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This young man landed 2 almost identical heavyweight Spring salmon during late March on the River Tay. He achieved this after a 30 minute crash course on how to use a double handed salmon rod on the Ash Tree Pool of the River Tay near Pitlochry. This was the 2nd Spring salmon he caught so I took this shot of him and his father while accompanying them as their personal salmon fishing guide. What a memorable morning that was!
This 20 pounder was the first of two perfect March caught Tay Spring salmon caught by this fortunate young salmon angler on his first ever days salmon fishing near Dunkeld in the Tay Valley. Young Robbie Fairfull was given this salmon fishing guide experience with myself by his father via a River Tay salmon fishing experience gift voucher.
This perfect heavyweight Spring salmon was landed at Dunkeld from the boat and weighed 23lbs. This fish took a pearly pink Tomic 4 inch classic lure which is a deadly Spring salmon fishing lure. Look at the perfect marine coloured beauty of this specimen Tay salmon which was caught by our River Tay salmon fishing guide during March.
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.
When you truly realise that pristine heavyweight salmon like this run the River Tay throughout the fishing season then the chance of a capture of one of these will draw your subconscious mind into play. This is a dangerous state of salmon fishing mind as it usually always results in the loss of thousands of pounds in fishing tackle and salmon permit tickets! Look at the perfect condition of this fresh run River Tay Spring salmon.
Here's a lady salmon fishing guest Mrs Caplin with a perfect March caught River Tay salmon of 23lbs which was caught upstream of the Dunkeld Bridge with the assistance of her professional salmon guide. This fish was caught on a cold wet Spring day but that didn't matter due to the accomplishment and excitement of the capture of this perfect Tay specimen.

The Ides Of March

By 8th February 2026

While it was very unfortunate for Julius Caesar the 'Ides of March' was traditionally a day for settling debts in the Roman calendar.

In saying that it's always sensible to listen to your ghillie's advice and in Caesar's case his soothsayer!

This young man landed 2 almost identical heavyweight Spring salmon during late March on the River Tay. He achieved this after a 30 minute crash course on how to use a double handed salmon rod on the Ash Tree Pool of the River Tay near Pitlochry. This was the 2nd Spring salmon he caught so I took this shot of him and his father while accompanying them as their personal salmon fishing guide. What a memorable morning that was!

Jock The Soothsayer!

What's this got to do with Scottish salmon fishing you may ask so here's your salmon fishing soothsayer's advice. At this time of year as most Scottish river are lightly fished there's a mainly unnoticed historical run of perfect heavyweight 'beasts' that appear in the Tay en route to their Loch Tay retreat. Now it just so happens my birthday falls on the 15th of March so carefully take on board what I'm about to state. If you truly are searching for a Tay specimen encounter my money is on this period between mid February and the end of March as some absolute 'clunkers' are guaranteed to be slowly making their way up river in the high cold water and you can take that information to the bank!

This 20 pounder was the first of two perfect March caught Tay Spring salmon caught by this fortunate young salmon angler on his first ever days salmon fishing near Dunkeld in the Tay Valley. Young Robbie Fairfull was given this salmon fishing guide experience with myself by his father via a River Tay salmon fishing experience gift voucher.

That Special Big Tay Springer

The time is approaching to get focussed on not what happened to old Julius Caesar but on the fact there will already be be some seriously good looking 'scale perfect' big Tay beasts in the river and in the tidal waters between Dundee & Perth slowly making their adjustments back to being able to handle fresh cold river water and one of which could be destined for your fly or lure. If you're looking for a real 'big fish' highlight during your 2024 River Tay salmon fishing season then the above specified early Spring period is top of the pile for achieving just that. These photographs of 2 perfect heavyweight Spring salmon are fine examples of what's there to be caught on Scotland's most famous big fish salmon river during the magical month of March. These perfect River Tay Spring beasts were caught by this young angler on his first ever days salmon fishing so a great chance to give him further salmon fishing career advice!

This perfect heavyweight Spring salmon was landed at Dunkeld from the boat and weighed 23lbs. This fish took a pearly pink Tomic 4 inch classic lure which is a deadly Spring salmon fishing lure. Look at the perfect marine coloured beauty of this specimen Tay salmon which was caught by our River Tay salmon fishing guide during March.

North Sea & River Tay Water Temperature

The fact that there's not a great deal of rod pressure on the Tay during these early spring months compared to the later 'fair weathered' months of April & May shouldn't deter you from getting out into the most perfect time zone for a heavyweight encounter with exactly what made the Tay famous. On a personal career observational basis mid March always saw a turning point in general salmon numbers in the Tay too probably due to the fact that the river would be getting closer to the North Sea's typical Scottish coast 42-44 degrees temperature encouraging more salmon to run the river.

Here's a lady salmon fishing guest Mrs Caplin with a perfect March caught River Tay salmon of 23lbs which was caught upstream of the Dunkeld Bridge with the assistance of her professional salmon guide. This fish was caught on a cold wet Spring day but that didn't matter due to the accomplishment and excitement of the capture of this perfect Tay specimen.

The Best Spring Fishing Clothing Systems

Invest in a 'proven' Mountain Rescue Buffalo Mountain shirt or the equally effective Brandit Windbreaker jacket and even on the coldest north wind assisted early Spring day you'll likely feel too warm! These clever self insulating tops can be worn with no under garments and even when they get wet externally they will 'well and truly' lock your body heat in. A good grade tweed cap and a light shell waterproof and you've completed your big fish early Spring 'battle dress' check list! I often wonder if the lack of early Scottish salmon fishers is due to them getting cold which is going to happen when most inferior garments are worn. Preparedness of fishing kit is vital too as is making sure you've changed your spinning reel line or have a new strong leader on your fly line as a loch Tay bound Spring beast will easily identify any fishing tackle weak points!

 

More Salmon Fishing Articles

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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