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.

Keith had been trying to catch a salmon for a number of years before he was pointed to myself on the River Tay for his Sky TV Tight Lines programme. It took all of 10 minutes to put him into this fine River Tay salmon as his personal salmon fishing guide at the Boat Pool on the Glendelvine Beat. The Sky Sports cameras captured all of the footage and everyone went home happy and even the fish too which was released after this fine photo was taken. Note Keith is wearing a life jacket with his chest waders which is essential for safe wading reasons.

Jock Monteith is a well known professional salmon fishing tour organiser in Scotland and leading professional salmon fishing guide. Jock is holding a perfect fresh run 14lbs Summer salmon in this shot at the Daffodil Lie Pool of the River Tay's Kinnaird Beat which he hooked after a few casts while testing out a salmon fishing trip client's new fly rod .

This photograph of professional Scottish salmon fishing guide Jock Monteith was captured by TV producer Chris Webster outside Ferry Cottage on the Kinnaird Estate of the River Tay in Perthshire. You can see the snow clad hills and riverbanks in the background.

Here's professional Scottish salmon guide Jock Monteith with a salmon fishing tour guest at the neck of the famous Kinnaird Beat's Ash Tree Pool. You can clearly see the beautiful Perthshire hills behind Pitlochry in the distance and Jock carrying his favourite salmon landing net over his shoulder.

The Scottish Ghillie Career

By Jock Monteith 27th January 2025

Have you never wondered why someone would choose to earn a lowish basic wage throughout their full working career in a society where cash is king?

A career on the salmon river is often not fully understood by fishing guests so here's a few angles to consider about the man who's hosting your day on the river.

I took this shot of a boat load of visiting salmon fishers being brought back over to the fishing hut for their lunch on the River Tay near Birnam. The boats on this beat have been kept on this sandy riverbank for over 60 years. You can see the boathouse on the far riverbank which I built in 2007 while I was working on this Tay salmon beat as the Head Ghillie.

Boyhood Salmon Fishing Dreams

Normally this insatiable lust for contact with God's finest marine creature and thoughts of a career on the river commences during the early boyhood years when any annual days on the salmon river are the highlight of the year and a welcome break from the normal perch, pike & trout duties. The salmon has an ability to conjure up epic fight scenes in any young man's head and remain there until these encounters are finally made a reality! This is where it starts for many of us if we care to admit the real route of this magnificent affliction!

I never buy cheap salmon fishing gear as it's often false economy and doesn't tend to last too long. What you see here is my own Bruce & Walker 16ft Spey actioned rod paired up with a Van Staal C-Vex fly reel, a Brady fishing bag and a McLean salmon landing net. All of these items I've owned for decades and use successfully each season on the River Tay. Buying cheap kit which needs replacing every few years costs more money in the long term.

Salmon Fishing Career Preparation

On a personal note after a fantastic ongoing introduction to the sport commencing in 1970 by true River Tay legend ghillie Willie Laird I remember buying a landing net in Cafaro Bros tackle shop in Glasgow at 11 years old knowing I'd need the net one day when I was a professional ghillie on the Tay. Maybe a bit young to be making decisions like that especially for a young kid but I knew there was no escape from this wonderful pursuit and trying to replicate what I'd witnessed in Willie Laird as a young boy.

Deep Thinking On The Salmon River

Many of the professional Scottish ghillies I'm fortunate to know are exceptionally deep thinkers which is probably a bi-product of being on a salmon river every day of life. There is no better natural arena that can take your mind into a completely different hemisphere for depth of thought and that is one of the many attractions of a career on the river. The river can however tranquilize you such is her magnificent movement so watch she doesn't completely hypnotise you too much! I recall a BBC Radio Scotland interview where my descriptive words 'river therapy' impressed the presenter more than anything else I had to say!

Here's a perfect example of God's finest marine creature the Atlantic salmon. These fish are amazingly powerful and awesome to look at once your skill levels are high enough to place one in the landing net for a close up inspection. This fine specimen was caught near Pitlochry on the River Tay by one of my salmon fishing trip guests.

The Thrill Of Contact With The Underworld

The buzz of contact with a salmon that's sneaked up on you during the fishing day when you've least expected it is truly something brilliant too. There's nothing that focusses the human mind more than that decisive first tug on the salmon fly reel's drag which instantly floods your body with an adrenalin charge and fires your senses into top gear. That thrill never ever goes away for a true salmon professional but the real buzz for them is seeing their guests 'high as a kite' on the same drug and the 'true' sense of satisfaction of their fish being successfully landed. These 'real' salmon encounter moments never fade such is their power and potency!

Here's a fabulous action photograph of Jock Monteith loading up a perfect Spey cast for long range salmon fly delivery across the River Tay with his tweed jacket and chest waders on. This shot was captured on the Meetings Pool of the Lower Kinnaird Beat by top Scottish photographer Louise Bellin.

Respect Your Salmon Beat Ghillie

If you're a salmon beat owner and you see your returning guests are being well entertained, your riverbanks are beautifully manicured and the fishing hut is always looking braw then you've got the right man who respects his role in life and the profession he's chosen. These career men are the 'true face' of Scottish salmon fishing and not the AGM river board members who show up once a year to duck and 'waffle' their way out of answering important river management questions. While social media can and is used as the fishing diary by many these days there's something traditionally great too about still seeing the old catch record book coming out at 5pm with pen to hand!

Always Listen To Your Ghillie

Respect your ghillie and listen to his advice as best you can. Nothing ever beats the number one eyeball in Scottish salmon fishing except of course two of them! A few tactical riverside words from a professional ghillie who knows his beat like the back of his hand will often mean the difference between a fish or a blank so tune in with a good pair of ears. The river man who's hosting you is there first and foremost to give you the best chances of success so unless you're 100% content just being out on the river take on board his tactical suggestions and stick to them like glue!