Here's a perfectly stocked salmon fly fishing box which was manufactured by Wheatley in England. These fly patterns include Red Flamethrowers, Orange Flamethrowers, Copperass to name a few. It's always good to have a quality selection of flies like this to draw on throughout the seasonal salmon fishing in Scotland.

Look at this perfectly tied Jock's Shrimp salmon fly that's been tied with soft 'movement inducing' materials like Arctic fox. When a fly like this is swum in the stream these fine fibres come alive and make the fly move like a live creature therefore making them much more effective than other stiffer fly tying materials.

Here's my most deadly weapon salmon fly pattern the Copperass. I built a thriving salmon fishing guide business on the back of this pattern such is its salmon attracting potency. For anyone who would like their salmon fly rod pulled out of their hands here's the correct fly dressing materials;
Hook: 1

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

Always carry a few coiled up spare leaders in your fly box like you see here just in case needed while out on the river. Learn how to prepare your salmon fishing approach via tuition from a professional salmon guide. This Wheatley fly box includes my main favourite salmon flies like the Jock's Shrimp & Copperass salmon fly patterns.

Here's a look at my own personal salmon fly box which includes my main 2 salmon fly patterns which are the Jock's Shrimp & Copperass salmon fly patterns. These 2 patterns have been responsible for over 80% of the salmon I've caught in the last 2 decades. This shot was taken at the River Tay/Tummel confluence near the Perthshire town of Pitlochry.

This Ally's Shrimp salmon fly hybrid with it's green pearlescent body is an absolute salmon magnet during duller salmon fishing days and especially if tied with Artic fox fur in the tail & wing as you see here. On an overcast day this fly has serious presence in the stream and often cannot be ignored by salmon.

Here's a lovely well stocked salmon fly box containing a few highly effective salmon flies. It's good practice to sort out your fly boxes a few times every season and get your fly stock in good order like this. The predominant fly pattern that you see in this big fly box is the Monteith 'Copperass' pattern which is a particularly effective salmon fly which I designed while working on the Tay as a professional salmon guide.

So much nonsense is spoken about how to hook a salmon on the fly which results in the loss on thousands of Scottish salmon each year. Book a professional guide to get you into position and then show you exactly how to set the salmon fly hook effectively. This salmon in the landing net was hooked properly on the River Tay near the rivers Tay & Tummel confluence which is a great fishing area near Dunkeld in Perthshire.

Salmon Fishing Preparedness

By Jock Monteith 8th July 2026

It's not just the salmon beat ghillie who's got to get his beat & fishing hut in top order to receive guests but the anglers also have a responsibility to turn up at the river with everything they need and in good working order for a real chance of a fish.

Here's Jock Monteith photographed with his black labrador dog 'Selkie' in the Cottar Pool of the Newtyle Beat during late Spring. This shot was taken by professional Scottish photographer Peter Sandground while Jock was in his tweed jacket and traditional River Tay salmon fishing boat near Dunkeld. You can almost make out the bluebells on the grassy slopes in the background.

Salmon Fishing Mind Control

Once this business starts consuming your every thought (if it isn't already doing so!) you'll find it difficult not to dwell on the sport even if you're weeks away from your next river outing. Tackle shops, fishing websites and tying flies will keep you tuned in with all the latest salmon fishing products and fish that have been landed so the reality is that when your mind is engaged on this amazing pursuit the actual salmon fishing time for most anglers only equates to about 10% at best! What a great sport indeed that can do this and so typical of the magic & excitement that surrounds the capture of a wild Atlantic salmon. It's good to have an obsession in life that's as healthy as pursuing God's finest marine creature on a beautiful Scottish river.

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.

Look After Your Salmon Fishing Kit

A serious salmon fisher will take great pride in making sure they've got the correct equipment levels and everything is in good working order. It's the little things that count in salmon fishing like having a couple of your known favourite salmon flies as spares and an extra length of leader material coiled up in your pocket and a pair of forceps clipped onto your fishing jacket to ease the unhooking process to get the fish back into the stream quicker. Have your tackle bag perfectly organised and your fly reel with that faint smell of WD40 and you'll be amazed when that side of things is in perfect order how you'll then take your fishing approach even more seriously. Clean your fly line frequently too and not just at the end of the season for optimal performance through your rod rings. Airflo Whizz Lube is amazing cleaner and I use this after at least every third river outing once I've dried my fly line & backing at home.

The Productive Messy Salmon Fly Box

Look at the above pretty picture of a well stocked salmon fly box. Isn't it lovely to see the perfectly aligned patterns and sizes all sitting in neat little rows. Well on the face of things a fly box should only look like this as the start of the season after it's annual sort out as the fly box of a productive salmon fisher or ghillie should look like a dog's breakfast but where two or three of the favourite patterns could be selected while the owner is blindfolded! That doesn't mean that your favourite salmon fly shouldn't be dried off properly after use which is always good practice but if you're a professional ghillie or serious salmon fisher you'll find it difficult to sort out your salmon flies to the same degree of perfection which the long 'tedious' hours of the closed season provide!

Once you've got enough faith in a specific salmon fly pattern then look for the fly that outperforms it's replica associates. Here's a selection of my 'Jock Shrimp' & 'Copperass' patterns with a few other aces that I sometimes fish with too. I love these old aluminium Richard Wheatley fly boxes too and have many of them which I've collected over the decades.

Modern Day Salmon Fly Tinsel Dressings

The exotic feathers and furs once used for traditional salmon fly tying have been largely replaced by the most fantastic dressings in a vast selection of modern materials and colours. These days you can literally choose the colour of 'glint' your salmon fly is omitting. For me personally it's a gold 'glint' for the first half of the season and a copper 'glint' for the second half. 2 thin long strands of this modern day flat or holographic tinsel tied into the wing of any fly transmits a powerful intermittent 'come and get me' morse code message to a salmon without jamming the radio waves like a more flashy version would do! 2 long strands that are about 1/2 of an inch to 1 inch longer than the wing of the fly (depending on fly size) will flicker like a snakes tongue in the stream and I've seen numerous occasions while fishing a fly with the above where it's even been taken when the fly is virtually static on the dangle!