Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 19th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 19th September 2016.

The Salmon fishing season is now in Autumn on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we go deeper into September after more fresh water last week and varying conditions for anglers with unsettled river levels at times mostly due to torrential rain to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical salmon. Hopefully that will improve and maintain catches in the coming week as this has been sought to liven the river up.

The summer run has now petered out with grilse sprinkled in amongst some heavy summer salmon and the prospect of improving catches hopefully will be maintained from last month with autumn arriving giving better sport in the coming week with settling conditions and more fresh salmon running. The weather is looking more settled in the coming days with the chance of a little rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!

Currently the river is settling back after fresh water and is above summer levels (Just above 2�5 on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a lower level for the Tay in the coming week.

The weather has been more unsettled last week but hopefully will settled down in the next few days with good conditions which should improve this coming week. Some heavy downpours have given the river water from rain last week but the river is dropping back again with better weather forecast. This current week looks better at the start with little or no rain forecast. The feeling on the system with fish all over the beats and only a few fresh fish running is that we could do with a massive spate to stir things up and hopefully encourage more fish to run. That is exactly what has happened so let us see what happens as the river settles down. Calmer weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal autumn fishing conditions. The water temperature is hovering around or just below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The lower river is currently doing best in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results later in the season. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay salmon. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110�s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.
The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.

Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.

The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
� All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
� All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
� No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
� Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.

Salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.

When releasing salmon please try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to give them every chance to recover prior to release. Releasing fish from boats in the river is not recommended. Further information on the policy and good release practice.

If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in the reports.


Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 10th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 10th September 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire has now seen Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but we are now in Autumn and there has been a run in the past few weeks and catches have improved however we are now looking for an increase in runs after another steady August despite some unsettled conditions at times. The river has had fresh water from a reasonable spate last week after some heavy rain giving reasonable conditions for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 3200 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in September to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay �Bar of Silver�.

Summer salmon and grilse have been running and landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was a steady week despite more turbulent conditions at times with around 100 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was a 21 pounds beauty on Upper Islamouth and Meikleour. Spring has now transferred into summer and steady runs are coming into the river plus better weather is making fishing easier with lower water and a bit of fresh water last week may have encouraged more fish to run the river as the summer disappears and hopefully an autumn run develops. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall and now summer awaits with Autumn not far away.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!

Beat catches reported (week ending 10th September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 10, Waulkmill 2, Lower Redgorton 3, Luncarty 4, Upper Redgorton 2, Fishponds 3, Benchil 3, Upper Scone 7, Stobhall 3, Taymount 10, Ballathie 10, Cargill 11, Islamouth 2, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 6, Kercock 12, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 2, Newtyle 1, Dunkeld House 1, Dalmarnock 1, Lower Kinnaird 2, Lochlane and Laggan 4, Ericht Fishing 1.
Total: 101 Largest: Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 21lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 2, Fishponds 4, Ballathie 2, Cargill 1.
Total: 9 Largest: Fishponds & Ballathie & Cargill 3lbs

The majority of the salmon were caught in the lower river in early spring, which is understandable with the cold conditions but that has changed with warmer water allowing fish to run further giving improving results up the river including fish from Loch Tay, Loch Faskally and beyond now as fish spread in the system. The lower river is now the barometer for the runs as they enter the river with water temperatures around 60F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing run but a big spate would encourage more salmon to run and shake the residents up.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone however the summer run seems to have come to an end and we await an autumn run to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing steady sport with small run entering the river and now earlier run fish have started to drop back towards their final destinations of Almond, Shochie and Ordie which can only help sport in this area. The beats just above the tide continue to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and Lower Redgorton catching 15 between them.Generally, all the beats have quietened off this past week and a spate is required to liven things up. That has happened at the end of the week so look out in the coming week! Upper Redgorton and Fishponds had 5 between them for the week. The Sly party had limited success on Upper Redgorton meanwhile Fishponds had 3 but they were all caught on Saturday after water. Luncarty benefited from the water of Friday with Dougie Wangerts party having 4 in the day with several others lost. Upper Scone had a good day on Monday on Benchil with 5 fish grassed with Francois Stoven and his son doing well. Later in the week Robin Menzies, Patrick Paul and Francois Stoven had more success. Benchil also produced for Stanley with American visitor Adam Andrews catching an 11 pounds fish from the Little Shot and Gordon Pollock defying the odds in dirty water on Saturday landing a 6 pounds fish on the fly. Stobhall and Taymount managed 13 between them in the week. Meanwhile Ballathie and Cargill amassed 21 in the week. The Sly party enjoyed success on Ballathie and the Hart party had success with Cargill. Islamouth struggled with 2 in the week however Upper Islamouth and Meikleour fared better with 6 which included

Martin Miller landing a 5 pounds fish from the Tunnel Hole, Peter Writer catching a 6 pounder in the Boxwood Bush and

Scott Sykes landing a 14 pounds fish from Islamouth.

