Follow Our Blog | Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland

The Scottish autumn weather!

Friday, October 20, 2017

Anglers that have come salmon fishing to Scotland this autumn, would probably have found that the weather has been quite frustrating. Due to the unsettled nature of the weather in Scotland over the past few weeks (which is not unusual at this time of year) river levels have been up and down. As we a…

Having confidence is the key ingredient!

Thursday, October 19, 2017

The most frequently asked questions when anglers come on a salmon fishing holiday to Scotland are; What are the best flies to use? What is the best lines to use? And of course, are there lots of salmon in the river? Our clients almost always ask these three questions within ten minutes of meeting ou…

The final few days, on the mighty River Tay!

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Last weekend saw salmon fishing draw to a close on the mighty River Tay for another year. We were lucky enough to be fishing on the final few days of the season on the fabulous Kerocck Beat. The Kercock Beat is an excellent Lower Middle River Tay beat, which produces good numbers of salmon all year …

A few Scottish rivers still open for business in 2017

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

If your planning to come to Scotland for a salmon fishing holiday this year, there are still a few rivers that are open for business in October and November. Over the past weekend, a number of rivers closed their banks to anglers and these included some of the larger more famous Scottish salmon rive…

Improving spring salmon catches in Scotland

Monday, October 16, 2017

Anglers that have booked a salmon fishing holiday in Scotland in recent years and have come back to fish again are likely to have noticed that the spring salmon run on many Scottish rivers is improving. This is great news, as for many anglers catching a springer is the ultimate achievement. Nothing …

Tactics for coloured water

Thursday, October 12, 2017

When salmon fishing in Scotland during the autumn months, often anglers can be confronted with high coloured water. This can be the salmon angler’s worst nightmare, as it makes for far from ideal fishing conditions. If the water resembles dark coffee or even chocolate in colour and is rising fast, t…

Maximising your chances when salmon fishing in Scotland!

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

When booking a salmon fishing holiday in Scotland, it is important to remember that the vast majority of rivers only allow fly fishing as the permitted method of fishing. This is especially the case in the Scottish Highlands. However, there are some rivers in central and southern Scotland which allo…

Control your depth and speed when fly fishing for salmon

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Many anglers that salmon fish in Scotland get preoccupied with fly selection. Of course, pattern can be important and often is, but there are also other parameters to consider when salmon fishing in Scotland, when it comes to fly fishing.

The depth and speed at which your fly moves through the wate…

Flies for the back end!

Monday, October 9, 2017

As we move into the autumn period, sometimes the salmon flies that you use need to change not only in size but also in pattern. Generally in the back end, water temperatures drop and often river levels are high. In such conditions, you need to think about using bigger flies which fish that bit deepe…

The brilliant bottle tubes!

Friday, October 6, 2017

The bottle tube fly has been a fantastic innovation in recent years for salmon fishers in Scotland. The bottle tube is as the name would suggest is bottle shaped and usually quite small in size. The advantage of the bottle tube is that it is quite heavy and so will sink fast. Therefore, if you are …

Unsettled water on many rivers

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

The weather has been very unsettled across Scotland over the past few days. Last weekend the remanence of tropical storm Lee and Maria both brought heavy rain and strong winds to many parts of the country. This has led to river levels rising and falling on almost a daily basis. Unfortunately, this d…

The 2017 Scottish salmon fishing season draws to a close on some rivers

Monday, October 2, 2017

The 2017 Scottish salmon fishing season has now drawn to a close on a number of rivers around the country. These include a few salmon rivers in the Scottish Highlands, like the Helmsdale, Halladale and Naver amongst others. Probably the most famous river to close its banks to anglers is the River Sp…

Don’t forget the tributaries!

Friday, September 29, 2017

When you come to Scotland on a salmon fishing holiday, there are many options in terms of rivers to choose from. Most people enjoy fishing on the bigger more famous rivers. Some of these rivers have excellent tributaries, which are good rivers in their own right. Two rivers which probably have the m…

Big water on the mighty River Tay!

