This River Tay guided salmon fishing guest just captured his first ever fly caught salmon hence the big smile on his face. Booking a professional guide that has the nose of the native otter is vital for giving you the best chance of salmon fishing success. This fish was caught at the Tummel Tay confluence which you can see in the background opposite the overhanging oak tree branches.

Scottish Salmon Runs

Scotland is one of the world’s truly renowned salmon fishing destinations and is fortune to have in excess of 400 salmon rivers which are all in relatively close proximity to one another. This amazing migratory species of fish starts its humble beginnings in the shallower fresh water streams and pools of their native rivers where they can spend up to 3 years as juveniles before nature sends them to the rich feeding grounds off the Greenland Coast and the Faroe Isles. Salmon can spend anywhere from 1 year to 4 years feeding in the see before the urge to return to their native rivers begins and their journey home. Nature has structured these runs of salmon to return in different cycles and many of the bigger Scottish salmon rivers have runs of salmon that continue through the Spring Summer & Autumn months each year. On the smaller West coast & Northern rivers the majority of fish arrive during the Autumn as often it’s the Autumn rains that provide sufficient water for these salmon to run. All the spawning starts when the first frosts appear during late Autumn so any river that has high ground in its headwaters will normally see the start of the spawning season sooner than the lower lying Scottish rivers.

Here's a lovely Summer salmon which took a fly in the neck of the Mike's Run Pool of the River Tummel which is a tributary river of the River Tay in Highland Perthshire. Look at the perfect proportions of this fine fish. This shot was taken moments before the fish was released from the landing net.

Salmo Salar

The Romans named this remarkable migratory fish Salmo Salar ‘the leaper’ as these fish are true masters at upstream navigation and will battle through some of the fastest flowing and turbulent waterfalls and river valley gorges nature can throw at them to return to their place of birth to start the Atlantic Salmon life cycle begins all over again. The salmon spawning season is naturally triggered in Scotland by the first few hard frosts of the year which occur anytime from October through to December. The female salmon is known as the 'hen' and the male salmon is known as the 'cock'. Salmon lay their eggs in the softer less compacted riverbed gravels where eggs lie dormant until the middle to end of Spring when they hatch. These juvenile salmon are hatched with a yolk sack intact and are known as alevins which then develop into fry. Fry then develop into parr before heading to sea as smolts. The fertisilsed egg to smolt stage can take anywhere from typically 1 to 4 years depending on how good the natural feeding is in these juvenile salmon's native streams. Once in the sea a salmon can remain there feeding for 1 to 4 years. Salmon that return after 1 sea winter are known as grilse and when they return are are typically between 3lbs - 6lbs in weight. 2 or more sea winter salmon typically range between 8lbs to 45lbs.

A River Tay salmon guide will take you to the best fishing areas and will make sure you're fishing through them optimally. If you are new to the sport a guide will teach all of the basic fly fishing skills and will supply all of the required fishing equipment and permit access. This is an upstream shot of the March Pool on the River Tay opposite the River Tummel mouth. Look at the perfectly strimmed riverbank I completed for the benefit & safety of our many visiting River Tay salmon fishing trip guests.

Salmon Fishing Rivers

Predominantly the bigger Scottish salmon rivers are well worth fishing for most of the year and River Tay salmon fishing begins on the 15th of January each year with a season that runs through to the 15th of October. River Dee salmon fishing in the North East Aberdeenshire area of Scotland opens on the 1st of February and runs through to the 30th of September with River Spey salmon fishing closing on the same September day but opening just a week later on the 11th of February. River Tweed salmon fishing in the South East is one of Scotland’s latest closing salmon rivers on the 30th of November and shares the same opening date each year of the 1st of February with the River Dee. The Tay is Scotland's largest and deepest salmon river and benefits from a massive loch-fed head water catchment which includes several huge lochs. The benefit of this unique headwater catchment is 2 fold, firstly these loch act as a stabiliser for maintaining good main stem river water levels through periods of low rainfall and secondly they also act as a sedimentation settling tank to offset the likiehood of unfishable water through river water discolouration during periods of heavy rainfall. These 2 components make the River Tay Scotland's most reliable salmon river for the best chance of favourable fishing conditions.

Here's professional Scottish salmon guide Jock Monteith with a salmon fishing tour guest at the neck of the famous Kinnaird Beat's Ash Tree Pool. You can clearly see the beautiful Perthshire hills behind Pitlochry in the distance and Jock carrying his favourite salmon landing net over his shoulder.

Fishing Trips

For those who are planning a salmon fishing trip to Scotland it is always best to consult a professional salmon fishing guide or agent who has served their time in a professional 'riverbank career' capacity and who can build you a meaningful salmon fishing itinerary with astute inside local knowledge & understanding that can sometimes even encompass a few different salmon fishing venues on a few different Scottish rivers to broaden and enrich your Scottish salmon fishing trip. As an example, one of our American clients recently fished the River Dee & the River Tay during his Scottish salmon fishing trip and caught a perfect fresh run River Dee Spring salmon and another perfect fresh run River Tay Spring salmon the day after changing salmon rivers. Like any business real knowledge gained through decades of professional 'hands on' involvement with attention to detail on the delivery are also the keys to success for properly planning a Scottish guided salmon fishing trip.

