This photograph of professional Scottish salmon fishing guide Jock Monteith was captured by TV producer Chris Webster outside Ferry Cottage on the Kinnaird Estate of the River Tay in Perthshire. You can see the snow clad hills and riverbanks in the background.

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

A heart racing close up inspection with one of these fine Atlantic salmon and will remain in your memory banks for an entire lifetime. This perfect Summer salmon came to a deadly Jock's Shrimp salmon fly and was caught near to the River Tummel/Tay confluence which is located not too far away from Pitlochry in Perthshire. Note the fish friendly fine mesh of the landing net behind the salmon.

This is the neck of the Gean Tree Pool on the River Tay near the Perthshire village of Murthly. Look at the amazing carpet of daffodils that have been planted beside the boat mooring area. Often daffodils on the Scottish salmon rivers mark the Spring salmon lies for our salmon fishing holiday guests.

Here's a shot from 2004 of the late Peter Anderson with myself in front of the Newtyle Beat fishing hut on the River Tay near Dunkeld. Peter was a colossal figure within Scottish salmon fishing and possessed exceptional skills with a fly or spinning rod which really had to be seen to be believed! You can see the Newtyle Beat jetty casting platform behind Peter.

Here's Jock Monteith powering upstream in a traditional larch built River Tay salmon fishing 'coble' boat at the confluence of the River Tay & River Tummel during the month of May. Jock has his cold weather clothing on and Tweed cap in addition to his life jacket which is essential for all boat or riverbank duties.

Book A Salmon Fishing Guide

By Jock Monteith 11th May 2019

When you've been in this business long enough you'll start to be aware of a rare breed of salmon guide who have a special skill set when it comes to catching salmon.

Just because someone is a professional guide does not guarantee the presence of this rare skill set and on occasion you'll see it in regular salmon fishers when they come to fish on the river.

Top Performing Salmon Fishing Guides

What makes the difference between a regular salmon fisher or guide who catches the ocassional salmon or a fisher or guide who cannot help hooking salmon on most visits to the river ? There are a few basics that make the difference and I'll cover a few of these in the next few paragraphs.

Reading A Salmon River

Having the ability to read the water especially on a big river is a very important part of condensing the fishing effort to those areas of the river where salmon are likely to be holding. This skill cuts out many hours from the daily fishing effort that would otherwise be squandered fishing the less likely areas of the river.

The Salmon Fly Depth And Speed

Tuning into a thought process that thinks primarily about the depth, speed & the spacings of each swing of the fly between casts and not one that is only focussed on the arial performance of the fly line presentation. 'Fly mentality' is a very important part of salmon fishing that is not taught and requires a natural fascination of the sport for a salmon fisher to give any real thought or attention to.

The Perfect Salmon Fly

The final part of this from what I've personally seen over decades of daily professional river life is when a guide or fisher really studies the materials he's tied his salmon flies with to ensure a life-like movement in the water unlike the normal mass production flies that are mainly sold in tackle shops. It's this natural movement when delivered correctly that will grab a salmon's attention even if it has been in the river for a while and has seen many other salmon flies.

Salmon Fishing Guide Selection

When selecting professional salmon fishing guides to host guests I'm always bypassing the masses and looking for the team who fit the above criteria and have the personality to entertain fishing guests even when the going is occasionally tough. All of the above attributes benefit the client's experience and maximises their Scottish salmon fishing experience. Follow this link for guided salmon river locations and fishing day details or to book a salmon fishing guide in Scotland.