Look at the shape and colours of this perfect marine feeding machine! This is a Scottish Spring salmon which was captured on the River Tay near Dunkeld during January. This fish fell to a carefully presented tube fly in the higher Spring water level even though most Tay fishers wrongly think spinning is the best method at that time of year. This fishing was captured by one of my salmon fishing holiday guests while I was assisting him as his personal fishing guide for the day.

This was a perfect River Tummel salmon of 11lbs caught that I caught while working as a salmon guide in May near the mouth of the River Tummel. You can see the light blue floating fly line on my fly rod which was fitted with a 15ft sinking tip just to get the fly down a foot or two in the water column. Note the fine meshed landing net bag the salmon is lying on.

This perfect Spring salmon was caught by myself on the River Tay during late February after hours of searching the river for a fish. When you go salmon fishing it requires a solid logic backed fishing plan at the start of the day to catch salmon and this fish was the result of that type of detailed planning. Look at the perfect shimmer from this early Spring salmon's silver flanks lying beside my salmon fly reel & Spey rod.

Here's a lovely shot of a fresh run River Tay salmon from the Kinnaird Beat in the landing net before release. It's always a good thing to take a nice shot of your catch even when you're fishing alone. Even as a professional fly fishing instructor and salmon fishing guide I always take a photograph of all salmon I catch. This fine fish is lying in my McLean salmon landing net beside my hHardy fly rod and Van Staal salmon fly reel.

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.

This perfect 27lbs Tay Springer took me by surprise at the Kinnaird Beat's Rock Pool during a high water period at the end of May while I was working as a professional salmon fishing guide. What a absolutely perfect fish which showed up at 5pm after a full day of salmon fishing effort. You can see the size of this fish against the 32 inch frame of the salmon landing net the salmon is lying on before I released this fine fish.

Spring Salmon Fishing Thoughts

By Jock Monteith 12th January 2026

While salmon are caught throughout the extensive Scottish fishing season in my professional salmon guide opinion it doesn't get any better than the period from mid February to the end of May for the sheer quality of fish.

This perfect early Spring River Tay salmon took a Copperass tube fly neat the River Tummel River Tay confluence which is a renowned salmon fishing area near Dunkeld. Early Spring salmon like this are always perfect specimens to catch and there's huge fishing satisfaction from outsmarting them. As a professional Scottish salmon fishing guide I love to show visiting fly fishing guests these fine fish up close like this.

The Mid March Salmon Trigger Point

For many years working on the Tay I'd notice a distinct difference in the numbers of fish that would appear the minute we hit mid March and the frequency of these runs. In the right water conditions I would always score from the boat or from the riverbank even if that fish appeared with the last cast of the day. I recall a few occasions having days of 4 or 5 'springers' during March when the Spring run on the Tay wasn't doing as well as it does today. On one of those days my fellow Tay ghillie and I entertained 4 building trade guests with 5 perfect March springers before lunch! Needless to say the lunchtime celebrations were far too 'extensive' to increase the catch in what was left of the afternoon! My confidence levels go through the roof at that time of year and then 'sleep deprivation' kicks in the closer we get to April & May when there's resident Spring salmon in all the pools and 'new models' sneaking up through them each day. My goodness this Spring period on the Tay is indeed a very special time of year.

Here's a perfect fresh run Summer salmon which one of my fishing trip guest's caught near Pitlochry on the River Tay while I was working as his salmon fishing guide. This fish took a small deep fished salmon fly and put up a great fight before being drawn to the fine green meshed landing net that you can see behind the salmon.

Salmon Fishing Water Coverage

When working professionally as a ghillie you'll learn loads about Scottish salmon fishing by studying the salmon fishers who are often inconsistent in their salmon fishing approach than ever worrying about salmon which are much more consistent with their presence. What I mean is that from mid February and for the following 14 weeks there's nothing more consistent than the runs of salmon that enter and ascend the Tay. Our job as salmon anglers is to cover the water as well as we can each fishing day but unfortunately unless there's talented anglers in the party or a persistent ghillie this vital salmon pool water coverage often doesn't happen consistently enough.

Psychology And Salmon Fishing

It's easier for me or for anyone who's spent a long time on the river to have absolute 'faith' in the presence of salmon and have the confidence to genuinely feel they are going to catch a fish on all fishing days whether that happens or not. A new or part time salmon fisher who lacks that 'faith' in the river or their own fishing skills can quickly allow their head to go down or 'switch off' from the quality water coverage required for success. This is why a good grounding in salmon fishing tactical skills (especially riverbank movement) is so important as is total initial blind 'faith' & satisfaction from the daily fishing attempt regardless of the outcome. The only time to switch off is at 5pm but before you do always have one last cast for the road!

Persistent & Consistent Salmon Fishers

Sometimes in salmon fishing there's a 'taker' waiting for the very first cast of your fly or a run of salmon all of a sudden appears in the pool you're covering which obviously makes the task in hand much easier. Most of the time though in salmon fishing you have to be very thorough & tactful with your approach to catch a fish. Effective fly or lure control paired up with strategic well spaced water coverage are the main components that will grind out a result when salmon aren't queuing up for an interview! Look on each fishing hour in the morning or afternoon fishing session as a valuable 'water coverage' proposition and don't waste time. Become a riverbank water coverage machine and enjoy the natural surroundings until the inevitable tug on the fly reel 'super charges' your focus via that ever so potent Salmo salar adrenalin rush!