(River Tay weekly report week ending 6th August 2022)
We have now moved into August and are well into the second half of the Scottish summer. Traditionally the most productive time of the season is normally over the next six weeks. Anglers will be hoping that the weather plays ball and that the summer run on the Tay goes from strength to strength.
It was a mixed bag of weather last week with some showers on some days and gusty winds but when the sun came out it felt pleasantly warm. River levels were quite settled and the water temperature was 61.2 degrees Fahrenheit which is 16.2 degrees Celsius. There were some nice fish caught last week as we moved into August and hopefully it will be a productive month ahead on the Tay system.
On the upper river, there was a fish caught at Upper Farleyer on Monday. At Edradynate it was good to see a nice fish caught on Monday and then again on Friday and Saturday.
There was success on the Lower Kinnaird Beat and Dalmarnock on Tuesday. It was a happy Wednesday at Dalguise when a fine brace was landed from the beat which included a cracking fifteen pounder. At Dunkeld there was a nice fish caught from the Rock Pool on Thursday by Mr Gordon Pollock. There was more success on the beat on Saturday.
Mr Michael Henderson landed a nice grilse from the Newtyle Beat on Friday. On Saturday Mr Gary Ewin celebrated his birthday in style at Newtyle when he caught a lovely fish from the Boil. This was one of three fish caught from the beat on Saturday.
Anglers have enjoyed some great sport recently on the Murthly 2 Beat and the fish kept coming last week with a couple of fish caught from the beat on both Monday and Tuesday and more success towards the end of the week. It was a good end to the week at Kercock when two nice fish were caught from the beat on Saturday.
It was a productive week at Meikleour. Mr Neil Broughton and his party did very well on Monday and Tuesday landing seven grilse. Mr Jonathan McNeish also had a nice grilse on Tuesday. On Saturday Mr Eddie McGhee landed a fine brace and Mr Richard Harries also enjoyed success. All the fish caught from the beat last week were in great condition.
At Islamouth the Scott Hopkins party were fishing for the first three days of the week and landed six fish up to seventeen pounds. The good sport continued towards the end of the week with successful anglers including Mr Martin Ritchie.
Mr Paul Bleasedale landed a nice fish weighing nine pounds at Ballathie on Tuesday from the Cradle. The fish was sparkling fresh and gave a great fight. There were fish caught at Ballathie on most days last week.
At Cargill, Mr Mark Cope landed a beautiful summer salmon from the Cradle on Monday. On Thursday Mr Ian Mitchell landed a nice silver fish at Cargill. This was one of four fish caught from the beat for the day. The week ended well at Cargill with four fish caught on Saturday.
The Stobhall beat finished with fifteen fish for the week. At Taymount there were some lovely fish caught last week including a fine fifteen pounder on Monday.
There was good sport to be had at Upper Scone. The beat finished their week with seven fish. The successful angler included Garry Perk, George Mason and Alex Mason with fish landed up to fifteen pounds.
Mr Frank Muller had a day to remember at Benchil on Tuesday. Mr Muller caught a lovely fresh summer salmon from the Long Shot. This was one of three fish caught from Benchil on Tuesday.
Mr Muller enjoyed more success on Friday when he caught a sparkling salmon from the Pitlochrie Beat at the top of the Dyke.
There was success at Fishponds on Monday and Thursday. There were four fish caught from the beat on Friday. It was a fantastic Thursday at Upper Redgorton when six fish were landed from the beat including a magnificent eighteen pounder. Great sport in anyone’s book! The Waulkmill and Almondmouth beats finished with ten and fourteen fish respectively for the week.
With August being one of the prime summer months on the river why not book a day’s salmon fishing on the famous River Tay next week? It could be the perfect place to provide you with some midsummer magic!
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 August 2022)
SALMON & GRILSE:
Farleyer Upper 1, Edradynate 3, Lower Kinnaird 5, Dalguise 2, Dalmarnock 2, Dunkeld 2, Newtyle 4, Murthly 2, 9, Glendelvine 1, Kercock 3, Meikleour & Upper Islamouth 11, Islamouth 14, Ballathie 9, Cargill 9, Stobhall 15, Taymount 18, Upper Scone 7, Pitlochrie 2, Benchil 3, Fishponds 7, Upper Redgorton 11, Waulkmill 10, Almondmouth 14
Total: 164 Largest: Stobhall & Upper Redgorton 22lbs
TEMPERATURES ARE SET TO RISE IN THE WEEK AHEAD!
(River Tay salmon fishing prospects week commencing 8th August 2022)
We moved into August last week which can be one of the most productive months of the season on the Tay system. August usually sees a mixture of hard fighting grilse and larger summer salmon caught. Historically towards the end of the month, some autumn fish start to get caught. It will be interesting to see what August has in store for anglers fishing the Tay.
The weather was quite variable last week with showers on some days with some drier interludes. When the sun came out it felt distinctly pleasant. Over the weekend.
There were some beautiful fish caught from the river last week. These were mainly a mixture of hard fighting fresh grilse and larger summer salmon. Many of the fish caught were sea liced which was good to see.
Looking ahead to next week, it will be mainly dry as high pressure builds across much of Scotland. Winds will fall light and temperatures will rise as we move through the week and some parts of Scotland could see the mercury topping twenty six degrees.
Salmon on the main stem of the river were caught last week from Upper Farleyer down to Almondmouth which shows that there are fish well spread 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 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 have an August twenty pounder coming your way!
Good luck to all those anglers fishing on the River Tay next week.
Tight lines,
Samantha & Sandy Datta
Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board Meeting
The Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board will be holding a board meeting at 7 pm on Tuesday 9th August 2022. You are all welcome to attend.
The meeting will be held at the Summerhill Hatchery, Site 6, Cromwell Park, Almondbank, Perth, PH1 3LW
There is also a zoom meeting for those who can’t join the meeting physically. The link is:
Topic: TDSFB Board Meeting
Time: Aug 9, 2022, 07:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86037747973?pwd=ZGVid2Q3TG5zZmQ0VjVMZ1p6Q0Y3Zz09&fbclid=IwAR1u_89jJ9B7Gd-wA60_0TDjqSpc4ObRi1vbjNNpmbqNLn6E9q8_tfozym4#success
Meeting ID: 860 3774 7973
Passcode: 975007
Could we ask that whoever wants to join via Zoom get in touch with admin@tdsfb.org prior to the meeting. The reason being, that we need to be aware of late arrivals and people trying to rejoin.
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.