Ash Trees Pool Kinnaird Beat

This has got to be one of the very best middle Tay holding pools and one that is absolutely perfect for the fly especially the neck & tail. Come and have a look for yourself & I'd be delighted to show you what I mean. The Lower Kinnaird Beat really is top notch stuff.

Kinnaird Beat Spey Casting

This is the 'Green Bank' pool on the outstanding Lower Kinnaird beat of the River Tay. Minutes after this video was taken 2 salmon were hooked and lost just in front of the camera not surprisingly given the quality of this perfect fly stream.

Speycasting Dunkeld

Here's Jim Smith fine tuning his Spey cast at Dunkeld this evening.

Absolute Springtime Perfection

This was one of my very finest moments on Newtyle having just netted for Jim Fisher this absolute scale-perfect peach of a 20 lbs springer in front of the STV cameras. Click to enlarge this photograph and then look closely near her nose and you'll see the very colour of old Neptune's eyes himself. By God these creatures are special.

Mixed Bag of Salmon

It's truly amazing what's in the Tay during the closed season and just how much action there is to be had with the fly. As a ghillie it was an honour to help with the collecting of broodstock when asked by the bailiffs. These took me 2 hours on the fly in the Cottar pool over a mere 100 yards of water !! This is how the Tay used to be for catching salmon not that many decades ago. This fine bag (2 of which are springers!!) all came to a small fly on a floating line in the middle of December. There was a grayling angler on the beat that day who was amazed at how easy it was to catch salmon and kept watching me re-visit the keepnet. Can you spot the 2 big springers ?

The Double Spey Cast

Here's an effortless double spey cast being performed at the Junction pool on Lower Kinnaird. This is a lovely easy cast to watch when being performed correctly. For more information on my Spey casting tuition which I believe of the very highest standards Click here.

Spey Casting Dunkeld

Here's the top of the Ferry pool on the Dunkeld & Birnam Angling Association club water.

Lower Kinnaird Speycasting

Here's the Fir Trees Pool on Lower Kinnaird which is simply awesome.

42 Inch Tay Salmon

Here's a brute of a Tay cock salmon that I had the pleasure to meet in 2007. This fish was taken to the Almondbank hatchery and put in his own tank with 2 x big 20 lbs hens . After he was stripped he was released back to the Tay where I'm sure he'll be still thinking about his alien abduction !!

Lower Kinnaird Speycasting

This is the 'Green Bank' stream running into the neck of the 'Ash Trees' Pool on the fantastically fly-watered Lower Kinnaird beat of the Tay. The Kinnaird hut used to be situated on the left bank of the 'Ash Trees' pool in the old days when Callum Gillies was the Head Ghillie on Kinnaird. I remember being in the boat harling on Newtyle in the late 70's with Callum and his grandson Tony Black (Murthly Ghillie) and Callum had us both mesmorized by his stories of 50 pounders from the 'Ash Trees' pool that had straightened his gaff over the years !!!

Cathedral Stream Dunkeld House

Here's the Cathedral Stream on the Dunkeld House Beat of the Tay today. There are 2 deep pots in 2 areas of this stream where salmon love to lie in after coming up through the heavier flows under Dunkeld bridge. The boat is the only way to properly cover these salmon lies.

Spey Casting Kinnaird Beat River Tay

Here's a lovely video of Lower Kinnaird's Junction Pool where the River Tummel greets the Tay. This is a prolific Spey casting pool especially during April & early May for Spring salmon. For more on my guiding service Click here.

Double Spey Cast Tuition

Here's Neale Taylor having mastered the Double Speycast today in under 10 minutes putting out a lovely controlled line at the tail of the Ash Trees pool on Lower Kinnaird today. Exceptionally well done Neale.

Spey Casting Lower Kinnaird Beat River Tay

Here Neale Taylor with a lovely wee wild Tay brown trout at the neck of the Fir Trees pool on Lower Kinnaird. The exact spot where this trout grabbed Neale's fly is exactly where 'Old Sam' should have been waiting for us !

Sea Trout Junction Pool Kinnaird Beat River Tay

Here's Larry Kim with a fly caught sea trout from the Junction Pool of Lower Kinnaird. Scroll down to see Larry playing his first Tay salmon today.

Guay Pool Kinnaird Beat River Tay

Here's Larry Kim from Littlerock Arkansas USA playing a good salmon on the Lower Kinnaird beat this morning. Larry started Speycasting for the first time today.

Lower Kinnaird Salmon Fishing

This fly caught salmon is still battling away. To find out more about my salmon fishing guiding service Click here.

