Newtyle Beat Harling

Here's the Alders Pool on Newtyle which produced a sea-liced grilse to one of the bank rods earlier today. The Tay is looking awesome just now and hopefully a good run of Autumn salmon will come snooping up and settle here shortly.

Newtyle Beat Speycasting

Here's the scene from the Cottar Pool on the Newtyle Beat this afternoon.

Pike Fishing Action

Here's a lively Loch Lomond pike performing for the camera.

Pike Fishing Loch Lomond

Here's one of our happy pike anglers who's party had 7 pike up to 14lbs this weekend on loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond Pike Fishing Boat

Here's our boat on Loch Lomond which is perfect for quality piking tours of this famous Scottish pike hot spot. For more information on a piking day out for up to 4 people call me on 07968 145033.

Tay Salmon Speycasting

Here's a big strong Tay salmon getting closer to the net after a lengthy battle. Note the composure of the cameraman and angler Gordon Pollock (Tay Ghillie) who is well used to capturing great footage for this blog from his sterling efforts on Newtyle over the years.

Gordon Pollock Tay Ghillie

Here's one of the best salmon fishers I know. Gordon Pollock worked with me on the Newtyle beat for 7 years and now splits his time ghillieing on a few of the middle Tay beats. Gordon assists me with salmon, trout & pike fishing clients and has a wealth of knowledge and a tremendous ability hooking fish. Over the years he time and time again produced salmon for guests on Newtyle when conditions were almost a complete waste of time.

Catch & Release River Tay

Here's Gordon Pollock releasing this big Tay cock fish which again says alot about this man and his thoughts on future salmon stock levels.

Spey Casting Tuition

Here's Gavin Long fine tuning his Speycast in Dunkeld this evening. Well done Gavin. I don't just teach the Spey cast but fully program the easy to understand logical basics that make the cast work to a level whereby whoever is on the receiving end can recite the key points to me and demonstrate the cast to me at the end of the lesson. This fully delivers the knowledge necessary to take the cast forward without any further guidance being required.

Great Days On The Fly

This was the result of 3 hours fly fishing on the Newtyle beat. During the closed season months of November & December the Tay is full of big fresh run Autumn salmon, early Springers & coloured Autumn fish. For years I used to help collect broodstock for the TDSFB hatchery program with coloured salmon (ready to spawn) being the main objective. More often than not my fly would be intercepted by big silver sea-liced beauties which in hind sight were part of the Autumn run that naturally don't time their arrival in to the Tay to coincide with our tight schedules and calendar months. In the 70's I remember these fish being present in the Tay in September but also hard frosts starting at that time of year which is now a very rare occurance. Standing back objectively looking at the current situation it's maybe a good thing that the true Autumn run is left largely untampered with as it's highly likely that these prized salmon would be decimated too through exploitation. Thank goodness mother nature has her own way of protecting her valued treasures.

Grilse Action

Here's a lively wee grilse being played just before lunchtime today.

4 lbs Salmon Dunkeld House Beat

Here's Richard Smith with his first ever salmon (cock grilse of 4 lbs). Richard's fish took a 20 gm copper toby from the tail of the Ferry Pool on Dunkeld House and was returned to the Tay. Well done Richard and haste ye back !

River Feshie Speyside

Look at this for perfect gin clear water from the River Feshie on Speyside. This river holds many Spey salmon & sea trout for spawning each season and it's beautiful to see such attractive deep pools, tantalizing riffles and shallow glides. This would be a braw place to swim in if you were covered in silver scales !!!

River Spey Speycasting

Here's the delightful Cara Richardson fine tuning her Speycasting technique at the Kinrara Beat of the River Spey this afternoon. Not the most pleasant day for practise with a strong swirling wind but better to practise in real conditions than not. Cara runs one of the most sought after hunting, shooting, fishing & event catering business's in Scotland and is also a crack shot with both the rifle and shotgun and a very keen fisher too. A proper Scottish country girl no less.

The Monteith Speycaster Sunk Line Multi Tip 10/11

This revolutionary sunk line solution knocks the spots of all other sunk line Speylines and all shooting head systems on price and fishing & casting performance. With the back end fast approaching this product is a must for the sunk line salmon fisher. For more information or to order this unique product Click here.