The middle river has slowed down over recent weeks and are praying for rain to liven things up in the weeks to come. Kercock had a good week with 12 fish which included Jim and James Redmound landing fish up to 15 pounds. The beats above struggled with just odd fish.
The upper river was seeing sport with odd fish caught and recent fresh water should improve activities in the weeks to come.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club and there is now over 6050 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally and fish are running the Garry. This is a high figure in recent years caused by the temperature coming up quickly earlier in May and encouraging the fish to run.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht and 1 fish were reported last week from the lower Ericht.

Fish have been reported running the Lyon as well but low water levels have curtailed sport. No news from that part of the river last week.

Fish have also been running the Earn with 4 fish reported last week from Lochlane and Laggan.

The Spring and Summer Salmon fishing seasons are over and we are now in Autumn as we progress through September with the expectation of a developing late run. Last week�s catches were disappointing. Let us hope there is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go deep into September. It has been a reasonable start with well over 3200 fish recorded so let us hope the season lives up to every one�s expectations over the coming weeks and months. Tight lines!

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 12th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 12th September 2016.

The Salmon fishing season is now in Autumn on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we go deeper into September after a couple of spates last week and varying conditions for anglers with unsettled river levels at times mostly due to torrential rain to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical salmon. Hopefully that will improve and maintain catches in the coming week as this has been sought to liven the river up. The summer run has now petered out with grilse sprinkled in amongst some heavy summer salmon and the prospect of improving catches hopefully will be maintained from last month with autumn arriving giving better sport in the coming week after conditions have settled. The weather is looking more settled in the coming days with the chance of a little rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being seen catching trout to feed their young however it will not be long before they get on their bike so to speak and all disappear off south for the winter, Ducks have broods of mature young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but most are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay. A salmon can be a bonus!!

Currently the river is settling back after more heavy showers at the end of the week and is now well above summer levels (Just above 3�7 on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a lower level for the Tay in the coming week.

The weather has been more unsettled at the end of last week but hopefully will settled down in the next few days with good conditions which should improve this coming week. Some heavy downpours have given the river water from rain last week but the river is dropping back again with better weather forecast. This current week looks better at the start with little or no rain forecast. The feeling on the system with fish all over the beats and only a few fresh fish running is that we could do with a massive spate to stir things up and hopefully encourage more fish to run. That is exactly what has happened so let us see what happens. Calmer weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal autumn fishing conditions. The water temperature is hovering around or just above 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The lower river is currently doing best in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results later in the season. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay salmon. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110�s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.

The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.

Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.

The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
� All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
� All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
� No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
� Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.

Salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.

When releasing salmon please try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to give them every chance to recover prior to release. Releasing fish from boats in the river is not recommended. Further information on the policy and good release practice.

If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in the reports.

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Highland Park Shrimp

With there being little or no rain in recent months the rivers have been very low and the prospects of catching salmon have been poor. As a result I've had no fishing trips of note in the past few weeks so I thought I would do something a bit different than normal. I am a very keen fly tier and I almost enjoy tying flies as much as I do fishing so this is a Blog post about a cracking salmon fly which was created by my good friend, Bill Cook.

A batch of the original Highland Park Shrimps tied by Bill Cook.

Born on the banks of the Don, the name Highland Park Shrimp came about primarily due it's colours as Bill took the inspiration for it's tying from the popular single malt whisky which bears the same name. It's amazing what can inspire new creations and with the fly having great success in the last few seasons I bet Bill was glad he was enjoying a wee dram or two whilst at the vice that evening!

