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 personally manufactured & named this salmon pool 25 years ago as previously it was a big deep hole full of fallen trees and was completely un-fishable. It took one week and much gravel movement to create and pack this perfect salmon fishing riverbank you can see. The pool was named The Trap as it is indeed a trap for running Tay salmon as the deep water channel flows right through this side of the river forcing salmon to come through and stop in this beautiful pool.

This Steps Pool on the Newtyle Beat is a productive salmon holding pool on the River Tay many salmon hold up here due to the series of giant riverbed stones that span right across the Tay in this pool hence the pool's name. The salmon fisher you see is fishing this easy side of the pool where the riverbed is gently tapered and therefore easy to wade through.

This was my first fish of the 2024 River Tay salmon fishing season and a fine fish too as you can clearly see here in this photograph. Look at its beautiful oceanic colours as they highlight against the dark browns of the river environment. I caught this fine at the Rock Pool on Kinnaird Water which has always been a good Spring salmon fishing area.

This is the neck of the famous Ash Tree Pool on the Lower Kinnaird salmon beat which has a lovely fly fishing stream that you can see where many salmon hold up during late Spring through to early Autumn each year. This side of the river is the easiest side to fish from and this salmon fishing trip guest was accompanied by his professional salmon guide.

Here's an angler out fly fishing the renowned Meeting Pool on the River Tay's Upper Kinnaird salmon beat which is a perfect salmon fishing hot spot and one where many new salmon fishers are launched into the sport each year. This is the confluence of the rivers Tay & Tummel and the Tay is the river that goes up to the left hand side of frame. Look at the beautiful big riverbank oak tree to the left of frame.

A stoney riverbank of the River Spey where native alder trees cast shadows on the deeper part of the river where salmon shelter from the sun on brighter days. Our River Spey salmon fishing guides love to bring Spey salmon fishing trip guests to this beautiful water which is located on the famous Tulchan Estate near the Speyside town of Grantown on Spey.

Here's the most perfect classroom of all for learning how to fish for salmon with a double handed fly rod. Many salmon are caught on this perfect area of the River Tay which is located just over an hour north of Glasgow & Edinburgh.

Look at the nice streamy water that starts to fade out 100 yards downstream of where this River Tay salmon fishing holiday fisherman is positioned. Salmon will briefly stop there before pushing on up through the streamy water above. Now you'll start feeling like you can sense the presence of salmon once you can identify their likely holding areas.

Sensing A Salmon

By Jock Monteith 5th May 2026

If you want to achieve real success in Scottish salmon fishing you need to start looking at the river like a big hungry dog otter!

I don't mean for one minute you should grow thick whiskers and practice holding your breath in the bath however there's a big advantage in becoming a riverbank 'possibility thinker' and sub surface clairvoyant!

Salmon Fishing In Scotland Gut Feelings

The most valuable salmon fishing kit you'll ever use on any Scottish salmon riverbank is your subconscious mind and your good old reliable gut feelings. When you've spent enough time looking at salmon rivers like an otter has you'll have a visual blueprint of 'where to search' well and truly embedded in your mind that doesn't require a second thought. This experience will keep your fly swim time optimised whether you're actually aware of it or not. Optimised salmon fly swim time plays a big part in success once you've mastered the important basic salmon fishing & riverbank movement skills. Being tuned in enough to listen & act on the most gentle 'nudges' in the back of your mind can often be the difference between a blank day or a salmon!

Here's a River Tay guided salmon fishing guest fishing from the sand bank at the Rock Pool on the Kinnaird Beat near Pitlochry. I've guided guests to many salmon in here and from both banks too but this side is easy to fish from and especially with a spinner. The Rock Pool in front of this salmon fisher has depth of 20ft and a 'counted down' spinner can be deadly in here during low water conditions when salmon are lying deep.

Never Assume Salmon Are Not Present

Never look at a salmon river and assume you've no sub surface audience as that will very seldom be the case. Just because salmon aren't showing as they sometimes do or fish haven't been caught matters not a jot. This is a business of 'windows of opportunity' which appear and disappear throughout the duration of all salmon fishing days like moving targets on a shooting range. If your analysis of the pools you're fishing has identified and is covering the likely salmon holding areas properly it's your fly that going to get the attention when these opportunities arise. Over the decades I've seen angler's heads go down too quickly on numerous occasions to a point where they've virtually given up and usually just before another fisher hooks and lands a perfect fish.

There's loads of these beautiful little native creatures on the Scottish salmon rivers and it's an honour to have a sighting of one from time to time. This photo was taken of a feeding otter on the Kinnaird Beat's Ash Tree Pool where a colony of otters reside. When you're out on a salmon fishing day on the River Tay you'll often be amazed at the wildlife you'll observe.

Become The Dog Otter To Guarantee Success

Get yourself properly into the 'vibe of the river' and recognise quickly that you're dealing with a magnificent ever changing & ever adjusting slice of Mother Nature's finest creation. Watch it closely and all the subtleties that go hand in hand with all salmon fishing days and watch for the links between the slightest of natural adjustments and how salmon often react. This pursuit goes way deeper than most salmon fishers could ever imagine and real success is born out of 'being at one' with the river and all her glorious magnificence. All of the late Scottish ghillie legends I was fortunate to meet as a boy were hugely into Mother Nature and their success with salmon was simply a bi-product of that union.

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.

Stay Under The Salmon's Radar

Tuning into the salmon river is very important and only time spent on the salmon river will truly develop this skill. Having the ability to scan for the likely taking or holding areas of a salmon pool will again come with time but whatever you do don't blow your chances of success by letting the underworld sense you! Getting your pool approach just right even on big salmon rivers like the Tay is important as chances to score on any salmon river are seldom plentiful. Don't cast a shadow or walk right up the side of the pool you're about to fish back down through. See things as others will see you and that includes your silvery quarry! The first thing a salmon should ever sense is the presence of your fly and nothing else followed by the eventual nearing of your landing net!

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.

For More Information On Salmon Fishing Tactics

This website's recently launched sister site has a search directory for 'Questions & Answers' regarding various different salmon fishing topics & tactics. Although this new website is still a 'work in progress' there are already some informative articles on it which may assist new salmon fishers to develop their salmon fishing skills. Follow this Salmon Fishing Portal link for access to this new Scottish salmon fishing information source.