Speycasting Dunkeld House Beat

Here's 50 to 55 yards of long bellied Speyline being flown across the Lady Pool this morning during a bit of Speycasting practice with a few of the local Tay ghillies. These long lines are achievable with normal 16ft non competition Spey rods however a full day of this (or even a morning) could seriously leave you in need of an osteopath !!!! For more on my Speycasting tuition Click here.

Dunkeld Cathedral Stream Speycasting

Here's a braw sight and sound on a beautiful Sunday morning.

The Scottish Wine Baron !!!

Big Archie Steele (The Osprey !!) kept this one well under his hat !! Never underestimate the commercial acumen of yer ghillie !

Beaufort Castle River Beauly

What a setting this is for a castle and a cast !

River Beauly

This is such a beautiful river and stuffed full of salmon. These beats are averaging 40 fish per week at present and all naturally on the fly.

On The Braes O' Killiecrankie O.

Here's the 'Beauly Firth & Glen's Pipe Band' stirring up Beauly this evening.

River Beauly Fishing Hut !

Now here's how a fishing hut should be complete with high end catering staff and some of the finest and productive salmon fly fishing Scotland has to offer on the fabulous River Beauly.

Spey Casting Newtyle Beat River Tay

Here's Mark Freeman throwing a lovely line at the tail of 'The Cottar Pool' on Newtyle this afternoon. For more information on my effective Spey casting tuition Click here.

Dunkeld Traditional Fish And Chip Bar

If you ever fancy an ice cream when you're near Dunkeld then here's the very man to talk to. Scott Davie (new owner) has transformed everything in this very popular fish and chip bar in a very positive manner and as you can see he knows the size of the ghillie's family and makes the appropriate adjustments to his already generous ice cream servings. Scaffold is hired out on a price per hour basis !!!!

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

Here's the 'Lady Pool' this afternoon at the Dunkeld House Beat of the River Tay. We have lovely falling settled water now following last weeks high water so prospects are good especially at this time of year.

River Tay Cathedral Stream Dunkeld

Here's the Tay in her glory today. This water looks perfect and hopefully this week should start seeing more Autumn salmon entering the river. For more information on my salmon fishing guiding service Click here.

River Etive Argyll

Here's another look at the beautiful River Etive up nearer it's headwaters.

Buachaille Etive Mor

Here's a good shot of the Buachaille at the top of Glen Etive.

Caledonian Brewery Pipe Band

Here's the band fresh from the midweek Scotland match at Hampden greeting our USA friends in the beautiful Perthshire hills this morning.

Pipers In The Perthshire Hills

Some more from the Caledonian Pipe Band.

Bridge of Orchy River Awe System

Here's a video of the River Orchy from the Bridge of Orchy. The Awe system (well named) used to account for some colosal salmon due to the high water pressure created by the River Awe's short drop from freshwater Loch Awe to saltwater Loch Etive. The Electricity Board created a hydro electric dam at the Brander Pass in the 60's flooding what used to be called the Disputed Pool. This pool was the spawning grounds for the vast majority of River Awe monsters.

The River Etive in Glen Etive

This highland river needs to be seen to be believed like so many of our national water treasures.

What A Nation

Look at these hills between Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy on the West Highland Way.

Falls Of Dochart Killin

Here's a braw sight that I just had to video on my way over West the other day. Look at this for a display of Maw Nature's awesome power

Spey Casting School Dunkeld

Here's young Johnny Monteith getting his bedtime story this evening.

Spey Casting Dunkeld River Tay

Here's Don Milne fine tuning his speycasting technique this morning on the banks of the Tay. Very well done Don.

River Tay Cathedral Stream Dunkeld

The Tay is now starting to settle back after this week's heavy rain and the water clarity is getting better by the hour.

River Tay In Full Flood

Here's several feet of coloured water powering down the valley this morning. This will knock out the fishing for a few days or at least until the water clarity is back.

Pike Fishing Scotland

Here's the most perfect Scottish predator being played at the most magnificent wee location up in the Spey valley. When the rivers are unfishable it always pays to have a few aces up your sleeve especially at this time of year.

Spey Valley Pike Fishing

As a 3 years old (41 years ago !!) my mind was firmly engaged on pursuing old essox lucious himself. Old habits die hard and I still get a massive buzz from watching the bow wave of a pike coming for a lure.

Speycasting Kinnaird Beat River Tay

Here's the Guay Pool on Lower Kinnaird this afternoon.