(River Tay weekly report week ending 15th August 2026)
There was some good sport to be had on the Tay system on some days last week, with reasonable numbers of fish caught on the river when you take the weather conditions into account. Monday was a decent day for fishing, with temperatures in the high teens and a good deal of cloud cover. Unfortunately, throughout the middle part of the week, temperatures soared and it was quite bright and sunny on certain days. The heat peaked on Thursday, with temperatures in the mid to high twenties and this definitely seemed to impact catches. Thankfully, over the weekend there was a little more cloud cover and it was cooler.
The fish caught were a mixture of hard fighting grilse and some larger summer salmon. Many of the fish caught were sea liced, which was good to see. Hopefully more fresh fish will enter the river during the second half of August.
On the upper river, there were fish caught on both the Farleyer beats last week, which was good to see. There was success on the Murthly 2 Beat during the first half of last week with another fish caught from the beat on Saturday.
Mr Robert Jamieson caught a nice twelve pounder at Kercock on Monday. On Saturday, Mr John Dewar and Mr Magnus Gloak landed three double figure fish between them. A great day’s sport in anyone’s book!
A couple of fish were caught at Meikleour during the first half of last week. On Thursday it was a great day for Mr Neve who was fishing at Meikleour. In spite of the hot conditions, Mr Neve went on to land his first ever salmon from the Meadows. Well done, Sir!
At Islamouth, Mr Barry Ward enjoyed some good sport, landing five fish for his trip. Mr Paul Christie also enjoyed success at Islamouth.
Other successful anglers at Islamouth included Mr Charlie Gordon Lennox.
The Ibbotson family were fishing at Ballathie last week and landed some nice fish. On Monday, Ms Julie Ibbotson caught a fourteen pounder and Mr Ben Ibbotson caught a thirteen pounder.
Ms Liv Turner also caught a nice fish. There was more success at Ballathie on Wednesday with a couple more fish landed from the beat on Friday.
At Cargill, it was a memorable day for thirteen-year-old Brodie Dickson on Tuesday. Brodie caught his first ever salmon on his first day salmon fishing. Well done, young man; hopefully the first of many!
There were more nice fish landed at Cargill through the course of last week. On Thursday, the bigger fish seemed to make an appearance at Cargill with Mr Ian Jardine landing three, the best weighing twenty eight pounds.
What a morning’s sport! The Cargill Beat finished with ten fish for the week.
There were some nice fish caught at Stobhall last week. The Taymount Beat finished with ten fish for the week.
On the Stanley beats, Mr Jason Stratton caught a fine fresh fish in the Catholes Stream on Saturday morning. There was success at Pitlochrie on Monday where a magnificent twenty pounder was landed. A couple of fish were caught at Benchil on Tuesday.
It was good to see a fish caught at Luncarty on Wednesday and Friday. The Upper Scone Beat finished with thirteen fish for the week.
At Fishponds, there were fish caught on most days last week.
The Upper Redgorton Beat has produced some nice fish in recent weeks and last week was no different. There were seven fish caught from the beat during the first half of last week; the decent sport continued as the week progressed. On Saturday, a nice eighteen pounder was caught at Upper Redgorton. Further downstream, the Waulkmill Beat finished with fifteen fish for the week.
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 feel 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 15th August)
SALMON & GRILSE: Upper Farleyer 1, Lower Farleyer 2, Murthly 2, 3, Kercock 4, Meikleour & Upper Islamouth 3, Islamouth 8, Ballathie 6, Cargill 10, Stobhall 3, Taymount 10, Catholes 1, Pitlochrie 1, Benchil 2, Upper Scone 13, Luncarty 2, Fishponds 6, Upper Redgorton 13, Waulkmill 15
Total: 103 Largest: Cargill 28lbs
MORE BIG FISH IN DAYS AHEAD?
(River Tay salmon fishing prospects week commencing 27th August 2026)
There were some nice fish caught by anglers on the Tay system last week. It is hoped that the decent sport will continue as we move through August. It became quite hot and sunny during the middle part of last week. Indeed, on Thursday some parts of Perthshire reached twenty six degrees. This definitely impacted on the fishing. Thankfully, it became cooler over the weekend. Looking ahead to next week, Monday and Tuesday will see showers or some longer spells of rain. The unsettled theme is likely to continue from midweek onwards. Temperatures will be cooler than of late, peaking in the high teens.
The fish caught last week were mostly a mixture of larger summer salmon and hard fighting fresh grilse, with many being sea liced. There were several larger fish caught last week, including a twenty eight pounder. Hopefully there will be more big fish caught in the days ahead.
Salmon were caught from Upper Farleyer down to Waulkmill, which shows that fish are well distributed throughout the system. As we move through 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 more consistently. 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 on some very famous and prolific beats, so why not wet a line and chase some Tay summer silver? You might 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 ago. 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 of 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. It is important that anglers treat their quarry with the utmost of respect at all times.
This report is the property of the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board and may not be reproduced in full, or in part, without the prior written consent of the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board