The River Tay boats offer a fishing advantage as they allow the salmon fishing holiday guests to cover distant salmon lies much more effectively. This salmon fisher was photographed on the Tay during Springtime on a nice bright settled fishing day.

Fly Fishing Scotland

The Northern & Eastern Scottish salmon rivers have fresh run Scottish Spring salmon in them from the start of their fishing seasons with the main Spring runs appearing when the water warms slightly after mid March. The Spring fishing is very special in Scotland as the absolute physical fighting qualities of these fish in the cold well oxygenated Spring water is renowned. The sub surface ‘glint’ off the flanks of a fresh run Spring salmon as it nears the landing net will stay in your mind indefinitely following the excitement of the cold water battle. As a former River Tay Head Ghillie I always loved to fish the Tay for a chance of a ‘Springer’ as they’re referred to locally and catching them is the ultimate Scottish salmon fishing experience. Any fresh salmon caught in Scotland between January and the end of May is commonly regarded as a Spring fish. In the last 20 years there’s been a big push in Scotland by myself and many other dedicated professionals to conserve Spring salmon stocks and the bi-product of these sterling efforts has definitely assisted in improving the number of Spring salmon in recent years.

This young lady was part of a family salmon fishing group who had never fished before for salmon. This salmon is being momentarily held over the landing net in the March Pool on the Kinnaird salmon beat. Look at the perfectly cur green grassy riverbank which makes the salmon fishing easy.

Scottish West Coast Salmon Rivers

The smaller rivers which predominantly are found over on the West Coast or the smaller tributaries of the Northern or larger East coast rivers fish best during late Summer spates and once the Autumn rains appear. Many salmon will enter the smaller West coast rivers on the first spate of the year and if you can time this correctly you’ll be in for some serious salmon & sea trout action. I recall fishing the West coast’s River Fyne as a boy after an Autumn spate and thought my eyes were playing tricks with me as the riverbed appeared to be moving in the pools I was fishing! These small rivers only require a 9ft 6/7 weight single handed trout rod to fish for salmon with which is an amazing experience to play a sizeable salmon on!

Here's a downstream shot taken in front of the Upper Kinnaird Beat salmon fishing hut on the River Tay. This lovely Tay salmon beat is located directly upstream of the Tummel Tay confluence and is a fantastic salmon beat for a quality River Tay fly fishing experience. The salmon pool 50 yards downstream of the boat id called Daffodil Lie and is marked with a big bunch of daffodils which appear each Spring when the pool fishes its best.

Booking Your Salmon Fishing In Scotland

The ownership of Scottish salmon & sea trout fishing beats (venues) are usually privately owned as part of an individual estate’s assets. These Scottish salmon beats tend to be anywhere from half a mile to 3 miles in length and can include both riverbanks or just one side of the river. Often where you have two different owners on a beat the fishing area will be split in two and will be rotated on a daily basis and you’ll fish the Upper beat one day and the Lower beat the next day. All Scottish salmon rivers fall under the management of a District Salmon Fishery Board who take care of the policing of the river along with various conservation works whether it be running a man made hatchery or working on natural Atlantic salmon habitat enhancement projects or in some cases both. Most salmon river venues rely on agents to sell their fishing for them and generally all across Scotland the marketing of salmon fishing still remains in the dark ages with only a few agents showing any kind of commercial flare. When you book a guided salmon fishing day through ourselves we purchase and include the appropriate salmon fishing access.

Here's Jock Monteith photographed with his black labrador dog 'Selkie' in the Cottar Pool of the Newtyle Beat during late Spring. This shot was taken by professional Scottish photographer Peter Sandground while Jock was in his tweed jacket and traditional River Tay salmon fishing boat near Dunkeld. You can almost make out the bluebells on the grassy slopes in the background.

Scottish Salmon Fishing

Salmon fishing permit access is purchased directly from the owning estate or through a Scottish salmon fishing agent. There’s is currently no requirement unlike many other parts of the world where a fishing license is required in Scotland. When you purchase a Scottish salmon fishing permit on its own you are expected to have the correct salmon fishing equipment levels and some general Scottish salmon fishing tactical awareness to get value from buying the salmon fishing permit. For those who do not have the equipment or are in need of tactical salmon fishing tuition it is necessary to hire a professional Scottish salmon fishing guide who will provide the permit access, all the required salmon fishing equipment for Scotland including chest waders and a life jacket and tactical awareness to optimise your chances of catching salmon.

Here's Jock Monteith amidst a Spey casting lesson on the River Tay under the historic Telford Bridge demonstrating perfect D Loop loading with the single Spey cast. The traditional Spey cast is the most effective and satisfying casts. This photo was taken by local Dunkeld photographer Charlie MacDonald. Jock is wearing his Graham of Menteith tartan kilt while demonstrating Spey cast with his 15ft Monteith salmon fly rod.