Cock Salmon Landed

Here's Larry Kim's first Tay salmon seconds before it's safe release back to the river. This 12 lbs fish took a copper bodied size 13 cascade.Well done Larry.

Dunkeld House Beat Spey Casting

This is how the Cathedral Stream on the fabulous Dunkeld House beat looks from the boat. What a lovely cast this is with Iain Kirk (Kirky) the Head Ghillie roping you down the pool.

The Kennel Pool River Findhorn

This pool is called the 'Kennel' on the Dunearn Beat.

The March Stream Dunearn Beat River Findhorn

Here's the 'March Stream' on Dunearn up on the River Findhorn. This is seriously stunning fly fishing water.

Luxury Fishing Accommodation Dunkeld

Look at this for stunning 5 star accommodation on the banks of the Tay at the Dunkeld House Hilton. Thinking outside the box here for a minute this must be an easy way for the whole family to become a semi-part of your early Spring fishing plans ? How difficult would this be to sell to your spouse with Dunkeld on your doorstep, luxury spa, health club and many other leisure pursuits for the whole family. These beautiful properties are part of the new Osprey Lodges development where Spring weeks have just been offered for tenancy which are very inexpensive and coincide with the absolute peak times for Spring salmon on the Rivers Tay, Dee & Teith all of which are in easy striking distance from this location. My guidance and contacts can also assist in making sure your weeks fishing itinery is one of quality venues, sound straight forward fishing advice & riverbank guidance if necessary. For more information on prices & availability on these properties contact Margaret or Paul on 01350 727243. Or simply a team of your fishing buddies seeing the sense in some minimal outlay could be another alternative to securing a Spring week and having this luxury accommodation as HQ.

Spey Casting Dunkeld

Here's David Brattesani perfecting his Spey cast this morning. Very well done David. Fore more information on my valued Speycasting tuition Click here.

The Soldier's Leap Killiecrankie River Garry

A lucky escape from certain death !!!!!!!

Ash Trees Pool Kinnaird Beat River Tay

Here's one of the most productive pools on the fabulous Lower Kinnaird Beat of the Tay.

River Tay Cathedral Stream Dunkeld

The Tay is now almost back to full water clarity following last Thursday's land slide up in the headwaters of the River Tummel system.

spey casting

Here's one of the most picturesque Spey casting streams in Scotland opposite the grounds of Dunkeld Cathedral.

Learn To Spey Cast

Why not invest an hour this summer to perfect or learn the Spey cast (a traditional Scottish art-form cast). Once the finer details of this cast have been properly explained to you it will revolutionise your salmon fly fishing. For more information Click here.

River Tay Salmon Fishing

Here's how the Tay is looking this morning.

Dunkeld Spey Casting

Here's a wee bit precipitation from earlier today !!!!

Atholl Arms Hotel Dunkeld Speycasting

Here's James Rae the general manager of the excellent Atholl Arms Hotel in Dunkeld which is one of the nicest hotels in Perthshire and commands an beautiful view of the River Tay and Dunkeld Bridge. Contact James on 01350 727219 for a reservation or to visit the Hotel's website Click here. Any angler booking this lovely hotel while up fishing the Tay will qualify for a complimentary 30 minute Spey casting lesson or fine tuning while here (subject to availability).

Spey Cast Dunkeld

Here's great friend Gordon Pollock putting a new Monteith 15ft rod through it's paces in Dunkeld this morning. Gordon who is a master of the spey cast has been a big promoter of the Monteith range of Spey casting products during the last 5 years.

River Tay

Here's the state of the Tay today following a landslide in the River Garry's headwaters. Hopefully the river will clear within a few days as this serious colouring (caramac chocolate) is not good news for salmon fishing.

The Monteith Speycaster Sunk Line Multi Tip 10/11

I have today received a small delivery of this perfect sunk line multi tip. This is the last batch due this year and demand for this ground breaking sunk line product has been considerable. To order one of these systems Click here.

The UK's Finest Landscape Artist Alistair Makinson

Here's 2 beautiful paintings (click to enlarge) from the UK's finest landscape artist & great friend Alistair Makinson. Alistair will be exhibiting his paintings at the Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace in Perth this weekend (3-4-5th July). The paintings on show will feature Scottish Salmon Rivers, Stalking, Shooting and Wildlife. He will be showing and painting on the Artists in Action stand, organised by the Scottish Game Conservancy and next to the main arena. His work alone IMHO is a good enough reason to visit the show this year.