Here's the most perfect River Tay salmon pool where the River Tummel meets the Tay. This has always been a great area for catching salmon on a fly. Located between the Perthshire towns of Pitlochry & Dunkeld this area is fairly easy to access from all major Scottish cities making it a must for any visiting salmon fishing trip guests. This salmon fisher was being guided by one of our salmon fishing guide team members who captured this lovely shot of the occasion.

Look at this shimmering River Tay fly water perfection and think about what could be lying up in here and ready for a careful salmon fly presentation. This is the perfect March Pool on Scotland's famous River Tay which is one such perfect fly pool in this middle River Tay fishing area between the Perthshire towns of Pitlochry & Dunkeld.

I can vividly recall the amazing thrill of landing this perfect fish during late May on the River Tay near Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire. Spring salmon in Scotland are always in perfect condition like you see here as this salmon lay beside my salmon fly rod and reel in the landing net before I released it back to the river.

This shot was taken at the tail of the Mike's Run Pool on the River Tummel during June. This is the very last pool on the River Tummel system before it joins the River Tay in the distance in front of the tall tree line you can see. Look at the perfect gravel & small stone riverbank that the high water pressure Tummel has created.

Salmon Fishing Advice

By Jock Monteith 23rd April 2026

Here’s a few wee thoughts to consider the next time your out on your favourite salmon beat swinging your fly over the known salmon lies.

They say it’s the little things that can make a big difference and in salmon fishing it’s no different.

Always Listen Carefully To Your Ghillie

Even if you’re a true 'Captain of Industry' in the real world give the beat ghillie the respect he deserves by listening carefully to his advice on how to fish the pools. Absolutely nothing beats being on a river every day of the fishing season for working out exact salmon holding positions in all of the varying water conditions. If a certain 'hot spot' is identified to you by the ghillie then make sure you take that information on board unless you want to see another angler benefit from his advice and not you!

Here's a salmon fly fisher wading down through the mouth of the River Tummel where this river meets the River Tay. Technically he's wading too deep through this fast stream and if he came back in just a foot or two he'd reduce the water pressure significantly on the the back of his legs.

Don’t Wade Into A Salmon Pool Too Deep

Just because a pair of chest waders go all the way up to your chest it doesn’t mean you have to! When approaching any salmon pool always work on the assumption that salmon could be lying very close to the riverbank you’re fishing from as often they will be. A careless pool approach or too deep a wade could completely ruin your chances of what could have been an easy quick fish! Adopting the mindset of how salmon could be viewing you will always improve your batting average!

If you're serious about your salmon fishing you'll learn how to separate each swing of the fly effectively to achieve maximised water coverage over the full course of the fishing day. This lovely shot was taken of a guided salmon fishing guest on right hand bank the River Tay Kinnaird Beat's March pool while learning how to fish for salmon..

Space Each Swing Of The Fly Correctly

Inching you’re way down through a salmon pool not only frustrates other anglers who may have to fish behind you but also diminishes your chances of a subsurface assault on your fly. Salmon respond far better when they see a fly for the first time so make sure your riverbank movement is spaced by at least 3ft which will also allow you to cover much more water during each fishing day. Remember the fact that there's a far greater chance of obtaining the desired sub surface reaction from a fish that's been startled by your fly than from a fly that's bored it to death!

Here's the beautiful head of a perfect fresh run Scottish salmon which I caught on the fly during Springtime on the River Tay. Note how the head of this silver flanked fresh run Spring fish has turned beige to match the riverbed terrain of the river. This fine salmon took a fly near Dunkeld on the River Tay as was quickly released by me immediately after this shot was taken.

Reacting To The Salmon Take

Salmon have a great habit of taking your fly when your mind is completely elsewhere which could easily make you do something silly like quickly lifting the rod! The effective mantra to repeat over and over in your head is ‘do nothing’ as it’s crucial that you allow the fish to not only take a few 'dunts' at the fly but also to turn on the fly and to start to head back to its original holding position. Only when you’re totally convinced the fish has turned should you tighten on the fish to set the hook. The most ‘logical' way to apply this 'hook set' pressure is by clamping the reel face with the rod tip down until the weight of the fish is briefly felt and 'only' then lift the rod.

A salmon fisher playing a salmon on the lower River Tay near Stanley in Perthshire. Staying side on to the fish is the best approach if the riverbank & salmon permits this tactic. You can see the River Tay salmon guide at the ready with the landing net and the salmon fishing holiday guest positioned high up on the riverbank for maximum height advantage over the salmon.

Look For A Suitable Salmon Landing Area

Once battle commences with a salmon try to get into a position where the fish is being played opposite you. Playing a fish that’s been allowed to take a downstream position also brings the weight of the river into the equation and technically applies hook pressure in an 'out of mouth' potential direction which isn’t as safe as being opposite therefore applying pressure in an 'in to mouth’ direction. Always be looking for some calmer deepish 'snag free' water near the riverbank as an intended landing area to steer your salmon into when it’s ready to be landed. Positioning yourself optimally soon into the salmon fight greatly increases your chances of a successful outcome if you utilise this logic based advice.

This fine Scottish Summer salmon is lying in the fine meshed McLean 32 inch landing net on the riverbed cobble stones in the shallow water margins. A salmon fishing holiday guest of mine was the fortunate salmon fisher who hooked and landed this salmon on the River Tay near the mouth of the River Tummel while I was working as his personal salmon fishing guide.

Netting A Salmon

Whether you’re fishing alone or have a fishing colleague landing your fish for you don’t let them stand between you and your fish until the fish is showing obvious signs or tiring. Nothing rushes or kills the enjoyment of playing a salmon more than a ghillie or angler getting ready with the net too soon. In addition to that an early look at the net while a salmon still has full 'battery power' can result in the fish fighting even harder than what it normally would have done. When the time is right the angler should only have to draw the fish over the sunken net before the net is lifted and the salmon should never be ‘chased' around with the net. Over my career the only salmon I've ever seen that didn't survive capture were fish that had been played far too hard by the angler (especially in warmer oxygen depleted water) which had reciprocated to a point of total 'irrecoverable' exhaustion. When playing a salmon don't completely lay into it nor be too soft on it but take your time as necessary until you start to gain control of the fish.

This is the Rock Pool on the River Tay slightly upstream of the River Tay & River Tummel confluence which is just visible in the background. This is a very good salmon fishing area in Scotland and worthy of a salmon fishing trip. I took this beautiful shot in low water conditions during June after commuting down in this traditional Tay salmon boat.

Salmon Fishing Beat Etiquette

Most of the professional ghillies of Scotland put many unseen hours of continual effort into their already 'time intensive’ careers which in all too many cases isn’t properly remunerated by salmon beat owners. An unserviced salmon beat is never as good as fishing a fully serviced salmon beat where the riverbanks are maintained along with a nice clean tidy inviting salmon fishing hut. If you’ve enjoyed your day out in paradise and (regardless of whether or not you've scored) then pay respect to the beat ghillie on departure as these men are real ambassadors of the Scottish rivers and they should never be taken for granted nor should their life time investment in this fantastic pursuit be forgotten.