Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 15th September 2018.

Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 15th September 2018.

The Tay, Perthshire is now September for salmon fishing with encouraging results in recent weeksdue some rain and cooler weather conditions as we welcome autumn. In recent weeks the weather pattern has changed giving us more rain to freshen the river up and dropping the river temperature to produce some far better sport. The current conditions have improved dramatically giving everyone a great chance of landing a salmon from the Tay in a difficult year and even possibly a fish of a lifetime with some of the multi sea winter fish currently being caught this season.

Beat catches reported

(week ending 15th September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 24, Waulkmill 10, Lower Redgorton 13, Upper Redgorton 4, Fishponds 3, Upper Scone 10, Pitlochrie 1, Stobhall 21, Taymount 21, Ballathie 11, Cargill 20, Islamouth 20, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 18, Kercock 14, Delvine Burnbane 6, Newtyle 1, Dunkeld House 2, Dalmarnock 3, Dalguise 2, Lower Kinnaird 3, Keithick Mains 1.
Total: 208 Largest: Upper Scone 25lbs
SEA TROUT: Lower Redgorton 6, Upper Redgorton 1, Stobhall 1, Taymount 1, Cargill 1, Delvine Burnbane 1, Dalmarnock 1, Lower Kinnaird 1.
Total: 13 Largest: Lower Redgorton 5lbs

Salmon were landed last week in favourable conditions with improving numbers after the change in conditions in recent weeks. The numbers were encouraging after some good weeks in a difficult season, just over 200 salmon were recorded making it the best week of the season so far signaling a reasonable summer run, a few more grilse have been caught which may be down to the lower river levels in recent weeks. The improving conditions meant that some of the resident fish have become more active also and they make up a large proportion of the catch. The spring run is a memory, and frustratingly only small runs are still coming into the river this year but with improving conditions catches are being made in reasonable numbers. Hopefully there will be a few more of them to come as we go deeper into the autumn.

On the Lower river most beats have had better sport last week. At the bottom of the river Almondmouth, Lower Redgorton and Waulkmill all had fish and in reasonable numbers. There have been some fresh fish caught as well with small runs entering the river but fish dropping back to prepare their run to the Almond have helped sport. Lower Redgorton saw a few fresh fish caught on fly with Ian Muir having 4 in a day and on Almondmouth Bill Jack had an 18 pounds fish on the fly on Friday. The beats above there found life hard but still caught fish during the week in lesser numbers. 

Upper Scone had a reasonable week catching 10 fish with Gary Perks landing a monster 25 pounds fish on a red Devon being the highlight. At Stanley Ann Emsens caught an 8 pounds fish on the fly form the Woodside on the Pitlochrie beat. The water heights have improved slowly helping Taymount and Stobhall, giving them a far more productive week with 42 fish. Ballathie and Cargill also did well with 31 fish up to 22 pounds. 

On Cargill good fish were caught by Neil French, Peter Jacques, David Sands, William Sinclaire, Alan Muir, the 

Robertsons and John Boreboom to name a few. Islamouth had a good week with 20 and Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had a similar score with 18 up to 10 pounds recording fish every day. 

Successful rods includedJohn Cameron, George Thomson, Ross Coker, Ryan Bunyan, Eric Young, Bill Robertson, Stewart Morris, Mr Tripp, Ken Halbet and 

Claire Mercer-Nairne.

The Middle river have been really struggling but catches started to improve last week with a steady rise in water levels. 

Kercock had a good week with 14 fish including 7 caught on Saturday. 

Delvine Burnbane had a few fish as well with 6 in the week including 

a 7 pounds fish for Harry Hutchison. The Murthly area was quiet however Newtyle had one and Dunkeld House had a couple up to 14 pounds. Dalmarnock reported 3 and up at Dalguise 2 were caught up to 18 pounds. Lower Kinnaird had 3 for the week. 

The Upper river did not report any fish last week. 

The Tummel is seeing fish continue on their journey now with around 2420 fish through the ladder. 

A single fish was reported off the Isla at Keithick Mains. 

The past weeks have seen better catches after rain and cooler temperatures greatly improving sport in an extremely difficult year so far, so let us hope that 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. The summer was difficult with extremely hot weather but in recent weeks after rain and cooler temperatures catches have picked up which hopefully will continue as we enter autumn. 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.