Annual January Visit To Tayside

The salmon fishing season on the River Tay starts on the 15th January and every year, a group of us get together from all corners of Scotland to have a cast on the first Saturday of the new season. As in previous years, this year we were on the Lower Kinnaird beat which is situated just down stream of where the River Tummel and Tay meet. The river was sitting at around 2ft on our arrival and the conditions were in good order.

Getting ready to tackle up in the freezing conditions at Lower Kinnaird.

Lower Kinnaird is a nice stretch of water for fly fishing as it boasts some lovely pools and runs which are ideal for swinging a fly through. Our January day is, as expected, usually met with freezing conditions but the Tay doesn't seem to be effected by grue like many other rivers so we have always had an opportunity to have a cast.

Charlie and I discussing tactics for the morning ahead.

We met at the upper hut just after 8am and it was great to see the lads again after a long winter. After a nice cup of coffee and a good catch up, it was down to business. We were split into tow groups of three and I have to be fishing with Charlie And Bill. Sean, Craig and Kenny were in the other group. Our group were draw to fish the Ash Tree pool first of all with the other lads in Guay.

Fishing down the Ash Tree.

The Ash Tree is a nice cast and at the water height we had on the day, it was ideally suited for fishing the fly. I started up round the corner and worked my way down trough the pool. It was great to finally get a cast with my new 14ft Loop SX rod. There's nothing better than starting a new season with some new toys to play with!

Bill Cook throwing a nice line across the Guay Pool.

We all covered the pool as best we could whilst enduring the ice cold water as waded. Despite our best efforts, none of us managed to connect with anything. In fact, the water was very quiet and you just had that feeling like there was not much sitting in the pools as kelts are quite easy to catch if they are holed up in a pool but no action was to be had here.

A Silver Birch tree decimated by Beevers.

After a morning of freezing conditions, it was great to be heading back to the hut for a warm up and some of Kenny's famous soup and Glasgow rolls. The fire in the hut was roaring away nicely as we all sat down to recieve table service from Andy Pelc and Martin who were looking after us superbly as usual. We discussed our morning on the water and it was apparent that all the other lads had the same result we had. Nothing doing. Still, it was great to be out on the river again regardless.

A fine winter warmer on a Baltic day by the river.

Lunch time in the hut as we are tucking into Sean's homemade cheese cake!

After lunch, were to fish the Guay Pool. This is another nice bit of water and we all set off eager to get back out on the river again. I changed fly and Charlie did the same as we tried to do something to try and see if we could get a result. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be but we certainly gave it a good go. The close season spent on the vice tying flies was now a distant memory and hopefully it won't be too long until our new creations are proving irresistible to some fresh run springers.

Looking upstream in the Guay Pool in the afternoon.

The same pool but looking downstream.

Craig Wilson and Sean McGarry smile for the camera.

Our January meet on the Tay is always a great day out. It is good craic meeting up with fishing pals again and we always have an enjoyable day whether we catch fish or not. Kenny's soup and Sean's cheese cakes were worth the long drive and early start alone! It's still early days for the season but I am looking forward to y next outing which will be on the River Dee for Opening Day on the famous Park beat. Fingers crossed it has warmed up a bit since then and there are plenty springers on the go. I'll look forward to reporting back on any action that may be forth coming on that trip to Deeside. Tight Lines!

First Outing Of 2018 - River Tay

The first Saturday of the River Tay salmon fishing season is always the first outing of my own season. My day is spent in the company of good friends from around Scotland as we meet up to dust of the cobwebs after the winter close season. It's great to catch up with the guys again and to enjoy a bit of fishing in the process.

Charlie patiently waits with the net as Bill plays his kelt in the Guay Pool. 

The first trip of the year is always filled with anticipation after spending the winter months on various forms of social media and forums planning the day. This year was slightly different from previous years as we were treated to large snow falls around the central belt and up into Perthshire which made the road over for many , a treacherous one. Having said that, we all arrived in one piece albeit a bit later than usual but we were there and raring to go.

The well equipped hut at Upper Kinnaird which we used on the day.

Temperatures never really rose above -6 for much of the day with a low of -9 as we arrived at the beat in the morning. This made for some tricky fishing conditions as the rod rings and reels were constantly icing up which made casting very difficult at times. However, we plugged away and Bill Cook, as ever, was the only rod who had any action when he landed a kelt from the Guay Pool in the morning.

Looking over to the snow covered hills at Glen Tilt from the Guay Pool. 

A cracking photo of Bill into his fish as the frozen mist comes off the river. 

Charlie checks the fish in the net as Bill looks on in anticipation. Unfortunately, it was just a kelt.

As like last year, Kenny had agreed to make a pot of soup for our lunch. This was accompanied by a Glasgow roll and butter which was just the ticket after spending the morning session freezing to the bone on the banks of the river. The usual fishing hut conversations were in full flow and before we knew it, it was time to get back out there again for another go. By this time the sun was high and the temperature had warmed up to a balmy -4c!

