Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 29th September 2018.

Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 29th September 2018.

The Tay, Perthshire has now seen out September for salmon fishing with more encouraging results in recent weeksdue some rain and cooler weather conditions as we go deeper into autumn. In recent weeks the weather pattern has changed giving us far more rain to freshen the river up and dropping the river temperature to produce some 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 29th September)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 31, Waulkmill 31, Lower Redgorton 60, Luncarty 5, Upper Redgorton 11, Fishponds 15, Upper Scone 7, Pitlochrie 5, Burnmouth 4, Stobhall 29, Taymount 27, Ballathie 19, Cargill 18, Islamouth 19, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 19, Kercock 10, Delvine Burnbane 7, Murthly 1 10, Glendelvine 4, Murthly 2 4, Newtyle 5, Dunkeld House 7, Dalmarnock 8, Dalguise 6, Lower Kinnaird 1, Upper Kinnaird 1, Edradynate 1, Lower Grandtully 1, Findynate 2, Farleyer Upper 4, Farleyer Lower 6, Lochlane and Laggan 1, Portnacraig Pitlochry 1, Strathfillan AA 1.
Total: 380 Largest: Fishponds 27lbs
SEA TROUT: Waulkmill 1, Lower Redgorton 7, Upper Redgorton 1, Murthly 1 1, Murthly 2 1, Newtyle 1, Upper Kinnaird 1, Lochlane and Laggan 3.
Total: 16 Largest: Waulkmill & Murthly 2 & Upper Kinnaird 3lbs

Salmon were landed last week in improving conditions after very heavy rain and a big spate washed the river out in the previous week. The catches continued to increase after a change in conditions over recent weeks. The numbers were again very encouraging again after some good weeks in a difficult season, the week started off with a couple of memorable days a little under 100 but finished with just under 400 salmon recorded making it another best week of the season so far signaling a reasonable summer run and even some autumn fish over 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 another good week especially at the bottom of the river. In the first few beats of the river Almondmouth, Lower Redgorton and Waulkmill all had fish and in far better numbers into the twenties of pounds in weight with Lower Redgorton having a bumper week with 60 fish. Almondmouth and Waulkmill had excellent weeks also which included some good fresh fish caught as well with small runs entering the river but fish dropping back to prepare their run to the Almond have helped and dominated sport. A run has now started to ascend the Almond as well. Luncarty saw a few fish landed as well with fish preparing to run the Shochie and Ordie. At Luncarty Ian Muir had a couple of fish up to 12 pounds on fly then later in the week Graham Blackledge had a couple on a Devon up to 14 pounds. At the start of the week the Robbins party had success on Upper Redgorton and 

Fishponds had 11 fish up to 27 pounds. JCB clients enjoyed the early part of the week on Upper Scone with Gordon Hyslop having an excellent day in Horsey on the fly landing 3 good fish on the Pitlochrie beat. On Stanley Peter Annan had a couple of fish from the same pool also on fly and later in the week the Rutherfords, Simon and Jane had 3 fish in Horsey spinning. Stobhall and Taymount had good weeks again with Donald Normans party having a productive week on Stobhall and both beats had a combined catch of over 50. Ballathie and Cargill again had consistent weeks with good catches. On Ballathie John Milligan had a good day with a couple on fly up to 14 pounds. 

On Cargill the week got off to a good start with Barry Ward catching a few, then other successful rods included David Sands, Don Bell, Donald McNicol, William Sinclaire and 

Lionel Turner. 

Lady angler from Germany Almut Mueller enjoyed a good day with 3 fish and Steve Curnow caught on the fly. Islamouth had a good week with 19 adding to their considerable tally for the season. 

Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had another good week with 19 fish also, Dario Ferrari caught a 19 pounds fish in the House Pool and we went on to finish the day with 8 fish landed and a further 6 lost! Marco Ferrari, Christian Mueller and Almut Mueller from Germany all featured in the catches as well. Alastair Robertson and Jeanette Robertson both had fish with Jeanette catching her first ever salmon from the tail of the March Pool, Andrew Toft also had two fish from the Castle Pool. Other successful rods included Mr. Corker, Nick Doyle, David Taylor, Brian McIntosh, Jim Eddie and Stephen Kilpatrick fishing with his son Blair, caught the 150th fish of the season from the beat.

The Middle river had been really struggling but catches have improved dramatically in the last couple of weeks with a steady rise in water levels. Kercock had 10 in the week and 

Delvine Burnbane had 7 which is a good improvement which included fish up to 18 pounds for Robert Harvey and Willie Cumming. 

Other fish were caught by Brian Joseph and Colin Wighton. The Murthly and Glendelvine beats had better weeks as well with nearly 20 fish. Newtyle had 5 and 

Dunkeld House managed 7 which included a good day for Steve Brown with fish up to 21 pounds. Dalmarnock managed 8 and 

Dalguise with 6 which included several fish for Dr Malcolm Freeland throughout the week. The Kinnaird beats had a couple. 

The Upper river had odd fish last week with fish recorded at Edradynate, Lower Grandtully , Findynate , Farleyer Upper and Farleyer Lower. 

The Tummel is seeing fish continue on their journey now with around 2560 fish through the ladder. Pitlochry Angling Club recorded a single fish below the Dam caught by Jock Stewart on the fly. 

The Earn is seeing some fish run with the recent water and a single fish was recorded at Lochlane and Laggan. 

The past weeks have seen better catches after rain and cooler temperatures 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.