Salmon Fly Fishing Tuition

The significance of the rod position instructional numbers pertain to the hour hand clock positions (8, 11, 1, 11 or 4, 1, 11, 1). Always starting with the clock face in front of you then rotating the clock face either downstream or upstream mid cast depending on whether you are practising the Scottish Single Spey Cast (upstream rotation) or Double Spey Cast (downstream rotation). The single or double Spey key relevant components can be verbally explained and recited in 8 seconds. These key points when understood make it easy for a new salmon fisher to master via a full logic based understanding of the cast and what makes it flow. All Speycasting tuition should be conducted with sunglasses or safety glasses for eye protection and a piece of wool to simulate the weight of a salmon fly. Lifejackets should always be worn at all times.

When you hook a salmon it's important to know how to play the fish properly to gain control of proceedings. This perfect Spring salmon was caught on the middle area of the Tay during early June and is typical of the quality of fish found in the Scottish rivers at that time. The fly in this salmon's mouth is the deadly Jock's Shrimp salmon fly pattern.

An Insight Into Atlantic Salmon Fishing In Scotland

Here's professional River Dee salmon guide John Fyfe holding 1 or 3 salmon that he landed on the River Tay near Dunkeld during the month of August. I personally guided him this day to eliminate him guessing where the salmon were holding and his professional salmon fishing presentation expertise did the rest. This Summer salmon was landed at the Green Bank Pool on the Kinnaird beat and you can see the Tay salmon boat in the background.

Salmon Fishing Guide

The cost of salmon fishing access on its own in Scotland can vary from £50 per permit per day to over £500 per permit per day. This big salmon fishing permit price range is mainly based on demand for a certain section of a Scottish salmon river which will be also down to historic salmon catches. This is where a professional Scottish salmon fishing agent can be worth their weight in gold by keeping you within the realms or reasonability balanced with the other attributes that make up a perfect Scottish salmon fishing experience. With guided Scottish salmon fishing prices start at between £450 and £495 per day which is inclusive of professional guide, all the required salmon fishing equipment and tactical tuition for those who need it. Approximately one third of the guided salmon fishing fee will be spent on the salmon fishing access and that money will be allocated to the best salmon beat venue that's available on the date(s) requested by the fisher(s).

I can vividly recall the amazing thrill of landing this perfect fish during late May on the River Tay near Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire. Spring salmon in Scotland are always in perfect condition like you see here as this salmon lay beside my salmon fly rod and reel in the landing net before I released it back to the river.

Fishing In Scotland

This is best qualified by asking yourself whether you would like to fish a smaller river with a shorter 9ft or 10ft single handed fly rod or whether you wish to fish on the larger Scottish salmon rivers with a 14ft or 15ft double handed salmon fly rod. Maybe a combination of both tactical approaches and river variance would be best for you which offers real Scottish salmon fishing diversification. This multi styled salmon fishing approach would suit the Autumn months best as most of the smaller Scottish salmon rivers don’t fish well until the late Summer or Autumn spates have occurred. The smaller Scottish rivers can be exciting and in many cases you’re sight fishing with a low stance and your polaroid glasses on. Once your eyes adjust to the water you’ll be able to see salmon and how they are reacting to your salmon fly as it swings past them. On the bigger rivers it’s a total different game and you’re relying more on your instincts as to where salmon could be holding or looking for one to show to give away their holding location. On the bigger Scottish salmon rivers methodical evenly spaced water coverage comes much more into play to position your fly in front of an often unseen ‘taking’ fish.

If you're serious about your salmon fishing you'll learn how to separate each swing of the fly effectively to achieve maximised water coverage over the full course of the fishing day. This lovely shot was taken of a guided salmon fishing guest on right hand bank the River Tay Kinnaird Beat's March pool while learning how to fish for salmon..

River Tay Salmon Fishing

When I think central Scotland I always think of the mighty River Tay which is Scotland’s largest salmon fishing river. Draining a massive 2500 square miles of central Scotland the Tay always has sufficient water in it for salmon to run up river from the high tides at Perth where the Tay meets the North sea. The Tay also has an advantage in the fact that several big headwater lochs feed the river. Tay system lochs like Loch Tay, Loch Rannoch & Loch Tummel are but a few that create sustainable all year round fishable water levels which make this Scottish salmon river a safe bet as a fishing venue for for your salmon fishing trip. Follow this link for more information on guided River Tay salmon fishing.

River Dee Salmon Fishing

Other world famous Scottish salmon rivers like the River Spey, River Dee, River Teith, River Earn, rivers North & South Esk and smaller well known rivers like the River Lossie, River Nairn, River Deveron and River Findhorn are other Scottish salmon fishing venues that can all offer excellent sport during your Scottish salmon fishing trip if timed correctly. Notable the River Dee offers great salmon fishing access on many spectacular salmon beats through the extensive Dee salmon fishing season of February through to September. The Dee is most definitely a gem in the crown of Scottish salmon fishing venues where fishing access fo experienced salmon fishers is readily available or a professional River dee salmon guide for those who are new to the sport or in need of assistance or tuition. Follow this link for more information on hiring a professional River Dee salmon guide.