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Earlier this week the River Tay experienced its biggest lift in water since June. This has come at the perfect time, with only three weeks of the salmon fishing season on the Tay remaining. Anglers that are coming to Salmon fish in Scotland in the upcoming weeks should be in for a treat as there wil…

Big flies and sinking lines, the order of the day?

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

If you are salmon fishing in Scotland in the upcoming days, using bigger flies coupled with sinking lines could be the order of the day. With the recent big lift in river levels and the drop in water temperatures, these tactics could prove to be productive. When the water comes up at this time of ye…

Time is running out!

Monday, September 25, 2017

We are now entering the last week of the Scottish salmon fishing season on some rivers. Famous Scottish salmon rivers like the Spey, Helmsdale, and Halladale amongst others all finish at the end of this week. Many of these rivers have already had a good year, with decent numbers of Scottish salmon c…

The tremendous Teith!

Friday, September 22, 2017

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to fish on the fabulous Lanrick Estate Beat of the River Teith last weekend. This was the first time either of us had fished on the Teith and so were both looking forward to the experience. There is always something special about fishing a new river, whic…

The Willie Gunn

Thursday, September 21, 2017

The Willie Gunn is a very successful fly pattern for catching salmon in Scotland. It is one of the few flies that you can fish with confidence all year round. The pattern can be equally effective in early spring as during the summer months. Many salmon anglers also use the fly with great effect in S…

Time to go deeper and bigger!

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

There has been a definite chill in the air over the past few days in Scotland. This is hardly surprising as we are now into mid September. This can be good news for anglers that are coming to salmon fishing in Scotland in the next few weeks. Hopefully, sport will be brisk, as when the temperature dr…

What a difference some water makes!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

There was a big upturn in catches on some of our Scottish rivers last week. This had a lot to do with a rise in river levels following heavy rain. On many rivers it was the first decent lift in water sine late spring and this certainly seemed to do the trick. Many of the fish became more aggressive …

Promising conditions in September

Monday, September 18, 2017

We are now in the middle of September, and some Scottish rivers are nearing the end of their season. On other rivers, anglers are hoping for a good autumn run to materialise in the upcoming weeks. Currently, conditions are decent on many rivers across the country after recent rainfall. Hopefully, th…

Catches on the River Tweed pick up!

Friday, September 15, 2017

Catches on the River Tweed have picked up this week, which has been great to see. There are have been a number of fresh fish caught which bodes well for the weeks ahead. There has been a lift in water recently and this has certainly helped. Hopefully, this will be the start of a good autumn season o…

The two hour window

Friday, September 8, 2017

A salmon angler’s worst nightmare is to be confronted with high-coloured water on arrival at a fishing beat. These conditions do not fill you with confidence for the day ahead. If however, river levels have peaked and the water is dropping, there is a chance that during the day, fishing conditions m…

Watch your wading!

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Watch your wading!

Wading too deeply is a common problem with anglers, especially when they are fly fishing. The reason for this is quite self-explanatory. As fly fishers, we are always striving to get a few extra yards of distance when casting so we can cover more water. The natural thing to do to…

Chasing big springers on the River Tay

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The world famous River Tay needs little introduction in salmon fishing circles. The River Tay runs through the heart of beautiful Perthshire and is arguably the most famous Salmon River in the British Isles. It is the longest river in Britain and is mighty not only in size but also in reputation. An…

A decent Scottish summer season

Monday, September 4, 2017

It has been a decent summer season on many rivers across the country. In the Scottish Highlands, rivers like the Thurso, Wick, Helmsdale and Naver all produced good numbers of fresh grilse and summer salmon in June and early July. It did appear that summer run arrived earlier than usual. As we moved…

The world-famous River Tweed

Thursday, August 31, 2017

The world-famous River Tweed is the most productive salmon river in the British Isles. Anglers catch over 10,000 salmon a season from this prolific system. The River Tweed opens in February and the season extends through until the end of November, making it one of the latest rivers to remain open in…

The single hander a mighty effective weapon!

