Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 6th October 2018.

Tay Salmon Fishing Scotland Tay, Perthshire Salmon fishing report w/e 6th October 2018.

The Tay, Perthshire is now in October for salmon fishing with continuing encouraging results in recent weeksdue some rain and cooler weather conditions as we go deeper into autumn and the last full week of the season. 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 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 6th October)
SALMON & GRILSE: Almondmouth 15, Waulkmill 19, Lower Redgorton 12, Luncarty 4, Upper Redgorton 11, Fishponds 8, Benchil 1, Upper Scone 4, Pitlochrie 3, Burnmouth 1, Stobhall 4, Taymount 13, Ballathie 23, Cargill 27, Islamouth 22, Meikleour and Upper Islamouth 13, Kercock 12, Delvine Burnbane 1, Murthly 1 6, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 14, Newtyle 2, Dunkeld House 3, Dalmarnock 2, Dalguise 3, Lower Kinnaird 4, Edradynate 1, Farleyer Upper 3, Farleyer Lower 6, Keithick Mains 3.
Total: 241 Largest: Waulkmill 26lbs
SEA TROUT: Lower Redgorton 1, Glendelvine 1, Murthly 2 1.
Total: 3 Largest: Glendelvine 4lbs

Salmon were landed last week in reasonable conditions after very heavy rain and a big spate washed the river out in the previous week. The catches were maintained after a change in conditions over recent weeks. The numbers were again encouraging after some good weeks in a difficult season, it finished with around 240 making it another consistent week so far signaling a reasonable summer run and even some autumn fish over recent weeks. The improving conditions meant that the resident fish continued to be more active and they made 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 last week of the season. 

On the Lower river most beats have had another reasonable week with the bottom of the river continuing to catch. In the first few beats of the river Almondmouth, Lower Redgorton and Waulkmill all had fish but in lesser numbers than the previous weeks however there was odd fresh fish caught and some into the twenties of pounds in weight with Waulkmill catching a 26 pounds fish on Saturday. Luncarty continued to catch with Steven Crossland’s party landing 4. 

Fishponds had a reasonable week with fish caught up to 14 pounds. On Upper Redgorton Walter Soland’s party had an enjoyable week with 11 including young 10 year old Lewis landing his first ever salmon weighing 5 pounds. Upper Scone had 4 for the week with Stanley rods having a similar score. 

Monday saw Sam and Sandy Datta catching fish from Horsey on the Pitlochrie beat then 

Sandy caught on Benchil on Saturday. Burnmouth had a single fish and just above Taymount and Stobhall had another reasonable week with fish most days including a 25 pounds fish on Taymount. On Ballathie and Cargill it was similar situation with a consistent weeks fishing and some big fish as well. 

On Cargill there was 27 fish landed up to 25 pounds which included success for Graham Ritchie, Neil French, Steve Curnow and Robert Dawson. 

There was also a first ever for Norwegian visitor Venja Holt. Islamouth had a consistent week with 22 up to 19 pounds. 

Upper Islamouth and Meikleour had 13 for the week up 18 pounds which included fish for Scotia fishings clients, Claire Fuller, Cliff Davies, Steven Hulme, Bradi Hulme and Terry Davies.  

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 12 in the week up to 23 pounds. 

Delvine Burnbane had a single fish at 13 pounds. The Murthly beats had a much better week with around 20 fish up to 20 pounds with Glendelvine landing a single. 

Newtyle had odd fish but the story of the week must have been 82 year old Mrs Hedges landing her first ever salmon weighing 20 pounds with a little help from Andy Gunn through the Salmon Fishing Surgery team. Up at Dunkeld House 3 were landed up to 13 pounds and Dalmarnock had 2. Dalguise caught 3 with the Kinnaird beats having 2. 

The Upper river had odd fish last week with fish recorded at Farleyer Upper and Farleyer Lower. 

The Tummel is seeing fish continue on their journey now with around 2600 fish through the ladder. 

The Earn is seeing some fish run with the recent water but nothing was recorded last week. 

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 see out the season. 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.