A lovely elevated photo of a salmon fishing trip angler in wading gear in the river Tweed next to a long shingle bank. This lovely shot was taken in mid Summer near Galashiels where we host many River Tweed salmon fishing holiday guests. Our Tweed salmon fishing guides always bring clients to quality salmon water like this which the beautiful River Tweed has an abundance of.

River Tweed Salmon Fishing

The most dominant and famous Southernly Scottish salmon river is without doubt the beautiful River Tweed over in the South East corner of Scotland. The famous Tweed is a tremendous lowland Scotland salmon fishing venue where salmon can be caught all through the extensive Tweed fishing season from the beginning of February through to the end of November. Over in the South West of Scotland you have other famous salmon rivers like the River Annan, River Stinchar, River Doon, River Nith and the border River Esk. All of which offer great salmon fishing sport usually from mid Summer onwards. Follow this link for details of River Tweed guided salmon fishing.

Here's the perfectly set lunch table awaiting the salmon fishing guests coming off the water. This fishing hut overlooks the River Tay so it makes an equally perfect setting for a top quality lunch like this. I took this shot while working as a salmon fishing guide for a party of our corporate hospitality salmon fishing guests.

Salmon Fishing Events

A salmon fishing event day on the famous River Tay makes for a highly memorable day out in some of Perthshire's most majestic natural beauty. Corporate salmon fishing events include the professional services of 'time served' River Tay guides and a fully catered riverbank lunch which is served in one of many luxury salmon fishing huts. Follow this link for more details on our bespoke Scottish salmon fishing event days.

This is the River Tummel's Mike's Run Pool is a very good fly fishing pool of the fast flowing Tummel which flows down from Pitlochry and greets the River Tay near Ballinluig on the Kinnaird Estate. The months from mid March through to early June sees many Spring salmon entering this prolific little river which is easily covered with a 12ft or 13ft salmon fly rod.

North Of Scotland Salmon Fishing

In the North of Scotland we have some exciting possibilities too such as the often prolific River Brora, River Helmsdale, River Naver, River Sheil, River Thurso, River Forss, River Inver, River Conon, River Beauly and the River Kirkaig. These all have their days but tend to be more water dependent with the exception of the Conon & Beauly which have hydro released compensation water assistance on occasions.

Look at the smile on this salmon angler's face moments after landing this perfect Summer salmon from the River Tay in Perthshire. Catching a salmon like this on the fly takes skill, patience and a good tactical understanding of how to fish your fly effectively. This 14lbs Summer salmon is being held in the McLean landing net for this photo before being released.

Scottish Islands Salmon Fishing

Over on the West Coast of Scotland there’s famous Islands such as Skye, Mull, Lewis, Harris and South Uist and North Uist. All of these Scottish island have many small salmon and sea trout rivers which fish very well from the Summer months forward on the back of recent spate water. These rivers are very easily covered with a single handed fly rod and again it’s all about the timing of your visit.

Here's my favourite River Tay salmon fishing pool near Dunkeld in late Spring. This is the March Pool on the opposite side of the river which is shrouded in these lovely riverside oak trees. Look at the perfect tapered riverbed that leads over to the deep salmon water. I have assisted many salmon fishing guests to catch salmon on this fine pool over the years while serving as their salmon fishing guide.

Fly Fishing Rods For Scotland

On the bigger Scottish salmon rivers a 14ft or 15ft doubled handed salmon fly rod is imperative as a longer line lifting ability while Speycasting or overhead casting will be too difficult with a shorter fly rod. There’s also much more salmon fly control available with a longer rod when the fly is fished at distance. Working with a longer line (even if shooting additional distance) with allow you far more additional river fly swim time over the course of your salmon fishing day. When you hook a salmon at range there is also much less chance of the salmon drowning your fly line too which could easily result in excess pressure being put on the hook hold. On the smaller Scottish salmon rivers a fly rod of between 9ft and 12ft will cover all salmon fishing scenarios whether a short Spey cast is used or an overhead cast. A good strong leader and plenty of backing on your reel can be useful from experience when a hooked salmon decides to bolt downriver during higher water conditions.

This 20 pounder was the first of two perfect March caught Tay Spring salmon caught by this fortunate young salmon angler on his first ever days salmon fishing near Dunkeld in the Tay Valley. Young Robbie Fairfull was given this salmon fishing guide experience with myself by his father via a River Tay salmon fishing experience gift voucher.