Bill first tied the fly in May 2011 but due to the lack of water that summer it wasn't until July 22nd that the fly finally got off the mark. It was well worth the wait though as Bill manged to catch a fine brace of salmon from the Park beat of the River Dee. The Highland Park Shrimp was to go from strength to strength from there on in as it became Bill's "go to" fly whenever the water had a wee peaty stain to it. I should add that it works well in all conditions but it really does excel when a spate is running off. It has caught fish on numerous river such as the Dee, Don, Spey, South Esk, North Esk and the Stinchar to name but a few. I'm sure if the fly was more well known then it would be much more successful further afield too.

Bill has caught many fish with his fly since 2011 and it's best catch to date came on the 28th August last season when it accounted for 5 fish landed and 1 lost from the South Esk. That's a good day's fishing in anyone's book but made even better catching the fish on a fly you've created yourself. Bill informs me there is a copper bodied version of his fly which is as equally deadly. It certainly must be good to be on par with the original! Bill, like myself, just ties flies for his own boxes and occasionally for friends so unfortunately his pattern is not available to buy. I have included this Step By Step guide below which will allow any tiers who fancy giving it a swim the chance to follow the instructions and tie a few for their own boxes. The fly in the step by step is one I have tied myself so I hope it does Bill's original fly justice.

The Original as tied by Bill Cook

Thread :- Black

Tag :- Fine Oval Gold Tinsel.

Body Rear Half :- Flat Gold Tinsel ribbed with Oval Gold.

Centre Hackle :- Hot Orange Cock.

Centre Wing :- Mixed Orange & Yellow Bucktail and a couple of strands of Yellow Crystal Hair (Tied Flamethrower Style on top)

Body Front Half :- Black Floss ribbed with Oval Silver Tinsel.

Front Wing :- G.P. Tippet tied in flat on top (Strip away the outside fibres till you get the length you want)

Front Hackle :- Black Cock

Head :- Black

Materials required to tie a Highland Park Shrimp. *Jungle cock only used in copper bodied version*

Tie in the oval gold tinsel and form a tag.

Tie in the flat gold tinsel to about half way along the shank of the hook to form the body.

Tie in the rib over the top of the flat gold tinsel.

Tie in a hot orange cock hackle at the end of the gold body. Roughly half way along the shank of the hook.

Mix a small amount of orange and yellow bucktail and tie in over the top of the orange cock hackle Flamethrower style. Add in the 2 strands of yellow Krystal Flash on top.

Form a second body with black floss and tie in the silver rib over the top using oval silver tinsel.

Tie in the GP tippet. I tied it in to about the length of the hook.

Tie in the large black cock hackle. I used 3 turns here to reduce bulk.

Form a neat head and apply 2-3 coats of clear varnish to finish of the fly.

The Copper Version.

The only difference here is the use of red thread. The rear half of the body is copper tinsel, again ribbed with oval gold and a couple of J.C. nails are tied in before adding the black hackle at the front.

I varnish the head with clear varnish as it gives the red thread a nice colour.

A pair of copper Highland Park Shrimps.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 3rd September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Report for W/E 3rd September 2016.

The salmon fishing season on the Tay in Perthshire has now seen Summer although the weather has not been ideal at times but we are now in early Autumn and there has been a run in the past few weeks and catches have improved however we are now looking for an increase in runs after another steady August despite some unsettled conditions at times. The river has had fresh water and is hovering around or just above summer levels despite some heavy localized rain giving reasonable conditions at times for fishing plus warming temperatures are seeing catches maintained. Expectation is high on the river for 2016 with now over 3200 fish recorded so far plus hopefully settled weather will continue with an improving run in September to give everyone a chance of landing a Tay �Bar of Silver�.

Summer salmon and grilse have been running and landed throughout last week with more unsettled weather and catches have continued to spread with higher river temperatures. It was a steady week despite more turbulent conditions at times with around 80 fish landed and the biggest one recorded was a 20 pounds beauty on Upper Kinnaird. Spring has now transferred into summer and steady runs are coming into the river plus better weather is making fishing easier with lower water and a bit of fresh water last week may have encouraged more fish to run the river as the summer disappears and hopefully an autumn run develops. The fish that have been caught so far have been superb quality and of a good size overall and now summer awaits with Autumn not far away.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being see catching trout to feed their young, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but some are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Beat catches reported (week ending 3rd September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 9, Waulkmill 8, Lower Redgorton 4, Upper Redgorton 2, Fishponds 3, Benchil 4, Upper Scone 3, Stobhall 5, Taymount 8, Ballathie 7, Cargill 5, Islamouth 6, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2, Kercock 4, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 1, Newtyle 1, Lower Kinnaird 5, Upper Kinnaird 1, Farleyer Upper 1.
Total: 80 Largest: Upper Kinnaird 20lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 1, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 2.
Total: 3 Largest: Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 3lbs

