Flyfishing on Scotland's River Tay

In terms of average daily flow, the Tay is the biggest river in Britain, although it is by no means the longest. Two of its main branches, the Dochart and the Tummel, rise just a few miles from Loch Fyne and Loch Etive on Scotland's west coast and from there flow more than 100 miles to the North Sea at Perth on the east coast of Scotland.

Sue Parker fishing the Tay at Murthly

The Tay is the famed home of Miss Georgina Ballantine's 64lb monster fish. Caught on the Glendelvine beat in 1922, this superb specimen remains to this day the British record rod-caught salmon. The extensive Tay river system includes many fine tributaries including the rivers Earn, Isla, Ericht, Tummel, Garry, Dochart, Lyon and Eden.

The Tay fisheries are managed by the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board, a statutory authority whose members include fishery owners, anglers and ghillies representatives. Voluntary bodies contributing to the improvement and conservation of the Tay river system include The Tay Foundation, the Tay Ghillies Association and the River Earn Improvement Association

Salmon fishing
This is without doubt one of the most beautiful of Scottish rivers, and in springtime the Tay Valley is idyllic, with wildflowers adorning its banks and magnificent trees and high hills providing a picture-postcard backdrop. Although in recent years this great river has seen a significant decline in its salmon runs, much is being done to try to reverse this trend, and some notable catches are now being reported, particularly of large spring fish - good news indeed since salmon are generally scarce throughout UK waters.

Michael Evans returning a tay springer

Do not expect to catch a lot of salmon at that time of year, because the spring run is quite sparse. Also, do note that for stock conservation reasons there are strict controls on the killing of salmon - in particular you are required without delay to return to the river the first fish that you catch. Other restrictions apply at various times of the year and on various beats, so as always the golden rule must be: check the rules before fishing.

Tackle for salmon fishing
A double-handed rod of at least 13ft and preferably 15 ft is needed to cover the water effectively on this big river, and a sink-tip and a fast-sinking line are essential except in very low-water conditions. (Incidentally, our introductory Guide to Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing is available online, and of course we recommend it unreservedly if not altogether impartially!)

Brown trout and grayling fishing
There are plenty wild brown trout and in many parts of the river some good grayling too; however, in certain areas there are also stocked brown trout as well as the occasional escapee rainbow from trout farms in the river catchment. Most of the mature trout are between 3/4 lb and 1 lb, but fish up to 5 lbs are occasionally reported.

If you need detailed advice on river trout flyfishing, our Beginners' Guide to Trout and Grayling Fishing is available online...

There are numerous angling clubs and associations on the Tay system that offer fishing for brown trout and grayling; most can offer offer daily, weekly and season tickets, with discounts for senior citizens and youngsters.

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