Salmon Fishing Guide Service

It is very important prior to booking Scottish salmon fishing that you understand the difference between purchasing salmon fishing in Scotland and what that includes (or doesn't as the case may be) versus hiring a professional Scottish salmon guide which will also include the salmon fishing access to one of Scotland's better & pre-vetted salmon fishing venues. For decades Scottish salmon fishing agents have generally not made this very important point clear enough which is crucial for the enjoyment & correct qualification of your Scottish salmon fishing experience. Here's a link through to exactly what the difference is between purchasing salmon fishing access which includes the basic services of a beat ghillie (guide) and hiring the services of a professional Scottish salmon guide who will provide all required additional services.

The British record salmon of 64lbs was caught by a lady salmon fisher on the River Tay in 1922 which has always been renowned for producing big fish. This lady salmon fisher in the photograph also produced the goods with this big Spring salmon which she caught near Dunkeld although a third of the size of the British record fish. You can see the heavy rain that was falling but nobody was caring due to the excitement of catching such a perfect heavyweight River Tay Spring salmon.

Salmon Fishing Gift Vouchers Scotland

The most effective and informative way to introduce a loved one or colleague to Scottish salmon fishing is to purchase a fully guided & instructional Scottish salmon fishing gift voucher for them. This servcice will ensure that they have a memorable day(s) on the either of the big four Scottish rivers, the Tay, Spey, Tweed or Dee with a professional salmon guide who will supply all of the correct equipment levels (incl. chest waders, life jackets & waterproof jacketss) and necessary tactical salmon fishing tuition. A fishing date can be selected at point of purchase or the fishing date can be left 'open' and the fishing date decided upon later once the gift voucher recipient receives their gift. This fully comprehensive Scottish guided salmon fishing gift voucher service is especially popular as a Christmas gift voucher or as a general fishing gift for other special occasions.

This fish was caught at sunrise on the River Tay near the Perthshire town of Dunkeld. This salmon weighed 14lbs and took a small fly at 7am just as the sun was rising. You can see the glimmer of light on the silver flanks of this fine fish as it lay in the landing net prior to its release.

How To Set A Salmon Fly Hook Properly

Having been involved in Scottish salmon fishing since 1970 one of the most important parts for success is knowing how to set the hook when a salmon takes your fly. As a former professional salmon beat head ghillie on the Tay in charge of several fishers on a regular daily basis I've witnessed great opportunities to catch salmon lost by fishers who fail in this very important discipline which is seldom properly discussed and in many cases left for the salmon to hook itself when it's objective soon into the contact will be to get rid of the fly. My own advice when a salmon takes is never to lift into the take with a soft actioned rod and slack reel clutch setting as logically there's little or no hook point pressure applied from doing so. After ignoring the initial tugs at the start of the take and after several seconds of the fly line being drawn consistently off the fly reel simply clamp the fly reel face with your hand to stop the line flow dead to briefly feel the weight of the fish for a further few seconds. Make sure the rod is pointing down in the direction of the fish when you do this in order to maximise direct hook point pressure from the reel to the hook. After feeling everything tighten up and the weight of the fish then release the reel and lift the rod. If this is done correctly and as detailed here your fish will be hooked properly regardless of where the initial micro hold of the hook points were positioned in the soft or tougher tissue within the salmon's mouth as it turned on your fly. Here's leading UK course fisherman demonstrating how he successfully hooked and landed his first ever Scottish salmon on the fly after several years of trying. This effective hook setting method will allow the salmon's forward momentum & bodyweight to set the hook for you. In warmer Summer water the take will usually develop much quicker than the colder early Spring water. In colder water conditions allow a few more seconds before clamping the reel as the lower temperatures usually mean a much slower initial start to the take.

This shot was taken on the River Tay near Pitlochry during the Summer while I was the salmon guide for this fishing trip fisherman. Many anglers think salmon fishing is mainly about how well they can cast a fly but the truth of the matter is that the important thing to learn is how to move properly between each cast of the fly as that's logically what will place your fly in front of a cooperating salmon if your water coverage is good enough.

Salmon Fly Fishing Riverbank Movement

When you're fly fishing through a salmon pool it is good etiquette to take at least one good sized step between each cast and especially if there are other fishers present on either riverbank. Personally I move 3 feet between each cast to separate each swing of the fly by a yard. Less than that shows the salmon too much of the fly and any more may miss a hot spot in the pool. The less you show a fish of the approaching fly to my mind works better than training a fish to accept the presence of the fly in the pool. What you're looking for is a reaction from a salmon and startling a fish that hasn't had the opportunity to get used to an approaching fly is more likely to have the desired effect. Adopt a sense for what speed and depth your fly is fishing at and don't just cast and hope. Adopting this mindset of how & where your fly is actually fishing coupled with good fly swing spacings will catch you more salmon and give you entry into the top 5% of consistantly successful Scottish salmon fishers.

Here's the double handede salmon Spey rod being held out and high across the fast stream at the Guay Pool on the Lower Kinnaird Beat of the River Tay near Dunkeld. This method is how you control your salmon fly at long range which is a rare skill seldom understood by the majority of new salmon fishers. A professional salmon fishing guide will teach these vital fly fishing skills.

