Here's a fine shot of the River Tay near Logierait which is one of the most scenic areas on the entire River Tay Valley. This is also a very popular area for visiting salmon fishers which flock to this are in pursuit of a salmon between March and October each year. These are mainly alder & oak trees that you see in this lovely shot.

Here's a perfectly coloured traditional River Tay cobble salmon boat blending in with the riverbank stones slightly upstream of the River Tummel/Tay confluence. This is the tail of the Rock Pool which lies between the Perthshire towns of Pitlochry & Dunkeld. The riverbank trees in the shot are primarily oak trees.

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.

This fine shot is of the River Tay in Scotland shows a salmon angler out wading in the river with his double handed salmon fly rod. This easy to wade gravel bank is popular with salmon fishing guests who come to salmon fish on the Tay.

This perfect Newtyle salmon pool is known as 'The Boil' due to a huge riverbed stone that's positioned in the middle of the river opposite this salmon fisher which creates a huge boiling effect on the river surface. You can see Birnam Hill in the distance.

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.

The dark glassy water shown here at the tail of the Trap Pool on the Tay's Newtyle Beat is one of those hot spots where salmon love to stop after powering up through the faster water below. This pool and the downstream Cottar Pool are a delight to fly fish through with always a real chance of some salmon action. I took this shot while working as a salmon fishing guide on this lovely River Tay salmon beat.

Here's a salmon fishing guest fly fishing their way down through the Gean Tree Pool of the River Tay's Kercock salmon beat. This guest was under the supervision of a professional salmon guide resulting in 2 salmon being caught by this fisher that day even though it was a very bright July day. Look at the lovely sunlight sparkle coming off the water.

River Tay Salmon Fishing

By Jock Monteith

The River Tay is Scotland's largest salmon river at 117 miles in length and its catchment covers a massive 2000 square miles of central & highland Scotland. The Tay start its humble headwater course way up on the slopes of Ben Lui in the West before eventually meeting the north sea at Dundee on the East coast of Scotland.

The Tay's main tributary rivers Tummel, Dochart, Lyon, Lochay, Earn, Isla & Almond are as big as many other independent Scottish salmon rivers. The Tay is without doubt the King of Scottish salmon rivers and has an enviable 'big fish' reputation.

Here's an upstream shot of the neck of the Boatlands salmon pool with the Dunkeld Hills visible in the background which is typical of the perfect scenery on the middle area of the River Tay. This salmon fisher shot was taken by myself as I was this angler's salmon fishing guide for the day.

Scotland's Most Accessible & Fishable Salmon River

The Tay is Scotland's most accessible salmon fishing river due to its huge size and consistent loch fed water levels. Even through the lowest Summer water levels salmon always have enough water to run the Tay. In addition to this even when there's too much water following significant & prolonged heavy rainfall the Tay is often still fishable due to the huge lochs that act as settling tanks keeping flood water colour sedimentation levels to a minimum. The famous River Tay is easy to reach from the major Scottish hubs of Glasgow & Edinburgh which are both approximately 90 minutes away by car.

Georgina Ballantine's 64 lbs salmon from the Glendelvine Beat of the Tay was caught on the 7th of October 1922. This British record salmon was finally landed in the darkness downstream of the then old iron Caputh Bridge after and epic battle that lasted over an hour. The fish was hooked in the Boat Pool neck a few hundred yards upstream of the Caputh Bridge. The old Iron Caputh Bridge was dismantled 20+ years ago and now there's a slick new modern road bridge there. If you look over the upstream side of the new bridge you can still see the stanchion foundations of the old bridge on the riverbed.

The Big Fish River Tay

A huge salmon of 64lbs was caught in the 'Boat Pool' on the Tay's famous Glendelvine Beat in 1922 by lady salmon fisher Georgina Ballantine which is still the British rod caught record salmon. In recent salmon fishing seasons salmon of 40lbs have been landed including one which was recently caught during October which was 45lbs in weight. Having worked on the Tay for most of my life I have no doubt that salmon of 50lbs and bigger still enter the River Tay system especially during late Autumn as often dead 'kelts' (salmon that have spawned) are found in early Spring that are in this monster River Tay salmon category.

