This young salmon fly fisherman caught this Autumn run salmon at the Willie's Croy salmon Pool at the bottom end of the Newtyle Beat near Dunkeld while I was his personal salmon fishing guide. This was this young Austrian salmon fisher's first ever salmon which he caught all by himself with a perfect Spey casting technique which he picked up very quickly. Note he is wearing a life jacket and safety glasses which are essential fly fishing safety equipment items.

River Tay Salmon Fishing

By Jock Monteith 17th August 2018

Of all the Scottish salmon fishing destinations the mighty River Tay is one of the most accessible and reliable salmon rivers.

This fact is primarily due to the sheer size and depth of the river which has fresh run salmon coming in off every tide throughout its long salmon fishing season which spans from the 15th of January to the 15th of October each year. If you're time restricted the River Tay is the safest Scottish bet for placing your salmon fly in front of a cooperating fish.

Here's 3 River Tay salmon fishing professional ghillie legends. Willie 'the ghillie' Laird, Ian Redford & Calum Gillies were 3 of the most renowned salmon fishing men in the 70's on the Tay. This was a 15th of January opening day picture taken at lunchtime in front of the Newtyle Beat fishing hut in Birnam.

River Tay Salmon Fishing Introduction

I was fortunate to catch my very first salmon back in 1970 on this famous Scottish salmon river under the guidance of the late legendary Willie Laird who had been head ghillie on the then Birnam Beat of the Tay for 50 years and his father before him. These old Tay ghillies (or guides) where a fantastic team of river experts who knew every boulder of their respective beats and exactly where salmon could be caught on any fishing day of the year.

Here's a picture of River Tay legend Willie Laird ready for action in his traditional Tay coble boat. Willie was a career ghillie on the Tay for 50+ years before his retirement in 1986. Willie was the Head Ghillie on the Tay's Newtyle Beat near Dunkeld and Willie was an exceptionally talented and renowned salmon fishing guide in Scotland.

River Tay Salmon Fishing Legend

This early life River Tay experience was so inspiring I chose a career in salmon fishing and this is one main thing I've never lost sight of when it comes to making sure all fishing guests get the best possible first impressions of this famous Scottish river and this amazing sport. River Tay salmon fishing forms a big part of recreational pursuits in Scotland and it's massively important to the Perthshire rural economies that comes from visiting salmon fishers.

This young salmon fly fisherman caught this Autumn run salmon at the Willie's Croy salmon Pool at the bottom end of the Newtyle Beat near Dunkeld while I was his personal salmon fishing guide. This was this young Austrian salmon fisher's first ever salmon which he caught all by himself with a perfect Spey casting technique which he picked up very quickly. Note he is wearing a life jacket and safety glasses which are essential fly fishing safety equipment items.

Planning A Scottish Salmon Fishing Trip

If you're planning a Scottish salmon fishing trip then this river has to be built into your fishing itinerary. Some of the famous Tay salmon beats have vibe, natural beauty and character you'll not experience on any other Scottish salmon river. In addition to this the Tay has always been regarded as a big fish salmon river and of all of the Scottish salmon rivers the River Tay is also the most likely venue you'll find in Scotland for producing double figure salmon.

More Salmon Fishing Articles

This perfectly timed photograph was taken by professional photographer Louise Bellin on the Kinnaird Beat of the River Tay at the famous Junction Pool which is directly where the River Tummel enters the Tay. Jock, dressed in traditional Tweeds and waders holds his fishing rod, demonstrating the perfect Spey cast required in this salmon fishing hot spot for maximum water coverage of the lovely Tay salmon pool.

Fine Tune Your Speycast

Jock Monteith

14th August 2026

The vast majority of Scottish Speycasters tend to cast like 'racehorses with blinkers on' with their heads only aligned to the target area and not to the crucial mid cast 'anchor point' which is vital for a perfectly timed power stroke delivery.

This perfect River Tay Springer was caught by myself on the 23rd of February from the Kinnaird salmon beat near Pitlochry. These early run Scottish salmon are perfect specimens and are guaranteed to get your heart racing. This fish was quickly returned and swam off strongly to continue its upstream migration to the upper reaches of the Tay. You can see the gold ABU Toby lure, Bruce & Walker Hexagraph spinning rod and Van Staal spinning reel used in the capture of this fine Spring run salmon.

Successful Salmon Spin Fishing

Jock Monteith

13th August 2026

Here's a few paragraphs on how to set a spinning lure hook based on practice not theory. Nothing beats professional time spent on a Scottish salmon river for observing the various aspects of this glorious pursuit.

This is the Steps Pool on the Newtyle Beat of the River Tay and I've drawn the optimal wade line in red which allows anglers to fish through the pool safely and effectively without spooking any salmon that may be present. I took this downstream shot while working as this guest's salmon fishing guide for the day.

Salmon Lie Approach

Jock Monteith

12th August 2026

Over the decades I've seen great opportunities for an easy 'early day' salmon completely blown by anglers who put on waders that go up to their chests and think they have to do the same while wading in the river!

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.

The Spey Cast Swing

Jock Monteith

11th August 2026

Understanding the value of a correct 'logical' line lift at the beginning of the Spey cast is crucial for negating the cast crippling 'water resistance' experienced by an incorrect line lift. Today I'll elaborate on what maintains this 'ease and smoothness' of cast through the middle section of the cast known as the 'swing' which is crucial for adequate rod loading in the D Loop.

I designed this deadly salmon fly pattern 20 years ago while working as the Head Ghillie and salmon fishing instructor on the River Tay's Newtyle Beat. Here's the exact dressing before anyone asks;
Hook: 1

Salmon Fly Selection

Jock Monteith

10th August 2026

There's been millions of words written on this fascinating subject over the decades by many serious salmon fishers who all have their own take on what the best patterns are. At the end of the day it boils down to faith as we will never truly get permanently inside a salmon's mind.

This guest was fishing with me on the River Tay near Dunkeld. This pool tail is a renowned hot spot for running salmon so I waded out to this fishing position to make it easier to fish the main salmon lie between the fisher and the far riverbank. Directly in front of the big tree that you can see on the opposite riverbank is the main salmon lie hot spot.

Important Riverbank Etiquette

Jock Monteith

9th August 2026

For the daily operation of any salmon beat to run smoothly it is important that all fishing guests read & understand the beat rules which are there primarily for safety reasons and to ensure the enjoyment of all paying guests.

Here's myself with a fine Spring salmon in the landing net immediately prior to its release. A good landing net with fish friendly mesh is an essential piece of salmon fishing equipment. I caught this fine salmon at the Daffodil Lie Pool on the beautiful Kinnaird Beat of the River Tay in Highland Perthshire.

Spin Fishing For Tay Salmon

Jock Monteith

8th August 2026

If your effective hooking rate with a spinner on the River Tay isn't close to 100% then there's a few different angles of thought to consider the next time you're out slinging cutlery across Scotland's biggest & deepest salmon river.

Here's the bow section of a hand built River Tay 16ft salmon fishing 'coble' boat with a Brady fishing back and Bruce & Walker salmon Spey rod fitted with a Van Staal salmon fly reel. Professional salmon guides in Scotland take their personal salmon fishing equipment seriously too!

Salmon Beat Ghillies

Jock Monteith

7th August 2026

Having served my time as a professional ghillie on the River Tay the next few paragraphs highlight a few of the finer points that I personally believe that makes a resident professional salmon beat ghillie stand out from the crowd.