Control The Depth Of Your Salmon Fly

If you're fishing a sink tip and wish it to work optimally apply your downstream movement on the forward delivery as the fly lands on the water and simultaneously throw a big upstream mend. By the time your line tightens and the fly starts fishing you'll have got your fly down to the desired swim depth. In addition to these fly swim tactics keeping the rod tip extended out and high for the first third of the swing and gradually bringing the rod angle round as the fly fishes toward the riverbank will give you that added fly swim control for the first third of the swim. This little adjustment can often be the difference between a take or not especially when you want to slow up a fly out in a faster stream and at distance.

Here's Alan Rennie playing one of 5 Spring salmon he caught that with myself as his salmon guide in the boat that day. Look are the riverbank where there's no leaves on the trees yet there's some beautiful sunlight which just gave the surface of the water of the river enough warmth to get these fish on the move and in a 'taking' frame of mind. This photo was taken in the Cottar Pool on the Newtyle Beat of the River Tay.

Playing A Salmon In Scotland

When playing a Scottish salmon it is important to keep the rod tip as high as possible and maintain reasonable rod pressure on the salmon throughout the fight. The high rod position will also act as a shock absorber and safeguard against any sudden movements from the salmon and it will also keep the line away from any sub surface obstacles. The best position to take on the riverbank while playing a salmon is from a side on position. Don't allow the fish to get too far below you and if a salmon takes off down river then walk down the riverbank after it. When playing a salmon always be looking for an appropriate landing area for the final stages of the fight where there's deep snag free water which is out of the main current. Never attempt to play a salmon in fast heavy water as it will use the water pressure to its advantage and kite about and take forever to land. Never attempt to rush a salmon to the landing net and always wait until the fish starts to tire and shows signs of fatigue which are indicated by slower movements at close range and showing its flanks and tail.

It's always good practise to take a quality photograph of any salmon you catch for the beat ghillie to see and for social media. Capturing a great photo of your fish also doubles up as a perfect reminder of a special fishing moment. This fine fish was caught at the March Pool on the River Tay near Dunkeld. That's my own Monteith salmon fly rod and Van Staal salmon fly reel in the shot.

Landing & Photographing A Salmon In Scotland

Hold back with the landing net until the time is right and place the net down in the water and draw the salmon over it and lift the net. Don't try to snatch at the fish as usually even a fatigued salmon will get startled and bolt quickly in that instance. Unhook your salmon in the landing net and in the water to avoid injury to the fish prior to release. Most mobile phones these days have an excellent HD camera built into them so if you land a salmon please take a good shot of it. A photograph is always a nice memento of the encounter so a mobile phone (or camera) should be carried at all times. Make sure your device is kept in a waterproof pouch to keep it safe from water penetration. If photographing a salmon while fishing alone make sure the fish is lying flat in the bag of the landing net with the salmon perfectly in frame on or close to the water line. Take a few shots to make sure you get a good one. Try to avoid contact with the salmon at all times. If you're fishing with a colleague briefly lift the salmon to the water line in the landing net with the salmon's flanks as square to the camera as possible and have your colleague take a few shots. Sometimes tilting the belly of the fish up slightly by lifting the net's mesh will capture the beauty of the salmon's flanks more effectively. Again try to avoid contact with the salmon at all times. Sunlight is always best behind the camera and ideally with the pool where it was hooked behind you and a big smile which should be easily achieved!

Unhooking & Releasing Your Salmon

Always carry a pair of artery forceps which is the best tool for unhooking salmon quickly & efficiently with. These should be kept on a spring loaded retractable lanyard and clipped onto your fishing jacket for ease of access when required. Ideally unhooking a salmon should be done while the salmon is still in the landing net and in the water. When releasing your salmon find an area of the pool that has a nice steady flow in a foot or two of water and once the fish has recovered release it directly from the landing net by lowering the net's rim and let the salmon swim out itself. If you have to handle the salmon to revive it pre-wet your hands and hold the fish with its nose to the stream for as long as it takes for you to feel the fish trying to pull away. This can sometimes take a few minutes but there's a great sense of satisfaction from seeing your Scottish salmon released correctly and swimming away strongly after the excitement of the capture.

This man has been one of my best most loyal salmon guide colleagues over the last 20 years. Martin worked with me on the Newtyle Beat in 2004 & 2005 before I assisted him in getting started on the Kinnaird salmon beat where he's thrived ever since. Martin is in one of his Tay salmon boats in this shot motoring up through the Channel Pool on his Kinnaird Beat.

Tipping Your Scottish Salmon Fishing Guide

It is customary in Scotland and good salmon fisher etiquette to tip your guide at the end of each fishing day regardless of whether you've been successful at catching salmon or not. There's a lot of hard 'life consuming' work involved in maintaining a salmon beat and professionally hosting salmon fishing clients which these 'special men' have comited their lives to. The professional approach from the career ghillies of Scotland is essential for the overall enjoyment of Scottish salmon fishing and the magic that surrounds this wonderful pursuit. The daily tip should be between £20 & £40 per fisher however if you feel a larger tip is deserved for whatever reasons feel free to act accordingly.