From L/R: Craig, Bill, Alan, Me, Charlie and Kenny.

Looking downstream from the neck of the Ash Tree pool.

The afternoon session was a bit more pleasant in terms of air temperature but casting was still difficult due to the frozen rod rings or the reel being frozen solid. We did however, cover the pools as best we could but there was nothing there which was willing to take our offering from fly or spinner.

Not much movement in this fly! A 2" Tosh is frozen solid!

The sun wasn't out for long and it was soon down behind the hills which shelter the Kinnard beats. This brought the temperature down as you'd expect and then things really did start to become a bit of a chore. The ice had to be removed from the rod rings every cast or the reel had to be dipped into the river to free it from the ice. This was just a short term solution as the water soon froze again and it was back to square one.

Bill covering the likely lies in the Ash Tree.

We decided to call it a day around 4pm and made our way back to the hut to sit by the fire with a nice, warm cup of coffee before we all went our separate ways. This annual trip is always a good one and it really is a pleasure to be out on the river with friends even in temperatures of -9c! The craic is always first class and Kenny's soup is equally as good! Here's to the next meet.

My next trip is on opening day of the River Dee season and I cannot wait!!!

Lower Kinnaird - River Tay

We had our annual January gathering at the Lower Kinnaird beat of the River Tay on Saturday. This is when me and a group of good pals from various parts of Scotland meet up and blow away the winter cobwebs and attempt to catch an elusive January springer. The river was sitting at 2ft on the gauge and the weather was cold but otherwise it was a perfect early spring day for being out fishing.

Group photo. L/R - Alan, Me, Martin (ghillie), Kenny, Andy, Bill, Charlie and Craig

I was to travel down to Tayside with fellow Donsiders, Bill and Charlie. After rising at 5.00am to pick up Charlie and meet Bill we set off for the Tay just after 6am. The drive down to Tayside took much longer than normal due to persistent thick fog which made driving difficult but we arrived at the beat hut just before 8.30am. After the meet and greet in the fishing hut over a cup of coffee and a bacon roll it was time to get down to business and work out where we were to start fishing for the day.

Kenny and Alan enjoy a bacon roll and coffee before starting the day.

The well equipped fishing hut at Lower Kinnaird.

I was to fish the Guay Pool with Charlie and Andy drove us round and showed us the water. I opted to start with the fly as did Charlie. I tackled up with my 15ft Mackenzie DTX shooting head rod with a Guideline PT Scandi F/H/S1 shooting head line and a 10ft 5.6ips versi tip.. Fly of choice was a 2" Black and Yellow conehead tube. I was to start about half way down the pool with Charlie 50 yards below me. I waded out to just above my knees as instructed and began lengthening line out. After only my third cast I lifted into a fish. The initial take was quite subtle and I applied a bit of pressure once the fish began to pull some line off the reel. I set the hook and carefully began to make my way back to the bank. No sooner had I started moving into the bank the fish was off. I didn't see the fish so there was no way of knowing what it was but it was best not to think about it too much and I was back fishing again immediately. Charlie and I fished the whole pool several time with both fly and spinner but neither of us had any luck so it was up to the Ash Tree pool to meet the rest of the guys and have a bite to eat.

Andy points out the likely spots of the Guay Pool to Charlie.

A very large carcass of a salmon lies on the bank of the Guay Pool. Would have easily top the scales at 20lb plus.

Fishing down the Guay Pool shortly after loosing a fish.

On arrival to the Ash Tree pool the guys were standing round a wee fire willing the soup pot to start boiling. It was soon hot enough to serve and we sat down to some of Kenny's home made Ham Hock soup and bread. The hot soup went down a treat and after discussing the morning's proceedings we were allocated our pools for the afternoon session and set off for another crack at catching a January Tay springer.

Looking upstream to where the River Tummel meets the River tay.

Looking across the Junction pool. The big coloured fish was splashing about just up from the seat on the bank.

Fishing down the Junction Pool. Would love to fish it in April/May time.

Martin, the ghille drove Charlie and I round to fish the Junction Pool. The Junction Pool is where the River Tummel meets the Tay. The Tummel itself is a very productive river and we could fish the lower pools of the river if we so wished. Charlie went in a the top of the pool this time and I went in half way down. I changed lines over to an I/S2/S3 shooting head as this pool held a good bit of depth and was much faster flowing that Guay. Almost as soon as I waded out into the pool a big coloured fish jumped out of the water. This was obviously an old fish but it was easily 25lb. Charlie and I fished through the pool without a touch and apart from the older fish we didn't see anything moving despite how "fishy" the pool looked. Just as we were making our way back to the top of the pool Martin arrived to take us back to the hut as it was nearly 4.30pm. Time doesn't half fly when you are fishing!

