During periods of high water like this on the River Tay you need to be searching for salmon close to the edge of the riverbank as fish will lie in close during these conditions. It's also safer for a salmon fisher not to wade into the river during such conditions. Learn how to catch salmon and approach the salmon river correctly with a professional Scottish salmon guide. This is my salmon fly rod and reel lying at the side of the river in this high water photograph.

Look at the River Tay salmon fishing guest in this fine high water photograph of the lower section of the river catchment. You can see the River Tay salmon boat which I used to bring the fisher over from the opposite riverbank. I took this shot during August while working as a River Tay salmon fishing guide for this client.

During higher water levels like this you don't have to wade into the river as the river can be fished from the numerous and safer grassy riverbanks liuke this salmon angler is doing. Salmon are located close to the river edge in high water so your fly should be fished right into the edge before recasting. This green grassy bank is on the tail of the Cottar Pool on the Newtyle Beat looking down to the Boil Pool in the distance.

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.

Here's a lovely dusk shot pointing right across the Tay and up into the River Tummel which is a great area of the Tay Valley for catching salmon. This area fishes well from March through to October each year and is located between the towns of Pitlochry & Dunkeld which have an abundance of quality accommodation options. Look at the high water and stormy sky in this picture.

Here's a guided River Tay salmon fishing guest powering out a nice line with his Spey casting rod on the Catholes salmon fishing beat of the River Tay near Stanley. You can see his fishing buddy slightly upstream and behind him the traditional Tay salmon boat which I used to bring them across to this riverbank as their personal salmon fishing guide and boatman that day.

Salmon Fishing Tactics

By Jock Monteith 9th May 2026

Having a good understanding of where to locate salmon in any water height is always going to give you a distinct salmon fishing advantage.

Throwing a fly out into the river without any thought as to where fish may be holding is logically not going to give you the optimal chances of success compared to a carefully swum fly that's targeting certain likely salmon holding areas of the pool.

High Water Salmon Fly Fishing Conditions

In high water conditions salmon tend to be pushed out of their normal holding areas by the increased water pressure and will take refuge in the slacker deeper water at the side of the river. The fishing tactics during high water conditions should be a careful short lined approach with particular attention being paid to the edges of the stream that can be as little as one rod's length away from the riverbank.

Fishing A Short Line For Salmon

Obviously if salmon are holding in these short range areas during high water your approach needs to be very controlled and stealthy to give yourself the optimal chance of success. I've seen so many fishers approach such conditions by wading right through these riverside areas and still trying to fish a long line to the middle river low water holding areas without realising the salmon lies have changed.

High Water Salmon Fishing Tactics

During these high water conditions a light sink tip with not too heavy a fly is the order of the day so the fly can fish right into the grass verge or riverbank stones without getting snagged or bottoming out while fishing through these likely high water holding areas. On many occasions when I've given this advice to anglers who ignored what I was telling them I've seen salmon show between their wading position and the riverbank while they were fishing!

Fishing The Margins Of A Salmon River

High water conditions hardly requires you to be in the river at all and if you stay out of the water and fish a short controlled salmon fly you will increase your chances even further. You'll then be in maximum stealth mode with little chance of spooking any close lying salmon. Look for that calmer deepish water at the edge of the river and get your salmon fishing tactics correct if you want to experience salmon fishing success during high water conditions.