Here's professional Scottish salmon guide Jock Monteith our delivering a long fly fishing line across the River Tay near Dunkeld wearing a traditional heavyweight Tweed jacket that hand been handmade by Haggarts of Aberfeldy.

Single & Double Spey Cast Rod Positions

With the single Spey cast (from the right hand bank of the river) follow these exact rod positions; 4 oclock, 1, 11, 1 left hand up (upstream anchor) or the 4, 1, 11, 1, 11 right hand up (downstream anchor) with the double Spey cast from the right hand bank of the river. Alternatively (from the left hand bank of the river) use the 8, 11, 1, 11 right hand up (upstream anchor) for the single Spey cast or the 8,11,1,11,1 left hand up (downstream anchor) when using the double Spey cast. The left of right hand bank is deterred by looking always in a down stream direction only. This simplistic method gives you easy reference points for the important rod positions which are 1/3rd of what you need to know. The other 2/3rds being ’smoothness and fluency’ of lift and swing & ‘watching the anchor point’ to achieve good visual timing off the water and therefore not relying on guesswork while wading down through a pool in inevitably different altering depths.

Here's a shot of me teaching Angus how to Spey cast on this popular Scottish salmon fishing show at the neck of the Cottar Pool on the Tay's Newtle Beat. This was me demonstrating D Loop formation for Neen, Angus and the cameraman while I was working on Newtyle as the Head Ghillie.

How To Build Up Line Energy While Speycasting

It is of crucial importance while following these rod position numbers and that ’smoothness of lift and swing’ builds up the line energy by keeping everything taught prior to the anchor point and immediate following power stroke. These exact rod positions as per the giant (hour hand only) clock face in the sky method which always starts in front of the fisher and rotates either upstream or downstream mid cast depending on which Spey cast is being performed.

Here's a group of new fly fishers testing out their newly taught skills with a double handed salmon fly rod during the Summer. Many larger groups come to me for a crash course in salmon fishing and this was one such party that I guided for on the River Tay near Pitlochry.

Watch Your Spey Cast Anchor Point

It is crucial that you watch the anchor point so that you catch the timing correctly so the line lifts off the water. Too many Spey casters only look to the target area (like racehorses with blinkers on) and inevitable guess their timing off the water instead of getting a visual confirmation for when the time is exactly right for the forward power stroke delivery cast. The anchor point positioning should be approx 1 rod length off either shoulder depending on which one of the casts you are performing.

Smoothness Of Spey Cast Technique

On both double Spey casts it is crucially important not to overpower the vertical lift or outward swing with the rod when moving between cast position numbers 1, 2 & 3 to either rod position 11 or 1 so as to make sure the fly stays in the rough downstream anchor point area (1 rod length away) prior to the in swing which creates the important loading. This is a common double Spey casting error as most people feel compelled to flick the fly away upstream of the intended downstream anchor point zone which is counterproductive and reduces line energy build up significantly prior to loading with the in-swing. On both single Spey casts it is very important to spread the swing energy smoothly & evenly between 1 & 11 or 11 & 1 depending on which side of the river the single Spey cast is being performed from. Slow down on the swing or speed up as required until you are evenly spreading the correct amount of swing energy in order to achieve a straight line anchor point positioned one rod length off either your right or left shoulder. The same goes for the in-swing energy on a double Spey cast between 11 & 1 and 1 & 11. At no time during this movement should a ‘flick’ be used but only a steady, smooth evenly paced energised draw. If you are ‘smooth & fluent’ enough with the lift and swing on all 4 Spey casts you should start to get consistent with the positioning of the anchor point (ideally 1 rod length off either shoulder) and should start to achieve a straight line anchor point on the surface of the river prior to the end of the fly line’s release (forward delivery cast) to the target area. If you are watching the anchor you'll be able to judge the exact & precise time off the water for yourself and track back to work out what’s going wrong if you are not consistently achieving this straight line anchor point in the correct position. Don't be a race horse with blinkers on as watching the anchor point tells you so much about your lift & swing.

Here's a salmon fly fisher amidst a Spey casting lesson on the River Tummel where the focus was being put on getting a visual of the anchor point which is the mid section of the cast where the front end of the Spey line briefly touches the surface of the river before being sent across the river. Watching this anchor point touch down assists with the timing of the power stroke. Look at the lovely fast streamy water behind this fisherman which the River Tummel is famous for.

The Spey Cast Rod Angle Changes

Understand that on the single Spey casts there is a defined turning point in the sky at 11 or 1 at the top of the lift when the rod tip moves from the vertical lift (parallel to the riverbank) to an outward swing angle in order to keep the fly away from you as it passes between position 2 & 3 of the cast. Make sure you understand why this is so important for safety reasons and that it is important too with the double Spey casts so as to keep the fly away from you as it passes on its way to the anchor point position. Understand that the outward swing should not dip but instead consistently hold its outward rod angle height throughout the swing. If necessary to briefly pause the rod precisely at 11 or 1 in order to change the rod angle at the top of the lift as it moves onto the swing angle range.