A 2.5" Willie Gunn tube flutters in the icy cold River Tay

We arrived back at the hut and met up with the other guys. Nobody had any luck but Bill and Alan were still to return. We sat in the hut with a cup of coffee discussing the day we'd had when Bill drew up outside the hut and announced he'd landed a cracking fish of around 9lb from the Guay Pool. this was great news and we we all delighted for Bill as it was his and the beat's first fish of the season. \it was also Bill's first ever January fish he'd caught in all the years he had been fishing. Kenny presented Bill with a bottle of Fettercairn single malt whisky for catching the first fish and we all congratulated him on getting his fish. It really was the perfect end to a great day on the river in the company of good friends. Here's to the next time we all meet up which will be late March, again on the River Tay.

What we are all after. Bill's 9lb January salmon from the Guay Pool at 3.30pm. 

With the customary blowing off the cobwebs cast on the River Tay now over, my attention turns to the opening of my local river, the Dee. It opens again for salmon fishing on the 1st February and I really can't wait to get out for a cast there again. My first outing is at Park on opening day with good pals. Fingers crossed I can get off to good start like I did last season. Another opening day springer would do me just fine. Camera will be at the ready if I do!

First Outing Of 2016 - Lower Kinnaird

I had my first salmon fishing outing of the 2016 season last Saturday on the Lower Kinnaird beat of the Mighty River Tay. January fishing is not for the faint hearted and the cold temperatures only attract the hardiest of anglers who are eager to blast of the cobwebs of the long close season. The chances of landing the coveted prize of a January springer are slim at best but it's the feeling of being out on the river again clinging onto that slimmest of chances than keep us coming back.

Tackling up after a wee Sloe gin to warm us up for the morning's fishing.

With the alarm sounding at 4.45am I was up and raring to go in anticipation of the first cast of 2016. My pal Bill and I traveled down together and we were to meet fellow Salmon Proboard Forum members, Kenny, Alan, Andy and Craig at the Ballinluig services just a 5 minute drive from the beat. After a good catch up over a bacon roll it was off down the beat.

Gearing up in freezing cold temperatures.

The water was sitting at around 3ft on the gauge but was running clear and was looking in great shape. Martin, the head ghillie paired us up and I was was to fish with Kenny where we were to start off in the Ash Tree pool then the Guay Pool after lunch. We headed off to the river and on arrival to the Ash Tree pool I realised just what a fine part of the Tay this was. It looked like fantastic fly water at this height and Martin assured us that it is even better with a couple of feet less on it.

Looking upstream from the banks of the Ash Tree pool to the snow covered hills beside Pitlochry.

Kenny and I fished down the Ash Tree pool having to contend with the rod rings freezing with every cast as well as ice freezing the reel solid. Despite this I did see a fish head and tail near the bottom part of the pool and not long after Kenny hooked into a fish. After a spirited fight in the faster water Martin tail out a well mended kelt which would have been a very good fish when fresh. this was to be the only action from either of us during the morning session and we headed off back to the hut around 1pm.

Kenny into a kelt in the Ash Tree pool.

Martin unhooks the fish in the water and it was released quickly without harm.

During the build up to our trip to Lower Kinnaird there had been numerous messages exchanged and lunch was high on the agenda. Kenny was bringing some famous steak pies from a baker he knew so I offered to bring the beans! It was all good craic and I think the lunch was built up more than the fishing. We sat down to a very welcome hot lunch in the well equipped hut and Kenny's pies, just like he said they would, went down a treat. There had been a few kelts caught during the morning with nothing fresh seen but at this time of year it's just a matter of searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. If the fly or lure is not in the water then you haven't got a chance so we were keen to get going again.

Tucking into pies and beans at lunch time.

After lunch Kenny and I were to fish another fantastic looking pool, Guay. This was more of the same in terms of fly water and looked every bit as fishy as Ash tree did. Kenny and I took turns in following each other down the pool and apart from a half hearted pull on my Black and Yellow tube around 3.30pm there was nothing to report so called it a day just after 4pm as the temperature and snow started falling rapidly.

Looking upstream in the Guay Pool.

Looking downstream in the same pool as above.

Back at the hut there was nothing else to report from anyone in our party as the freezing temperatures mus have put the fish off the take. We enjoyed a good laugh over a hot cup of coffee before saying our goodbyes and heading our separate ways again.

I always enjoy these Forum meets in January. It's a great way to get everyone together again after the long close season and with the home brewed Sloe and Damson gins ready for sampling too then it's well worth the effort. We all keep in contact through out the year and banter is always good but nothing beats meeting up in person to have a cast on some of the nicest rivers in Scotland. Looking forward to our next trip to Castle Forbes on the River Don in April. I stupidly dropped my camera in the river just before I finished up for the day so I'd just like to thank Alan, Kenny, Craig and Bill for kindly sending me and allowing me to use their photographs as somehow the memory card in my drowned camera was blank! Thank you gents, much appreciated.

For more information on fishing the River Tay at Lower Kinnaird have a look at the their website by clinking on the link.