Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 4th August 2018.

Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 4th August 2018.

The Tay, Perthshire has seen out July for salmon fishing with disappointing results in recent weeksdue to very hot and bright weather conditions in our current outstanding summer. The hot weather had been making life extremely difficult with water temperatures going over 70F/21C daily however that all changed last week after some heavy rain bringing the river up and dropping the river temperature by around 10F to produce an excellent weeks fishing for most. The current conditions have improved dramatically giving everyone a great chance of landing a “Bar of Silver” and even possibly a fish of a lifetime with some of the multi sea winter fish currently being caught in recent weeks.

Beat catches reported

(week ending 4th August)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 12, Waulkmill 8, Lower Redgorton 6, Upper Redgorton 3, Fishponds 2, Benchil 4, Upper Scone 9, Pitlochrie 1, Stobhall 4, Taymount 11, Ballathie 6, Cargill 8, Islamouth 18, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 10, Kercock 10, Murthly 1 2, Murthly 2 8, Dunkeld House 2, Dalmarnock 6, Findynate 1, Loch Tay Fish n' Trips 2, Lochlane and Laggan 1, Ruan Ruarie 1.
Total: 135 Largest: Islamouth 32lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 1, Lower Redgorton 1, Taymount 2, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 1, Delvine Burnbane 1, Murthly 1 1, Murthly 2 8, Newtyle 2, Dalmarnock 1.
Total: 18 Largest: Murthly 2 4lbs

Salmon were landed last week in far more favourable conditions with improving numbers after the change in conditions. The numbers were very encouraging with around 130 salmon recorded making it the rivers best week of the season so far signaling a better summer run and improving grilse numbers. The improving conditions also meant some of the resident fish became more active also. The coming week will show how strong a run comes as it will be by far the best conditions we have encountered for weeks. The spring run is a memory, and frustratingly only small runs were coming into the river but with better conditions and a developing summer run with more grilse appearing hopefully that will build, and last but fluctuating weather can make fishing difficult especially in very hot weather. Hopefully there will be a lot more of them to come as we go deeper into the summer period. 

On the Lower river most beats have had far better sport last week. At the bottom of the river Almondmouth, Lower Redgorton and Waulkmill all had fish in reasonable numbers confirming a run entering the river at long last. Almondmouth had 6 on Wednesday and Lower Redgorton and Waulkmill had 14 between them with Ian Muir and Steven Watt landing fish on the fly. Upper Redgorton had 3 in the week and 

Fishponds 2 on Tuesday. Upper Scone had a good week with fish caught on most days caught using various methods. On Benchil fish were caught on fly by Danny Fulton, John Morrison and Jim Ferrie up to 12 pounds. Further upstream Taymount had a good week with 11 and Stobhall managed 4. Ballathie and Cargill had 14 between them with 

Mark Cockburn and Graham Hay being amongst the successful rods on Cargill. Islamouth had a superb week with 18 fish including days of 9 and 6 for Angus Johnsons party plus a superb 32 pounds fish at the end of the week for 

Philip Taylor. 

Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had a much better week with 10 fish which included fish up to 11 pounds for Donald Muir, 

Andrew Sutherland and 

Graeme Colquhoun. 

The Middle river had a much better week with the rain coming at long last. Kercock had a good week with 10 fish up to 18 pounds and the Murthly beats produced 10 between them up to 15 pounds. 

Dunkeld House had a couple up to 14 pounds with the fresh water encouraging some of the older fish to take. Dalmarnock reported 6 fish for the week. 

The Upper river had one fish reported from Findynate and up on the Loch Fish n’ Trips reported a couple which included a 13 pounds fish for French visitor Frank Maurisson. 

The Tummel is seeing fish continue on their journey now with around 2000 fish through the ladder. Up on the Pitlochry Angling Clubs stretch on the Garry at Ruan Ruarie Paul Carter caught on the fly. Paul also had a fish from the clubs Sawmill stream back on the Tummel at Pitlochry as did Andrew Khakoo. 

The Earn is also seeing a run after the recent rain with Lochlane and Laggane reporting a single fish. 

The past week lived up to expectation after the rain and cooler temperatures greatly improving sport. It will be a defining week for the river in an extremely difficult year so far, so let us hope it continues.  

The Tay is certainly the place to come to for the chance of a fish of a lifetime. The sheer size of the river produces very powerful large salmon and the possibility of a 40 pounds fish must be on the cards now. The food source for Atlantic salmon is moving further away from our shores with sea temperatures rising and salmon are spending longer away in the ocean before they are returning making the possibility of much bigger fish finding its way back. The fish that are being caught now is further evidence of that phenomenon. 

There have been some encouraging signs in the past week or so and the sheer class of the fish caught continues to be outstanding with hopefully a settled river in the coming weeks we should see improved catches with a settled forecast as well.  

The Spring Salmon fishing was slow as we saw out May with the end of that run this year. June had picked up probably due to some fresh water and the emergence of some summer fish a couple of weeks ago, but we now need the current hot weather to break and it has so let us hope that the summer run builds further in the weeks to come. It has been a quiet start but let us hope the season lives up to every one’s expectations over the coming weeks and months and when you visit the Tay you catch a fish of a lifetime. Tight lines!

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.