This perfect salmon fly was designed by myself on the River Tay 20 years ago and is an absolute salmon magnet when fished properly. Many experienced salmon anglers swear by the effectiveness of this pattern and it's sometimes wrongly referred to as the Newtyle Shrimp however it's proper registered name is the Jock's Shrimp as a credit to its creator. Here are the exact dressings for this deadly Scottish salmon fly pattern;
Hook / Tube: as required
Thread / Silk: Uni Thread 6/0 or 8/0, Red
Tag / Butt: Oval silver as for Rib
Tail: Orange Arctic Fox or equivalent with pearl flashabou accent or mirage over, just 2 or perhaps 3 strands max.
Tying note: it's important to set the Tag / Butt in place first, this helps lift the Fox tail slightly, increases movement and helps avoid

Perfect Your Spey Cast Line Lift

As importantly make sure you are slowly lifting your hands during the lift so that your bottom hand is up level with your chin as the rod reaches the 11 or 1 o’clock position as this lifting of the hands if done slowly and smoothly (between 4 & 1 or 8 & 11) always draws more line up to the surface/air which make the swing more controllable and easy for them (less line water resistance but only if done smoothly & slowly).

This is the neck of the famous Ash Tree Pool on the Lower Kinnaird salmon beat which has a lovely fly fishing stream that you can see where many salmon hold up during late Spring through to early Autumn each year. This side of the river is the easiest side to fish from and this salmon fishing trip guest was accompanied by his professional salmon guide.

When To Use The Single Spey & Double Spey Casts

Each different Spey cast is used primarily for safety reasons depending on the wind direction and anchor point space availability. In other words if the wind is blowing upstream or downstream you would only use the single or double Spey cast that can achieve a down wind anchor point position. This way the salmon fly cannot be blown into you on the forward power stroke delivery. During all casts your body position should be facing the target area and not at a downstream angle where it is going to be more difficult to achieve a correct anchor point due to the unnatural twisting of the upper body to compensate for an incorrect downstream body angle. Follow this link for more useful & logic based information information on the traditional Scottish Spey cast.

How can clearly see the perfect iron Logierait Bridge behind this River Tay spin fishing guest. This area of the Tay near Pitlochry has some lovely deep holding water for salmon which can be perfectly targeted with a spinning rod & spinner. Look at the lovely green grassy riverbank which makes it easy for fishing guests to fish from.

Spin Fishing For Salmon in Scotland

On the bigger Scottish salmon rivers it is also often possible to spin fish for salmon. A spinning rod of betwen 9ft & 10ft are the most popular lengths of spin rod paired up with a fixed spool reel with 18lbs mono (or 30lbs braid). In Scotland the best spinning lures are as follows; ABU Salmo 30g Toby in silver/copper (or the lighter 18g Toby in same colours), the black bodied Flying C 18g -25g with a No 2 silver (or gold blade), the Vision Oneten champagne or red firetiger colour. The really important factor to master when spin fishing is having a thorough daily water coverage fishing plan and sticking to it like glue. What I mean by this is making sure your boot positions on the riverbank are separated by exactly 1 rod length between each cast of the lure and maintaining a consistent almost square but slightly upstream casting angle with each cast of the lure. If you deploy these tactics then your water coverage over the full course of the fishing day will be colossal and that will increase your chances of success significantly. The other vital component for success on the bigger Scottish river where spin fishing is allowed is to always fish with a tight initial clutch setting in order to give the best chance of an effective hook set when a salmon takes the lure. Once a salmon has been hooked properly then loosen the clutch off a little bit (180 degrees) to play the fish. Too slack an initial clutch setting accounts for the unnnecessary loss of thousands of salmon in Scotland each year so always start with a tightish clutch setting where only a strong pull will give line as that will set the hook properly when the weight of the salmon is felt for the first time as long as a suffient bend is applied to your spinning rod at that moment.

A stoney riverbank of the River Spey where native alder trees cast shadows on the deeper part of the river where salmon shelter from the sun on brighter days. Our River Spey salmon fishing guides love to bring Spey salmon fishing trip guests to this beautiful water which is located on the famous Tulchan Estate near the Speyside town of Grantown on Spey.

River Spey Salmon Fishing

The globally famous River Spey is the home of the traditional Spey cast and is Scotland's fastest flowing salmon river. The Spey fishes from the 11th of February through to the 30th of September each year and offers prolific sport in the Grantown to Aberlour areas during late Spring and early Summer as does the lower river near Fochabers from July through to the end of the season. If you're a salmon fisher this is a fly fishing box that simply must be ticked at some point in your fishing career as the Spey is steeped in Scottish salmon fishing history as are many of the Spey Valley's renowned single malt whiskies. Follow this link for more details on River Spey guided salmon fishing.