(River Tay weekly report week ending 2nd July 2022)
We moved into July last week but it certainly did not feel like mid-summer. The weather was more akin to April with frequent heavy showers and some longer spells of rain. River levels were unsettled at the beginning of the week with lifts in water on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday the river was quite coloured for a time. Catches held up well considering the difficult conditions there were still well over one hundred fish caught from the Tay system last week. Undoubtedly more fish would have been caught if the weather gods had been kinder to the Tay angler.
On the upper river, it was a good day at Edradynate on Monday where two fish were caught weighing twelve and thirteen pounds. The spinner and fly sharing the spoils. Other beats on the upper river which produced fish last week included Upper Farleyer, Lower Bolfracks and Upper Kinnaird.
Mr Gordon Nichol secured a dam double towards the end of the week when he landed a nice fresh grilse on the Portnacraig Best of the River Tummel on Thursday and Friday. Both fish were caught on the fly from the Pitlochry bank.
It was nice to see a fish caught at Dalguise on Monday and Thursday and the Dunkeld Beat produced a fish on Monday. On Friday fourteen year old Charlie McKay had a day to remember at Dunkeld when he caught a cracking thirteen pounder. It is just great to see the younger generation enjoy our sport. Well done Charlie!
There were some cracking fish caught at Newtyle last week. Mr Robert Brown banished away those Monday morning blues when he caught a nice fresh fish from the Steps pool.
On Tuesday Mr Keith White caught his first ever salmon weighing thirteen pounds from Fiddlers. The fish put up a great fight. You never forget your first so well done Sir!
There was more success at Newtyle on Wednesday when a sparkling salmon was caught harling from the Lairds Bank.
On Saturday Ms Siew Lay Koh from Singapore caught her first ever salmon and there was also success for Mr Andrew Davie who landed a nice fish from the Steps on the fly.
There were some lovely fish caught from the Murthly Beats last week including four on Tuesday. On Saturday there was a magnificent twenty one pounder caught from the Murthly 2 Beat which was a real way to end the week on a high. At Glendelvine there was a fish caught on Tuesday and two more on Thursday.
The good fishing at Kercock continued last week. Mr Robert McFarlane landed three lovely fish up to fourteen pounds. Mr Ken O’ Donnell and Nikki O’Donnell both enjoyed success. Mr Reg Granger caught his first ever salmon on the fly. On Saturday Mr Kenny Milne landed a fine brace which included a cracking sixteen pounder.
Anglers fishing at Meikleour enjoyed some good sport last week with the lift in the water helping. Seven fish were landed during Wednesday and Thursday. Four of the fish weighed in the teens and the biggest tipped the scales at seventeen pounds.
Photo Credit: @Scotia Fishing
On Friday great granddaughter of famous Tay angler Mr Duncan, Glass who sadly passed away a few years ago was fishing at Meikleour. Myla aged ten went on to catch her very first salmon from the Castle Pool. A stunning fresh grilse. Well done Myla hopefully the first of many! The Meikleour Beat finished with sixteen fish for the week.
At Islamouth anglers enjoyed good sport on most days. There were ten fish caught from the beat during the first half of the week including a magnificent seventeen pounder on Tuesday.
Both the Ballathie and Cargill beats produced some nice fish last week with four fish landed at Cargill on Tuesday. Successful anglers last week included Mr Rob Hills and Mr Stewart Scott amongst others. On Thursday Mr Sam Thomson was in the thick of the action when he landed a fine double from Cargill.
There was an impressive eight fish caught at Stobhall during the first half of the week including an eighteen pounder on Wednesday. Further downstream it was a fantastic Friday at Fishponds when a nice fifteen pounder was caught from Benchil Green on a Vision110 lure. The Almondmouth Beat finished with seven fish for the week.
On the lower River Tay, the TDSFB has been working in conjunction with Marine Scotland and Fisheries Management Scotland as part of the National Adult Sampling Programme.
The fish sampled so far have been a good class of salmon, but we expect grilse will start to figure largely soon.
Please also note, that the presence of a tag shows that a fish has been in an anaesthetic and should not be killed and eaten in case the drug is not sufficiently withdrawn. Of course, we recommend that all fish are released anyway, so this warning should be somewhat academic.
If you catch one, please note its number and let us know.
Click the here to find out more about the survey on the Tay Catchment
JOB VACANCY – Fisheries Officer Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board
Would you like to come and work for us, protecting the River Tay and its salmon – read more.
This post would suit an individual who is keen to work in the outdoors and is prepared to be flexible regarding hours worked etc. The person should be able to meet the physical demands of the job which involves walking on uneven riverbanks etc. A knowledge of salmon angling and even fishing law would also be an advantage. https://tayrivers.org/news/fisheries-officer-vacancy/#
We would like to thank all the ghillies and beat owners on the River Tay system who have contributed to this report by providing their time and information as the weekly report would not be possible without your help and support. If you would like to share any interesting stories or pictures from your time fishing on the River Tay for the purposes of this report, please free to contact us at info@salmonfishingholidaysscotland.com.
Good luck to all those anglers fishing on the River Tay next week.
