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.

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 shot of a team of Copperass & Jock's Shrimp salmon flies that have just come off the fly tying vice. These 2 patterns are highly effective at all times of the Scottish salmon fishing season in varying sizes to cover all water & temperature conditions.

Here's a box of special salmon fly patterns that have landed me many salmon over my professional career. Carrying proven patterns increase you faith levels when you fish with them as faith is the most important component of a salmon fly. It's always good getting a glimpse of a salmon fishing guide's personal fly box and especially mine!

Personally I love to use the Partridge Nordic tube fly hooks as they are micro barbed, very sharp and very strong. A single hook also hooks salmon better and does almost no damage to the mouth of a fish with 'Catch & Release' in mind. A good strong single hook also keeps the fly on an even keel when it's fishing. Once you've landed a few salmon on a single hook you'll be unlikely to ever go back to doubles or treble hooks. These are 3 Jock's Shrimp salmon tube fly patterns which is of my own design.

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.

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

I designed this salmon fly while working on the River Tay as a professional salmon fishing guide so here are the exact dressing details for anyone wishing to tie this excellent fly pattern;
Hook: 1

The 'Copperass' salmon fly pattern is particularly deadly between 1 April - 30 May.

This salmon fly was carefully designed by myself while working as a professional River Tay salmon fishing guide. Here are the exact dressings if you'd like to tie this deadly salmon fly pattern; Hook: 1

Prepare Your Salmon Fly Box

By Jock Monteith 2nd October 2025

Your own personal collection of salmon flies that you carry about on the Scottish riverbanks should inspire you for choice every time you open it.

Personally I love to tie a specific fly pattern that I have complete faith in like a few of the 'wee beasties' you see here.

Sometimes in low warm water Summer fishing conditions it can be an effective strategy to use very small lightly dressed salmon flies like the ones in this picture. It often amazes me as to how small a fly a salmon will come for and sometimes even in higher water conditions too! This fly box was photographed on the River Tay at Dunkeld by Peter Sandground who's one of Scotland's leading photographers.

Salmon Have Salmon Acute Vision

I've heard people say salmon are colour blind but I'm not convinced that is indeed a fact as they themselves change and adapt their own colours to suit either the sea, river life & spawning cycle. I've also noticed a much higher interest in orange and red based salmon fly patterns through the Autumn months and especially with aggressive cock salmon that are similarly coloured.

Salmon Flies To Use

On a personal basis I've narrowed the salmon fly patterns I personally use down to around half a dozen patterns which I'll keep a few different sizes of for various water conditions. In order of importance here are the patterns I don't deviate too much from; The Copper Ass, The Jock's Shrimp, The Sunray Shadow, The Silver Stoat, The Red Francis & The Gold Bodied Willie Gunn. These patterns I have complete career based faith in and cover all of the seasonally expected water conditions whether tied on 2 inch tube bodies or on tiny size 13's.

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.

Try Salmon Fly Opposites

It's obviously always only the fly that you're using that catches the fish but it's always re-assuring to know you've got other fly pattern options available too especially if you know you've covered a salmon without even a nudge. In a situation like that I love to have a brief go with something completely different and often this 'polar opposite' salmon fly pattern switch will achieve the desired reaction from a fish.

If you've hooked your salmon correctly and played the fish properly then managed to steer the fish to a quieter area of the salmon pool then the landing stage is nothing more than drawing the fish over a pre-sunk landing net then simple lifting the net as you can see here.

Watch Salmon Response Behaviour

On the bigger Scottish rivers you'll not usually see a fish come to have a look at the fly so you're really only fishing in 'feel' mode. As a boy I used to spend much time up on the West Coast in granite based crystal clear highland spate rivers where you'd not only see every salmon in the pool but you'd also observe every flicker of their fins as the fly swung over their noses. You'd also usually always observe other salmon shadowing the fish you were playing which you're unlikely to be aware of on the bigger deeper Scottish rivers.

Here's one of my own Wheatley aluminium salmon fly boxes with a few choice patterns in it and a spare coiled up salmon leader. Once your salmon fly faith levels rise then you'll always know what fly to tie on during each month of the salmon fishing season.

Watching A Salmon Follow Your Fly

This type of situation will truly place your heart in your mouth as a fish tails your fly only to turn away at the last moment but it is indeed seriously exciting stuff when you're operating in 'visual' mode while fly fishing for salmon on the smaller shallower gin clear Scottish rivers. Especially on these small rivers a good pair of polaroids becomes your best friend and a true illuminator of every salmon's holding position and their reactions to the presence of the fly.

Build Your Own Salmon Fly Box Collection

Your own personal fly box should also be a fantastic memory box when you open it and look at the weathered patterns and slightly off centre hook points caused by the strain of powerful salmon battles over the years. A good individual salmon fly pattern that's built its own CV of success should remain in your fly box for many years until you receive the 'nudge' to deploy it again or retire it to your fishing cap!