Here's a traditional River Tay 'coble' boat working off a long rope which allows a boat fisher to cover the salmon lies as the boatman slowing releases a yard of rope between each cast. This is a traditional boat fishing tactic on the larger Scottish salmon rivers and is a highly effective method for catching salmon. In the background you can see the lawn of the Dunkeld Cathedral grounds in Dunkeld.

Here's a happy salmon fishing guide with the fine result of some perseverance from the traditional larch built River Tay salmon fishing boat. This Spring salmon was caught slightly upstream of the famous Telford Bridge at Dunkeld which is a great salmon fishing area of the Tay. This salmon was quickly released after this photograph was taken.

The traditional River Tay salmon fishing boats are exceptionally productive during the higher water levels of early Spring as this fortunate salmon fisher found out at Dunkeld. The boat allows for a slower salmon lure to be fished which is a great cold water presentation tactic which resulted in the capture of this heavyweight salmon. You can see the salmon in the landing net prior to being released back to the river.

Here's a salmon fly fisher out in a traditional River Tay coble boat covering the Cathedral Stream salmon pool with a fly rod. This is a great area for a resting salmon to be located that's navigated up through the fast water below the bridge. The Telford Bridge you can see in the shot is over 200 years old and joins the village of Birnam to the town of Dunkeld.

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

There's something magical about fishing the Cathedral Stream on the Dunkeld House Beat of the River Tay. Maybe it's something to do with the old ley lines that run through this location. This natural energy can be felt by anglers and salmon! I took this shot of the salmon beat head ghillie in his boat while serving as the accompanying guest's salmon fishing guide. I took this upstream shot from the mid section of the 200 year old Telford Bridge at Dunkeld.

Salmon Fishing Results

By Jock Monteith 27th May 2018

Now that the Spring run is drawing to a close and we enter the warmer weather patterns of Summer it's important that you understand how to catch faster running Summer salmon.

These fast running salmon require the 'little and often' approach of their main salmon lies as they can appear and disappear just as quickly.

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.

The Dunkeld House Salmon Beat

Take the Dunkeld House beat as an example of what I'm meaning here. This lower warmer water has basically divided the beat into 3 serious fly fishing ambush points. The main one is the amazing Cathedral Stream where any running salmon has to swim up through a 20 yard broken water channel which lies directly off the Cathedral's stone riverbank wall. The shallow and undulating riverbed features of this pool are perfect for stopping even the hardest running salmon which is even more enhanced by the 450 yards of fast thin water directly downstream that salmon have to battle up through.

This is the Cathedral Pool on the River Tay in Dunkeld which is a great salmon fishing proposition for visiting salmon fishing holiday visitors. When salmon run up through the fast water underneath the downstream sandstone Telford Bridge they stop right here in front of the camera for a rest where they can be fairly easily caught.

The Amazing Cathedral Stream

In addition to that I'd defy any Scottish salmon angler to say they've fished a pool anywhere in Scotland that's got the same charm as the Dunkeld House beat's Cathedral Stream and it looks as if a chunk of the River Dee's perfect shallow riverbed has been transplanted into the Tay! Add in a perfect flow for the fly, the bells of the Cathedral, amazing natural native tree clad hillsides and the commanding Telford Bridge and you've truly something unique! The other two fly fishing hot spots for a great chance of a 'stopper' on Dunkeld House are at the tail of the Rock Pool & the tail of the Lady pool where there's also a fair chance of an encounter with hard running Summer River Tay silverware!

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.

Salmon Fly Subtlety

This is a truly magical time of year when the fly comes into a class of its own and well presented small flies are the order of the day. This is the time to figure out on any beat exactly where a hard running Summer salmon is likely to appear and stop. Now's the time to ignore the other areas of a salmon beat that would have been attractive in the higher & colder water levels of early Spring. This is now also the time for a little dark fly approach to highlight against the brighter light conditions and the time to get rid of the salmon fly dressing 'bling' and keep the emphasis on 'subtle' small salmon fly presentation.

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 Lie Coverage Consistency

Often I've seen the second, third or sometimes even the forth swing through a pool over the course of the day was the attempt that brought the desired result. With that in mind you've go to understand that once a pool is fished it means nothing if a salmon hasn't cooperated as fish can move in at any time without them necessarily even showing themselves. In addition to that salmon that have ignored your first offering can all of a sudden 'switch on' for whatever reason or react better to a different fly pattern so never 'write off' a salmon lie as it's only ever a matter of time before another fish get's caught there.

Salmon Fly Scouting

In salmon fishing and even during the best of times you've still got to take a measured 'long game' approach and understand that how one split second moment of 'insanity' from a salmon can be the 'fine line' difference between a fish or a blank. Get your 'water coverage' movement in good order and stay focussed as you force your fly to methodically 'scout' through all the salmon pools. Take note where you've seen a fish and try to show it something different later but keep going with an underlying sense of confidence due to the fact that sooner or later a salmon is going to react favourably to your efforts.