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.

The red line represents the go no further point while approaching the perfect salmon lie at the mouth of the River Tummel near Dunkeld. I placed white coloured pizza shaped flat stones in the same line so anglers can clearly see where not to wade beyond while wading. This is the detail a professional salmon guide will go to to assist his fishing guests to catch salmon.

This perfect fish was one of 3 fish landed at sunrise on the River Tay during early June on a size 9 Jock's Shrimp salmon fly pattern fished off a floating line with an added 15ft sink tip section. The Tay often produces special moments for those astute enough to know how to fish it effectively. The Tay is Scotland's most accessible salmon river and less that 90 minutes from both Edinburgh & Glasgow.

This fine Summer River Tay salmon popped its nose up for an interview on the middle area of the River Tay near Logierait where many salmon like this are to be located through the Summer months. Professional guides know the required salmon fishing tactics and can help you to cover the likely salmon holding areas is are worth their weight in gold. This salmon is lying on the landing net beside my salmon fly rod & reel for this quick photograph before I released the fish.

Salmon Lie Approach

By 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!

Take careful small step when you're wading on unfamiliar riverbeds and don't commit your weight to your leading foot until you've got a firm riverbed footing. Here's one such angler doing just that on the River Tay near Pitlochry during good low water wading conditions.

Use A Stealthy Wading Approach

The first thing a salmon should ever be made aware of is your salmon fly and not the commotion of a deep wading salmon fisher who's not followed their ghillie's pool approach instructions and waded too close to the lie scattering any salmon in the process. Once a pool is 'rattled' like that it becomes very tricky to then get a fish to take a fly but catching a salmon off guard with a stealthy pool approach is a completely different matter!

I took this photograph of this salmon fisher on the River Tay while serving as his salmon fishing guide. The former legendary Kinnaird Beat ghillie Bob Grant always described the Guay Pool as his favourite and most productive salmon pool. Having personally steered many fishing guests to salmon in this lovely pool I can only agree with Bob's evaluation. Nothing has changed in recent years as the Guay Pool is still the most productive Lower Kinnaird Beat salmon pool.

Stealth Is Your Salmon Fishing Advantage

I've seen salmon fishers walk right up the side of a pool they are about to fish through and when they get to the neck I've watched them charge right in up to their waists creating a bow wave then wonder why they're continually blanking on the river! A 'wide berthed' stealthy slow walk to your starting position is always the best way for logical reasons and shin or ankle depth wading is all you really need to start fishing down through the majority of salmon pools.

Don't Disturb The Salmon Pool

Salmon love to sit in relaxed flow areas of the pool which can more often than not mean fairly close to the margins. Just because we often can't visually observe these fish it doesn't mean that they are not present so the 'tactful' approach is always the best one so always assume salmon are holding close in especially in the mornings when you're first through the pool before other anglers have had a chance to wreck it.

Move Through The Salmon Pool Carefully

Your approach to any salmon pool should be as subtle as you'd feed pigeons in a public park. If you run at the birds screaming 'I'm going to feed you' they'll be away up in the trees or roof tops within seconds. Slow and gentle movements with a few grains at a time to start with will in no time bring these birds to be almost feeding out of your hands. On the river I used to have a cock pheasant and a robin come right into the fishing hut and feed out of my hand until an angler drove in and banged their car door and both those birds would be gone. Treat your salmon pool with the same stealthy caution and don't be surprised if you receive a quick 'take' from the underworld!

Knowing how and where to wade through a salmon pool like this fisher is doing for minimal disruption is a vital skill to master in Scottish salmon fishing. Most anglers think that wading deeper is better but the true facts about wading are quite the opposite. Observe that this salmon fisher is only at knee depth so as not disturb the salmon pool which is essential for salmon fishing success.

Stay Safe On The Salmon River

All chest wader manufacturers do not put a buoyancy line at just over the waist level on their products so if you're wading down through a salmon pool impersonating Neil Armstrong's first moon walk you're too deep. The thing that catches anglers out on even a shallow fast stream is that all shallow water leads to deep water and once the current has bowled you over it can be very difficult to stand up again while being pushed by the relentless current. An automatic life jacket should always be worn as a salmon river can catch you out and usually when you're least expecting it.

Keep Back From The Salmon Lie

I would strongly suggest that you give yourself an absolute bare minimum of 2 rod lengths of clearance when fishing near any salmon lie but further back than that if the riverbank terrain and your casting ability allows it. Once salmon have been disturbed and have moved to a different or deeper part of the pool the best thing to do is leave the pool for a few hours to settle and come back for another go later. If you think that head of fish that were right under your rod in the morning are now holding on the other side of the pool then consider a stealthy approach from the far bank later on.