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Jock Monteith is a well known professional salmon fishing tour organiser in Scotland and leading professional salmon fishing guide. Jock is holding a perfect fresh run 14lbs Summer salmon in this shot at the Daffodil Lie Pool of the River Tay's Kinnaird Beat which he hooked after a few casts while testing out a salmon fishing trip client's new fly rod .
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.
Here's an angler spinning a fishing lure through the Kercock beat's main Gean Tree salmon pool during late morning in mid Summer. This salmon fishing guest was spin fishing from this steeper side of the river with an ABU Toby Salmo 30g in silver & copper lure.
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 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.

Salmon Fishing Expertise

By 12th November 2025

In whatever business or trade you've chosen in life you've either established a credible and thorough education in your field of expertise or you simply have not.

In Scottish salmon fishing the same logical rules apply where 'time in' experience is just as crucial to gaining a full understanding of the multi faceted skills and service levels that are necessary for giving any type of quality delivery experience in Scottish salmon fishing.

Here's a fabulous action photograph of Jock Monteith loading up a perfect Spey cast for long range salmon fly delivery across the River Tay with his tweed jacket and chest waders on. This shot was captured on the Meetings Pool of the Lower Kinnaird Beat by top Scottish photographer Louise Bellin.

Salmon Fishing Track Record

As a former River Tay head ghillie, Speycasting product designer & River Tay habitat enhancement pioneer it troubles me when I see agents in positions of influence giving advice about Scottish salmon fishing and what they think they know based on zero professional involvement in the vital 'hands on' side of this business. This is a true case of the 'blind leading the blind' and can never serve this industry properly going forward and is misleading and has an unquantifiable harmful long term effect on repeat salmon fishing bookings due to non existent client qualification via an inability to advise accurately.

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.

Taking Salmon Fishing Advice

Take advice in Scottish salmon fishing from those who have been involved in Scottish salmon fishing for their entire life if you wish accurate information on any aspect of it and steer well clear of the back seat drivers who'd have you believe they know everything about salmon behavioural patterns or other elements of the industry. A swanky high street CV is no substitute for decades of daily river life nor will it ever be for obvious logical reasons. Seek the true salmon fishing professionals for advice who've eaten, slept and breathed this business on a 'full time' riverbank capacity for at least a period of 10 years.

Here's an angler spinning a fishing lure through the Kercock beat's main Gean Tree salmon pool during late morning in mid Summer. This salmon fishing guest was spin fishing from this steeper side of the river with an ABU Toby Salmo 30g in silver & copper lure.

Salmon Fishing Professional Identification

A professional operator in Scottish salmon fishing will have an excellent grounding in various aspects of the industry from hosting varying types of visiting salmon fishers and showing them how salmon can be caught to knowing the vast majority of the Scottish salmon river scene and where the best chances of success are to be found through the different months of the salmon fishing season. The true 'professional' will also have that rare wealth of riverbank knowledge coupled with amazing client hosting abilities to accurately solve any information requests or occasionally smooth out any edgy behaviour from pre-stressed visiting salmon anglers.

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.

Professional Salmon Fishing Guides

In addition to the above a true professional in this business will have developed a 3rd eye for sensing the best time & place to locate a taking salmon and will be fully competent in the following skills; teaching Spey casting, fly tying, the riverbank approach, setting a hook, playing a salmon, landing a salmon, reading a salmon pool, handling a boat, client hosting, one-liner perfection, riverbank maintenance, boat maintenance, salmon fly selection, scenting a poacher, tying knots, serving malt, building up salmon rods and other essential general skills which only a 'full time' river life education can properly install.

 

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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.
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