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Here's a fine shot of the 'swing' which is the middle section of the Spey cast between the 'lift' and the 'power stroke'. Look how perfectly taut the salmon fly line is for perfect energy transfer and full fly line energy power retention. This fantastic action photograph was captured by at the Meetings Pool on the Lower Kinnaird salmon beat near Dunkeld. I was working as a professional salmon fly fishing instructor when this fine shot was taken on the River Tay.
Here's a Scottish salmon fishing trip angler learning how to use is less dominant left hand to deliver a Spey cast to the river. It's often not easy for a fisher to change from their dominant right hand to the left but we specialise in making our salmon fishing anglers effective in Spey casting with both arms. Look at the lovely oak tree on the far riverbank and note the salmon fisher is wearing a life jacket along with his chest waders.
Here's a salmon fishing guest fly fishing their way down through the Gean Tree Pool of the River Tay's Kercock salmon beat. This guest was under the supervision of a professional salmon guide resulting in 2 salmon being caught by this fisher that day even though it was a very bright July day. Look at the lovely sunlight sparkle coming off the water.
Here's Jock Monteith amidst a Spey casting lesson on the River Tay under the historic Telford Bridge demonstrating perfect D Loop loading with the single Spey cast. The traditional Spey cast is the most effective and satisfying casts. This photo was taken by local Dunkeld photographer Charlie MacDonald. Jock is wearing his Graham of Menteith tartan kilt while demonstrating Spey cast with his 15ft Monteith salmon fly rod.
Here's professional salmon fishing guide Jock Monteith demonstrating the single Spey right hand up cast with his Graham of Menteith tartan kilt and lovat green Tweed jacket. The blue fishing hut across the river is the Newtyle Beat fishing hut near Dunkeld where Jock served as Head Ghillie for a decade. This shot was taken at the neck of the Newtyle Beat's Boil Pool.

Speycasting Tips & Advice

By 25th October 2025

If you've taken a casting lesson and been taught with a short floating shooting head with no sink tip attached best ask for your money back!

Seek out a ghillie who'll teach you exactly how to 'time' the release of your Spey cast anchor point correctly to force you to bring your peripheral vision into play.

Here's Jock Monteith amidst a Spey casting lesson on the River Tay under the historic Telford Bridge demonstrating perfect D Loop loading with the single Spey cast. The traditional Spey cast is the most effective and satisfying casts. This photo was taken by local Dunkeld photographer Charlie MacDonald. Jock is wearing his Graham of Menteith tartan kilt while demonstrating Spey cast with his 15ft Monteith salmon fly rod.

Teaching The Spey Cast Properly

There's no point learning the basics of the Spey cast to then go into a real fishing scenario where a long sink 3 tip is required and all of a sudden the casting progress you were making falls completely apart! Get yourself properly trained with 'live ammunition' by a conscientious instructor who'll teach you with a 'proper' braided core sink tip (not a lightweight polyleader) which forces you to watch the anchor point and more importantly to lift the line correctly in the first instance. I've never conducted a lesson on this easy cast without at least a 10ft sink 3 on the end of the floating Spey line to 'solidify' the valid points I'm about to make. 

Here's a salmon fishing guest fly fishing their way down through the Gean Tree Pool of the River Tay's Kercock salmon beat. This guest was under the supervision of a professional salmon guide resulting in 2 salmon being caught by this fisher that day even though it was a very bright July day. Look at the lovely sunlight sparkle coming off the water.

Salmon Fishing Racehorses

If you observe most Speycasters or 'underhand' casters you'll notice that the vast majority of them release the power stroke based on complete guesswork via a sense of timing. If they're really good they'll get away with it but for most anglers who haven't been taught correctly they'll make a mess of it as their sense of timing will not be sharp enough for every cast to be timed to perfection. Rather than allow testosterone to keep your head focussed on the target watch the anchor point instead! The simple logic behind that is if you get your timing off the water precisely correct then the target will take care of itself! The constantly changing water line height adjustments that occur while wading down through a pool which effect the power stroke release timings would mean you'd need to be Floyd Mayweather to get your power release precisely correct every time without watching!

Here's a Scottish salmon fishing trip angler learning how to use is less dominant left hand to deliver a Spey cast to the river. It's often not easy for a fisher to change from their dominant right hand to the left but we specialise in making our salmon fishing anglers effective in Spey casting with both arms. Look at the lovely oak tree on the far riverbank and note the salmon fisher is wearing a life jacket along with his chest waders.

General Observation Of Salmon Fly Fishers

The biggest nonsense I've seen that thousands of fly fishers have fallen for during the last decade is the 'ditching' of beautiful and effective Spey lines for the easier to learn but aerially nasty and less 'fly control' shooting head systems. What a lesson in destroying something magnificent and how to 'wring' more money from an unsuspecting salmon fly fisher's wallet due to the umpteen different heads that are required at exact weights to match each individual fly rod's action along with a separate running line and a multitude of sink density tips. Diminished 'fly control' and a significant reduction in the satisfaction of delivering a fly line to the river is all that fad has achieved. I think the time is fast approaching for the emphasis to swing back onto Spey lines with their 'effective' magic of a controlled salmon fly, magnificent aerial elegance & significantly better fly fishing pleasure!