River Tay Fishing Season

The River Tay salmon fishing season opens on the 15th of January each year and a fresh run salmon are present at this time and thoughout February. Once the month of March arrives things always change dramatically as many more salmon appear in greater numbers as they migrate to Loch Tay & rivers Isla and Tummel. March usually brings a little bit more warmth which encourage fresh Spring salmon to push up river and the prolific river Tummel & Isla tributaries can be very good from March onwards. The later Spring & Summer months bring more runs of salmon daily into the Tay system. From August onwards large numbers of Autumn salmon build up in the lower Tay and big catches of salmon are often recorded on the lower Tay in Autumn. The middle and upper River Tay salmon fishing beats can be very productive too in the Autumn months and much is to do with water levels & temperatures like any any other seasons of the salmon fishing season.

Here's all of the days fishing kit laid out waiting for the fishing guests to arrive on the River Tay near Dunkeld. You can see there's both fly rods and spinning rods in addition to a big McLean salmon landing net and Brady fishing bag full of lures, flies and other important salmon fly fishing accessories.

River Tay Salmon Fishing Equipment

Chest waders will studded boots are very important on the River Tay to get a good grip of the riverbank and the riverbed stones. Polaroid sunglasses are an important piece of kit too which help considerably with wading and eye protection. A wading stick is also worthwhile for those who aren't confident when wading along with a mandatory life jacket just to be completely safe while wading in the river. A selection of salmon fly rods and salmon spin fishing rods along with a large framed salmon landing net are all required for salmon fishing on the River Tay.

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.

River Tay Fly Fishing Equipment

The best fly fishing equipment for the River Tay is a salmon fly rod between 14-16ft ft. These double handed salmon fly rods paired with a floating line and a sink tip will cover most seasonal water conditions. In low Summer water this full floating line with sink tip is still perfect for the Tay's deep pools. In the early Spring a full intermediate line or a longer heavier sink tip can be added to a floating line if conditions dictate a deeper fly swim approach.

This is my own personal selection of proven salmon fly patterns that I have complete fishing faith in and which have consistently caught me salmon over the last 3 decades. The main patterns you can see here are the Silver Stoat, Jock's Shrimp, Copperass & Sunray Shadow.

River Tay Salmon Flies

Popular Spring salmon flies are the deadly 'Dee Monkey' and 'Copperass' tube fly patterns tied on 1 inch copper tube bodies work well in the early cold water months of January, February & March. The 'Copperass' tied on a double size 9 is the perfect 'proven' pattern from April though to the end of May. Through the Summer months of June & July I can't see past the traditional 'Silver Stoat' or 'Blue Charm' patterns which have always stood the test of time when it comes to attracting salmon during low, warm clear water periods of the year. As Autumn approaches traditionally salmon flies with orange or red in them do well and for August and the first half of September these colours are a safe bet. The pattern I personally use is called the 'Jock's Shrimp' which can be viewed on the River Tay salmon fishing beat presentation pages. After mid September I'll move on to a one inch copper tube version of this highly successful River Tay Autumn salmon fly pattern.

I took this shot of the city of Perth while walking across the River Tay bridge. You can see the fast streamy water of these low Summer water conditions. Perth is a lovely town where many of our salmon fishing vacation guests like to stay as all Tay salmon beats are within easy driving distance from here.

River Tay Towns & Hotels

Many popular & picturesque Scottish towns are situated in the River Tay valley such as Aberfeldy, Pitlochry, Dunkeld, & Stanley and the city of Perth is located where the River Tay's fresh water meets the north sea. There are many quality hotels and B&B's in the River Tay valley and the majority of which are located within easy travelling distance to the best salmon fishing locations. All of the River Tay Valley hotels provide evening meals, packed lunches and a have a great selection of Scotland's finest malt whiskies for an evening dram to wind down the fishing day with.

