Spring Salmon Fishing Dunkeld House Beat

 Not long now till the 2026 salmon fishing season starts on the mighty river Tay. 

Happy New Year to everyone when it comes. and Tight Lines for 2026.

Salmon Flies

 

Yokanga Gold Salmon fly.

 

A nice fly for spring time.

Salmon Spawning Problems

 

For the last few years I have really noticed one of the many problems relating to salmon spawning habitat that not many people seem to have noticed. Salmon spawning beds on the Tay are becoming seriously chocked up with silt showing in this small video clip and it’s getting worse the last few years. Salmon need clean fresh gravel to be able to cut their redds . If they are lucky enough to dig a redd how can the eggs stay alive without being chocked up with silt . Even trying to dig and rake gravel you clearly see the problem, hard compact and full of silt what chance have our fish of spawning properly when the spawning beds are in this state . It’s something I feel need to be looked at . It’s a fairly easy fix too after all the old ghillies used to go out and rake the gravel for spawning time .

Tying a Spring Salmon Fly with Tanuki..

Dunkeld House Beat

 

Like to wish you all a Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year  

Tight lines for 2026 lets hope its a good one.

Dunkeld House Beat River Tayn

 

With the season on the Tay not that long away now, its a good time to get all the gear ready again especially on those dark wet nights .

CDC Medicine Fly tyed by Davie McPhail

Tying the MacKenzie Cascade (Salmon Fly) with Davie McPhail

Tying a Claret Flamethrower Salmon Fly by Davie McPhail

TYING THE GHILLIE SALMON FLY WITH RYAN HOUSTON

Tips on how I store my Salmon Tube Flies..

Tying a Scandinavian Style Salmon Tube Fly with Davie McPhail

Fly Tying Spring Flys

 

Tying a Silver Ally's Shrimp with Davie McPhail

Mackenzie FX2 Fly Rods Trailer

Tying the Durris Shrimp (Shitey Whitey) with Davie McPhail

Tying the Red Devil on a Double Hook with Davie McPhail

Tying a Willie Gun Tube (Spring Fly Version) by Davie McPhail

Dunkeld House Salmon Fishing

 

Tying a Good Spring Salmon Tube Fly with Davie McPhail

Tying a Clyde Raider Piglet with Davie McPhail

Spring Salmon Fishing Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

Not long till we are chasing these spring crackers, you just can't beat a spring salmon. Natures perfection 

Salmon Fishing River Tay

 Always a nervous few minutes as a hard fought fish nears the bank. 

Salmon Fishing River Tay

 

Rods at the ready nothing better in the morning having everything organised and ready to go.

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

Casting a fly over the cathedral stream. What a lovely cast it is in April May time just waiting for that tug 

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

The boat out harling covering all the many areas that spring fish will hold up in on the beat .

Spring Salmon Fishing Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

Nothing better than to hook and land the perfect spring salmon, but its so nice to see them swim away strongly after it all.

Harling Lures

 

That time of year again checking all the hooks and split rings on the Tomic lures Kynock mounts making sure they are ready to go .

River Tay Harling

 

A bit of harling may not seem like fishing but in the higher water levels it is definitely a very effective way of covering the river especially in the colder water.

Salmon Spinning Lures

 

Salmon fishing definitely  doesn't have to be complicated . Two great salmon lures for spinning Toby Salmo and a vision 110 these two lures fished in the right  way will take fish all season .

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

Not long now till the salmon season opens on the mighty river Tay. Roll on the 15 th January

Mackenzie Fly Fishing

 

Mackenzie Fly Fishing FX2 Fly Rods

 

The FX2 range of fly rods from Mackenzie Fly Fishing are all an absolute dream to fish with. They really do make fly casting really easy . From single handed to double handed rods 

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

A lovely 14 lb springer landed on Thursday afternoon caught on a vision 110 on the Dunkeld House Beat

 

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

On a rather wet day we were presented with the Redford trophy today for our opening day springer . Thanks to all the came .

Tying a Piglet Alistair Salmon Fly by Davie McPhail

Opening Day Springer Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 

Well what an afternoon it turned out to be on opening day for Robert Mair, when this 19 lb springer took a harled tomic in the lady pool. After a very tense 15 minutes it safely in the net unhooked and returned . This has also made us winners of the Redford trophy and is believed to be the first salmon caught in the UK this season just makes it very special .

Opening Day Dunkeld House Beat River Tay 2025

 

The opening speech and blessing of the river .

Dunkeld House Beat Opening Day 2025 season

 

Our first part of  our opening day being piped down to the river .

Dunkeld House Beat River Tay

 Well tomorrow marks the opening day on the river Tay. The river is looking good, Tight lines to everyone out tomorrow 

Alta, Raipas – Memories of Big Salmon

Pattern of the Month #58 – Classic The Witch