This fish had only just entered the River Tay when it was caught by myself near Dunkeld while I was working as a salmon fly fishing instructor. This fresh run salmon was covered in long tailed sea lice which are acquired in the ocean and then drop off the fish within 48 hours of being back in the fresh river water. This fine Spring salmon had swum from Perth up to Dunkeld within that 48 hour time frame which is good going against the powerful flows of the Tay.

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.

This was my first fish of the 2024 River Tay salmon fishing season and a fine fish too as you can clearly see here in this photograph. Look at its beautiful oceanic colours as they highlight against the dark browns of the river environment. I caught this fine at the Rock Pool on Kinnaird Water which has always been a good Spring salmon fishing area.

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.

Here's a perfect example of God's finest marine creature the Atlantic salmon. These fish are amazingly powerful and awesome to look at once your skill levels are high enough to place one in the landing net for a close up inspection. This fine specimen was caught near Pitlochry on the River Tay by one of my salmon fishing trip guests.

Running River Tay Spring Salmon

By Jock Monteith 8th March 2018

Yesterday saw a run of the most perfect Spring salmon sail right up the River Tay in broad daylight even though the cold low water conditions said that shouldn't really have happened!

Understanding the game you're playing in early Spring salmon fishing is half the battle for success.

Here's a River Tay Spring salmon that was aught on the fly near Dunkeld during the first week of June. Although caught in June this is a Spring salmon that's been in the river for a few weeks so still technically a Spring run salmon. The silver salmon fly reel you can see is a Van Staal C-Vex 9-11 Combo model which is my favourite salmon fly reel.

Consistent Spring Salmon Fishing Approach

To the 2 middle Tay salmon beats that did score yesterday from the efforts of a few quality salmon fishers well done to you. They say you need to be 'in it to win it' and that point was well proven yesterday as 5 perfect salmon were caught to 20lbs from clearly the same run of sparkling fresh run Spring fish. March has always been a turning point on the Tay for increased runs of Spring fish and as a professional Tay ghillie I'd rather have missed a family wedding than be dragged away from any possible chance of Spring salmon action! The 'combination to the safe' is to steady your mind and to learn how to embrace the blank days as yesterday's example of running Spring salmon brilliance will instantly bleach the efforts of searching from your mind upon contact with one of these God given examples of absolute marine perfection!

Salmon Catch Statistics

If you're poking the Tay or any other Scottish salmon river with a stick at the moment and watching the daily results from hardly anyone fishing then you shouldn't be at all surprised by the negligible catches that are being recorded. None of that means that Spring salmon aren't present and those who have been out applying a 'consistent' effort have indeed seen their share of success. On a personal basis this was the time of year I enjoyed the most on the Tay as the quality capture of Spring salmon magnificence paired with a normally less busy salmon beat to manage meant more personal satisfaction from the daily March 'water coverage' days before the busier months of April & May arrived.

Spring Salmon Fishing Opportunities

I used the term 'windows of opportunity' in a recent daily newsletter when describing any salmon fishing day and how you should never switch off. One of the biggest assets involved in catch Spring salmon on any river is not the fly or rod you're using or the brand label on your chest waders or any of the other things our minds get easily distracted with these days in this salmon fishing 'bling' era. The component that catches salmon is 'educated consistency' of approach and nothing else.

Is Your Salmon Fishing Cup Half Empty Or Half Full

The psychology of salmon fishing whether your a professional ghillie or a recreational salmon fisher is truly the most fascinating topic of all. Never let your head go down as if you stay positive and consistent our Salmon God will 'tip you the wink' at some point and usually when you're least expecting it! If you're a surface dweller you'll never get your head around this massively multifaceted sport and how Scottish salmon fishing can be the most rewarding issuer of the highest of highs following the adrenalin buzz of hooking & landing a corker of a fish. On the other hand regardless of how many salmon you've caught or your 'life served' PHD in this pursuit the salmon river can easily switch into being the most amazing leveller of any ego! Personally I've learned to love the less successful days when I've been schooled as they are indeed the true moments of growth!