Here's professional salmon fishing guide Jock Monteith demonstrating the single Spey right hand up cast with his Graham of Menteith tartan kilt and lovat green Tweed jacket. The blue fishing hut across the river is the Newtyle Beat fishing hut near Dunkeld where Jock served as Head Ghillie for a decade. This shot was taken at the neck of the Newtyle Beat's Boil Pool.

Lifting A Spey Line Perfectly

For many fly fishers the cast is over before it begins as they've never been shown the value (or objective) of a correct line lift. If 95% of the Spey line and sink tip section are not lifted (aerialised) at that split second at the end of the lift then there will be too much 'line' water resistance as you change the rod angle to go into the swing. That means you'll need to snatch the swing which will kill the 'line energy' build up you're trying to achieve or the line won't come round into a good anchor point position (for proper loading) at all. If your eyes are not focussed 'intensely' on the end of your sink tip the spit second your rod very briefly stops at 11 o'clock (with smooth rising hands) at the end of the lift then you're not tuned in well enough to the value of a correct lift. 

 

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This perfectly timed photograph was taken by professional photographer Louise Bellin on the Kinnaird Beat of the River Tay at the famous Junction Pool which is directly where the River Tummel enters the Tay. Jock, dressed in traditional Tweeds and waders holds his fishing rod, demonstrating the perfect Spey cast required in this salmon fishing hot spot for maximum water coverage of the lovely Tay salmon pool.

Fine Tune Your Speycast

Jock Monteith

14th August 2026

The vast majority of Scottish Speycasters tend to cast like 'racehorses with blinkers on' with their heads only aligned to the target area and not to the crucial mid cast 'anchor point' which is vital for a perfectly timed power stroke delivery.
This perfect River Tay Springer was caught by myself on the 23rd of February from the Kinnaird salmon beat near Pitlochry. These early run Scottish salmon are perfect specimens and are guaranteed to get your heart racing. This fish was quickly returned and swam off strongly to continue its upstream migration to the upper reaches of the Tay. You can see the gold ABU Toby lure, Bruce & Walker Hexagraph spinning rod and Van Staal spinning reel used in the capture of this fine Spring run salmon.

Successful Salmon Spin Fishing

Jock Monteith

13th August 2026

Here's a few paragraphs on how to set a spinning lure hook based on practice not theory. Nothing beats professional time spent on a Scottish salmon river for observing the various aspects of this glorious pursuit.
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.

Salmon Lie Approach

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!
Here's Jock Monteith amidst a Spey casting lesson on the River Tay under the historic Telford Bridge demonstrating perfect D Loop loading with the single Spey cast. The traditional Spey cast is the most effective and satisfying casts. This photo was taken by local Dunkeld photographer Charlie MacDonald. Jock is wearing his Graham of Menteith tartan kilt while demonstrating Spey cast with his 15ft Monteith salmon fly rod.

The Spey Cast Swing

Jock Monteith

11th August 2026

Understanding the value of a correct 'logical' line lift at the beginning of the Spey cast is crucial for negating the cast crippling 'water resistance' experienced by an incorrect line lift. Today I'll elaborate on what maintains this 'ease and smoothness' of cast through the middle section of the cast known as the 'swing' which is crucial for adequate rod loading in the D Loop.
I designed this deadly salmon fly pattern 20 years ago while working as the Head Ghillie and salmon fishing instructor on the River Tay's Newtyle Beat. Here's the exact dressing before anyone asks; Hook: 1

Salmon Fly Selection

Jock Monteith

10th August 2026

There's been millions of words written on this fascinating subject over the decades by many serious salmon fishers who all have their own take on what the best patterns are. At the end of the day it boils down to faith as we will never truly get permanently inside a salmon's mind.
This guest was fishing with me on the River Tay near Dunkeld. This pool tail is a renowned hot spot for running salmon so I waded out to this fishing position to make it easier to fish the main salmon lie between the fisher and the far riverbank. Directly in front of the big tree that you can see on the opposite riverbank is the main salmon lie hot spot.

Important Riverbank Etiquette

Jock Monteith

9th August 2026

For the daily operation of any salmon beat to run smoothly it is important that all fishing guests read & understand the beat rules which are there primarily for safety reasons and to ensure the enjoyment of all paying guests.
Here's myself with a fine Spring salmon in the landing net immediately prior to its release. A good landing net with fish friendly mesh is an essential piece of salmon fishing equipment. I caught this fine salmon at the Daffodil Lie Pool on the beautiful Kinnaird Beat of the River Tay in Highland Perthshire.

Spin Fishing For Tay Salmon

Jock Monteith

8th August 2026

If your effective hooking rate with a spinner on the River Tay isn't close to 100% then there's a few different angles of thought to consider the next time you're out slinging cutlery across Scotland's biggest & deepest salmon river.
Here's the bow section of a hand built River Tay 16ft salmon fishing 'coble' boat with a Brady fishing back and Bruce & Walker salmon Spey rod fitted with a Van Staal salmon fly reel. Professional salmon guides in Scotland take their personal salmon fishing equipment seriously too!

Salmon Beat Ghillies

Jock Monteith

7th August 2026

Having served my time as a professional ghillie on the River Tay the next few paragraphs highlight a few of the finer points that I personally believe that makes a resident professional salmon beat ghillie stand out from the crowd.
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