The majority of the salmon were caught in the lower river in early spring, which is understandable with the cold conditions but that has changed with warmer water allowing fish to run further giving improving results up the river including fish from Loch Tay, Loch Faskally and beyond now as fish spread in the system. The lower river is now the barometer for the runs as they enter the river with water temperatures around 60F, plus fish are now starting to be caught in greater numbers in the lower river with the developing run but a big spate would encourage more salmon to run and shake the residents up.

This past week saw a more fish from the lower river scattered throughout the beats encouraging everyone however the summer run seems to have come to an end and we await an autumn run to develop in earnest. The beats at Stanley and below are seeing steady sport with small run entering the river and now earlier run fish have started to drop back towards their final destinations of Almond, Shochie and Ordie which can only help sport in this area. The beats just above the tide continue to produce fish on a regular basis with Almondmouth, Waulkmill and Lower Redgorton catching 21 between them. Generally all the beats have quietened off this past week and a spate is required to liven things up.

Upper Redgorton and Fishponds managed 5 between them with Ian Muir and his son both catching on the fly from the Craigs. Upper Scone and Stanley managed 7 for the week all falling on the

Benchil beat with again Ian Muir featuring with 2 good fish casting the fly from the boat in the Long Shot.

Steven Hogg also had a fish on the fly from the Little Shot with Malcolm Anderson landing a grilse from Upper Neil�s Head on a Vison. Stobhall and Taymount had 13 in the week with Alistair Sheach�s party enjoying success on Taymount.

Ross Harper and Roger Worth were amongst the fish in the week.

Ballathie and Cargill had 12 in the week with Hector Rawsons party enjoying success on Cargill while the Ibbotson�s and Sheddon�s caught on Ballathie. Islamouth had 6 for their week and Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had 2. Simon Littlejohn had a grilse on the fly from the Castle stream.

The middle river has slowed down over recent weeks and are praying for rain to liven things up in the weeks to come. Kercock had a quiet week with 4 fish. The beats above struggled with just odd fish. The Kinnaird beats caught 6 between them including a 20 pounds fish off the Upper beat.

The upper river was seeing sport with a fish caught on the Farleyer beats and recent fresh water should improve activities in the weeks to come.

The Tummel is continuing to see limited sport from the Port-na-Craig beat administered by Pitlochry Angling Club and there is now over 5900 fish through the Dam resulting in fish being recorded in Loch Faskally and fish are running the Garry. This is a high figure in recent years caused by the temperature coming up quickly earlier in May and encouraging the fish to run. An interesting graph has been compiled showing the count against temperature.

The Isla are seeing salmon run up the river and progressing to the Ericht however 0 fish were reported last week.
Fish have been reported running the Lyon as well but low water levels have curtailed sport. No news from that part of the river last week.

Fish have also been running the Earn but no fish were reported last week.

The Spring and Summer Salmon fishing seasons are over and we are now in Autumn as we progress through September with the expectation of a developing late run. Last week�s catches were disappointing. Let us hope there is a sign of an upturn in catches as we go deep into September. It has been a reasonable start with well over 3200 fish recorded so let us hope the season lives up to every one�s expectations over the coming weeks and months. Tight lines!

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 5th September 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire prospects w/c 5th September 2016.

The Salmon fishing season is now entering Autumn on the mighty Tay in Perthshire, Scotland as we welcome September after some better weather last week with some rain and varying conditions for anglers with unsettled river levels at times mostly due to hydro rises to enjoy the elements in pursuit of that magical salmon. Hopefully that will improve and maintain catches in the coming week. The summer run has now petered out with grilse sprinkled in amongst some heavy summer salmon and the prospect of improving catches hopefully will be maintained from last month with autumn arriving giving better sport in the coming week after conditions have settled. The weather is looking more settled in the coming days with the chance of a little rain which will hopefully not unsettle conditions and continue to benefit and enable a greater chance of producing some sport and some "Bars of Silver" if you are prepared to brave the elements.