Tight lines,
Samantha & Sandy Datta
Beat catches reported
(week ending 6th July)
SALMON & GRILSE:
Upper Farleyer 2, Edradynate 3, Lower Bolfracks 3, Upper Kinnaird 1, Portnacraig Pitlochry 2, Dalguise 2, Dalamarnock 1, Dunkeld 2, Newtyle 6, Murthly 1, 9, Murthly 2, 4, Glendelvine 3, Kercock 10, Meikleour & Islamouth 16, Islamouth 19, Ballathie 3, Cargill 10, Stobhall 12, Benchil 1, Fishponds 1, Almondmouth 7, Crieff Angling Club 2
Total: 119 Largest: Murthly 2, 21lbs
THANKFULLY A MORE SETTLED WEATHER FORECAST IN THE WEEK AHEAD
(River Tay salmon fishing prospects week commencing 4th July 2022)
The weather was very unsettled last week with showers or longer spells of rain on most days courtesy of a slow moving area of low pressure centred in the North Atlantic. There were multiple lifts in water at the beginning of the week and the river was quite coloured on Wednesday. There would likely have been more fish caught last week if the weather had been a little kinder to anglers. Despite the challenging conditions, there were still well over one hundred fish caught from the Tay system.
Over the weekend the showery theme has continued. Thankfully looking ahead to next week, the weather is set to become more settled as pressure starts to build. This will be music to the ears of many anglers fishing the river. Monday and Tuesday will be mainly dry with the chance of the odd shower. It will feel cool for the time of year in the stiff north westerly breeze. From midweek onwards high pressure is likely to exert more of an influence and it should be mainly dry with lighter winds. Cloud amounts will vary from day to day.
The fish caught last week were mostly a mixture of larger summer salmon and hard fighting grilse and many were sea liced which was great to see. Salmon were caught from Upper Farleyer down to Almondmouth which shows that there are fish well spread throughout the system.
As we move through July and into August the beats located on the lower river should come into their own. Traditionally this is when the beats in this area of the river start to produce larger numbers of fish on a more consistent basis. Probably the best chance of success next week would be on some of the beats situated on the middle and lower river.
There is good availability next week so why not wet a line and chase some Tay summer silver? You might just get a twenty pounder coming your way!
Good luck to all those anglers fishing on the River Tay next week.
Tight lines,
Samantha & Sandy Datta
Tactics for the River Tay during the summer period (June-August)
The ghillies on the River Tay are all highly experienced and have an intimate knowledge of their beats. Their advice and guidance are key to success. Please contact your ghillie for up to date advice on tactics and what tackle to bring prior to visiting the River Tay.
Fly Fishing
During the summer months, water temperatures usually begin to rise on the river. The fish also start to become a bit more active. Often river levels are low but on the River Tay, they are never too low that fresh fish cannot run the system. At this time of year, full floating lines coupled with polyleaders of various sink rates can often work well.
As the Tay is a big river usually a powerful fourteen or fifteen-foot rod with a ten-line rating will cover almost any eventuality. In terms of lines whether that be a full Spey line or Shooting head system a floating line coupled with a selection of polyleaders of various sink rates is perfect for the job at this time of year. In higher water, during the summer months, a sink tip or intermediate line may be required to produce the best results.
Make sure that your fly reel has got an adequate backing capacity and a good reliable drag system. On the River Tay when that line tightens the fish could turn out to be that one of a lifetime. It is also important during the summer period to use leader material with an adequate breaking strain, as there are some big summer salmon that run the Tay. Usually, a breaking strain between twelve and fifteen pounds is ideal.
During the summer months depending on the water height and temperature smaller dressed flies can work well. Small bottle tubes are also well worth a go. Don’t forget how effective flies like the Sunray Shadow can be at this time of year. These flies fished close to the surface can really do the business especially if the fish are keen on chasing a fly and in an active mood.
Spinning
A powerful spinning rod between ten and eleven foot is usually more than adequate to cover the River Tay. The rod should be able to comfortably cast lures weighing anything from eighteen to thirty grams. A good fixed spool or multiplier reel with a reliable drag system is perfect for the River Tay. The reel should be able to accommodate a large amount of either nylon or braided line with an adequate breaking strain.
In terms of lures, spoons like the Toby, Salmo Toby and Blair variety work well on the river. These can range in weight from eighteen to thirty grams. Devon Minnows can also be effective on the River Tay. During the summer months, the Floating Devon and Flying C can be particularly productive. The Flying C lure can be fished upstream especially when water temperatures start to rise and often salmon will chase the lure before taking it. The Vision110 lures have also got a good reputation for producing fish on the river. These lures can be excellent during the summer months.
Harling
Harling is a method unique to the River Tay which involves fishing from a motorised boat. This method is employed on many beats and can be highly effective.
Usually, two or three rods are placed in rod holders with various lures and then the ghillie skilfully combs the water by moving back and forth in the boat, whilst gradually dropping downstream, covering the likely lies on the beat. Often during the summer months, the water is too low to harl on many beats. However, if there is a decent spate this method can be highly productive. Harling is a method which is very much water height dependent and is practiced at the beat ghillies discretion.
TDSFB conservation policy
All anglers fishing on the River Tay system are reminded that the TDSFB’s policy from January 15th to 1st of April is that all spring salmon must be released. This means that the TDSFB has a 100% mandatory catch & release policy for all salmon caught. This is in line with the Scottish Government Statutory Conservation Regulation. Even if the fish dies it must still be returned to the river.
It is also worthwhile remembering when releasing fish to keep them in the water for as long a period as possible and to use minimal handling. Please also give the fish plenty of time to recover before releasing them. Anglers must treat their quarry with the utmost respect at all times.