This fine shot of professional Scottish salmon guide Jock was taken in the Cottar Pool of the River Tay near Dunkeld and was taken by professional Glasgow based photographer Peter Sandground for the Glasgow Herald Magazine. Jock's black labrador is sitting in the bow of the boat.

A Special Scottish Salmon River

From a personal point of view I caught my first salmon in 1970 at the age of 5 years on this majestic Scottish salmon river so my own personal relationship with the Tay is very special and has spanned decades as a professional ghillie providing quality introductions to River Tay salmon fishing for literally thousands of salmon fishers. Once you've fished the mighty River Tay and breathed in its seasonal magnificence don't be surprised if she lures you back annually such is her outstanding natural beauty and excellent salmon fishing.

River Tay Fishing Methods

The popular & traditional River Tay salmon fishing methods are fly fishing with a 14ft to 16ft double handed salmon fly rod, spinning with a 9ft to 11ft spin fishing rod & traditional boat fishing with multiple rods working at the same time which is known as harling (which is a form of trolling). The boat or riverbank approach with any of the above methods is normal and effective. A professional salmon fishing guide will always advise of the best salmon fishing approach based on the daily prevailing water conditions. Sometimes a mutltiple tactical approach is best when deployed over the full course of the salmon fishing day. This approach also make for a more interesting and informative fishing day for salmon fishing trip clients when they see all of the above tactical salmon fishing approaches being deployed on the River Tay.

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.

Book A Professional River Tay Salmon Fishing Guide

If you're new to Scottish salmon fishing or in need of some tactical salmon fishing fine tuning book a River Tay salmon guide who will supply all of the required salmon fishing equipment and teach you how to fish for salmon on a quality salmon fishing beat of the famous River Tay. The River Tay salmon fishing season officially opens each year on the 15th of January and closes on the 15th of October so it's a long salmon fishing season for easy planning for your perfect Scottish salmon fishing trip.

River Tay Salmon Conservation

Several years ago the River Tay management tightened up their salmon stock conservation policy to increase salmon stock levels. The recent good runs of salmon that the Tay has been enjoying through 'Catch & Release' have without doubt been due to this sensible & globally accepted conservation measure. In addition to this salmon fishing recommendation the Scottish Goverrnment made it illegal to kill a wild salmon up to the 1st of April each year. These basic stock management policies will stand the River Tay's salmon stocks in good stead for future decades.

River Tay Seasonal Salmon Runs

During the Spring & Summer months many salmon are landed in the 20lbs & ocassional 30lbs class and I'm sure it is only a matter of time before a Spring or Summer salmon of 40lbs is caught. There is a traditional run of heavyweight Spring salmon that heads for Loch Tay & the River Tummel near Pitlochry during the earlier months of the Tay's salmon fishing season. Salmon of the 40lbs class have been often seen in the Pitlochry dam's fish ladder viewing chamber on the River Tummel which is a prolific Spring River Tay tributary river. On average the River Tay produces between 4,000 & 7,000 rod caught salmon each season.

Salmon Fishing Beats

Newtyle

The Famous Newtyle Beat Of The River Tay Became Part Of My Own Personal DNA Back In 1970 When I Caught My First Ever Salmon Under The Guidance Of Legendary Tay Ghillie Willie Laird.

Dunkeld Salmon Fishing

The Dunkeld Salmon Fishing Area Of The River Tay Is Which Is Located 16 Miles Above The Tidal Water At Perth.

Lower Kinnaird

When It Comes To The Middle River Tay There Are Simply No Other Salmon Beats That Resonate With Salmon Fishing History As Much As The Famous Lower Kinnaird Beat.

Upper Kinnaird

This Beautiful Middle Tay Salmon Beat Has To Be One Of The Most Perfectly Positioned And Grossly Under Fished Middle Tay Salmon Fishing Venues Of All.

Dalmarnock

The famous Dalmarnock Beat of the River Tay is yet another absolute hidden gem of a Scottish salmon fishery which has got way too much going for it for this brief presentation report.