On the nature front the Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows are all over the skies, Ospreys are being see catching trout to feed their young, Ducks have broods of young, Sand Pipers are on the river banks and Kingfishers dart past. Wild flowers are still visible but some are over again for another year, it is truly magical to be salmon fishing in Perthshire on the banks of the silvery Tay.

Currently the river has settled back after more heavy showers in the weekend and continues at a height just above summer levels (Just above 1�7 on the Ballathie gauge) and hopefully will remain settled at a lower level for the Tay in the coming week.

The weather has been more settled last week but hopefully will continue that way with good conditions which should improve this coming week. Some heavy downpours have given the river some water from rain last week but the river has dropped back to just above summer levels again with better weather forecast. This current week looks better at the start with little or no rain forecast. The feeling on the system with fish all over the beats and only a few fresh fish running is that we could do with a massive spate to stir things up and hopefully encourage more fish to run. Unfortunately, that is not on the cards this coming week. Calmer weather will settle the river back to good levels and make ideal summer fishing conditions. The water temperature is hovering around or just above 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius last week and should remain at that level in the current weather conditions. These are typical temperatures for this time of year. The temperature has risen encouraging more salmon to run resulting in fish being caught well up the system. The lower river is currently doing best in the warmer conditions and this confirms historical results later in the season. Hopefully there might be a chance of a fresh fish anywhere in the river.

As to methods, in settled conditions fishing by any method will have to be a bit quicker with large lures to catch the elusive Tay Springer. 20 pounds main line with a 15 pounds leader plus favoured lures include Devons, Toby Salmos, Vision 110�s and Rapalas, for spinning and smaller Temple Dogs, Tubes, normal dressed flies and Monkies for fly fishing. The Tay is a large river but modern lines such make turning over and casting larger flies easier and the fish tend to be near the bank in larger waters. Floating lines and sink tips are now on the agenda as we go over the magical 48 degrees and into summer. Harling is also a favoured method on the river to cover the lies for the less experienced.
The Tay Ghillies Association are continuing their popular FISH OF THE MONTH AWARD to encourage good catch and release practice on the Tay. Each month the winner will receive 2 personalised crystal Whisky glasses engraved with details of the catch and they will automatically be entered into the fish of the year competition for a Stylish Crystal Engraved Decanter. Full details of this initiative.

Popular hotels to stay in the area are the Tayside Hotel in Stanley, Ballathie House, The Meikleour Arms, The Anglers Inn in Guildtown, Murrayshall Hotel, Scone and the Royal Dunkeld Hotel.

The Tay in Perthshire is a prime spring salmon fishing destination so why not give it a go?

Finally, you are reminded that the Tay's policy from June to the end of 2016 Season is that
� All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 10 pounds should be released.
� All coloured and gravid fish to be released.
� No more than one clean fish weighing, where possible, less than 10 pounds should be retained per angler per day.
� Anglers should not use worms in September or October in any part of the district.

Salmon are a scarce and precious resource. Please help preserve both them and the long term future of your sport by following the recommendations. It is vital the river system follows these guides to ensure the draconian rules do not get extended in seasons to come.

When releasing salmon please try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to give them every chance to recover prior to release. Releasing fish from boats in the river is not recommended. Further information on the policy and good release practice.

If you have any news or pictures of catches or experiences on the Tay and you would like to share them please email me on robert.salmonfishing@googlemail.com to be included in the reports.

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White

Salmon Fishing Scotland Late Summer Fly Fishing on Tay, Perthshire 2016.

Salmon Fishing Scotland Late Summer Fly Fishing on Tay, Perthshire 2016.

The Tay in Perthshire had dropped back to summer levels which has been favourable for fly fishing although the salmon have been hard to tempt. There have been exceptions to the rule if you have been prepared to fish hard.

Ian Muir playing a good summer salmon from the boat in the Long Shot on Benchil just below Stanley.

A superb 15 pounds beauty prior to release.

Anchored fly fishing from a boat on the Tay is popular as you can get to places you can not wade to safely. Ian Muir plays another lively fish on the fly from the boat.

A cracking fresh salmon which could be the end of the summer run or the start of the autumn as we go into September.

Salmon Fishing Scotland - By Robert White