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Over the past couple of years’ tackle manufacturers have come up with the latest “must have” rod for salmon fishing, the Switch rod. This, of course, is not a new concept as tackle companies would have you believe. There have always been longer trout rods available on the market. Indeed, one of the …

When the temperature drops think big!

Monday, August 28, 2017

We are now already noticing a change in weather in Scotland as we move towards the autumn months. The early mornings are cooler and the days are getting shorter. With this the water temperatures will also be cooling. If you are planning a salmon fishing holiday in Scotland in the upcoming weeks then…

Coming towards the end of a good summer season!

Friday, August 25, 2017

Next week sees us coming to the end of the summer salmon fishing season in Scotland. Catches have been good on many rivers. In the Scottish Highlands anglers caught plenty of fresh summer salmon and grilse in June and July, as there was decent water levels on some rivers. On the River Spey catches s…

You can’t beat catching a Scottish sea liced salmon!

Thursday, August 24, 2017

There very few things in life that are more satisfying than catching a Scottish sea liced salmon. Catching a sea liced salmon means that the fish is as fresh as paint and just in from the sea. As the salmon is very fresh it is usually very hard fighting and will give you an unforgettable fight. Sea …

Landing late season silver on a backdrop of autumn gold!

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

The autumn months are a fantastic time of year to be salmon fishing in Scotland. It is great to see the plethora of colours on the river bank at this time of year. The leaves on the trees change from the pale greens of late summer to yellows and then vibrant golds. On the Scottish moors, the heather…

Good water on the mighty Tay!

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

With the recent heavy rain, water levels on the River Tay rose at the end of last week. The river is now dropping nicely with the water clear, making it the perfect location to chase that Scottish salmon. Fishing on the River Tay can be excellent in August as usually the runs of Scottish summer salm…

Heavy rain this week could be the catalyst for some good sport!

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Heavy rain fell across many parts of Scotland at the beginning of this week. This has led to a lift in water on many of our Scottish rivers. Rivers like the Tweed, Tay, Dee and Spey amongst many others experienced a decent rise in water. During the summer months anglers always welcome any rainfall, …

Chasing Scottish Spring Salmon in 2018!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

For most anglers, the ultimate fish to catch is an early season spring salmon. There are few other fish which pound for pound put up a better fight. The Scottish springer is typically quite deep and short with big shoulders. It really is a creature of beauty. There is no better place in the world to…

Abundance of salmon showing on the River Spey

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

We fished on the fabulous Delagyle Beat of the River Spey on Saturday. It is a beat, which has been a very popular option for our clients. Delagyle is situated in the heart of beautiful Spey side and is in the perfect location for that memorable Scottish salmon fishing holiday. There is a luxurious …

Big runs of Scottish salmon entering our rivers

Friday, August 11, 2017

I was talking to a ghillie on the River Spey yesterday evening who is a good friend of mine and he informed that he was told by the ghille on the beat below him that there was a massive run of fresh salmon coming through the pools. In fact, he said that it was the biggest run he had seen all year. T…

Tackling up when salmon fishing in Scotland

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Many people ask what tackle they should bring prior to starting their Scottish salmon fishing holiday. As anglers, we always want to take every possible piece of fishing gear we possess, with us on a fishing expedition, just in case we need it. In reality, what usually happens is we only go on to us…

Hooking a salmon, an exact science?

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

There is nothing more frustrating when salmon fishing than to lose a fish, especially if you have had a long tussle with it. It is true to say that how well a fish is hooked can be down to luck, especially if all the old adages have been followed up to the point of not striking the fish, not lifting…

Some Nice Fish Running The River Tay

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

We were fishing on the fabulous Waulkmill Beat on the mighty River Tay on Saturday. There had been a lift in water overnight after heavy rain on Friday. We saw several fresh salmon running hard throughout the course of the day which was great to see. Some of the salmon we saw were of decent size. On…

A productive August would put the icing on the Scottish salmon fishing cake!

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

So far this year, the summer months have been kind to anglers in Scotland. The weather has been unsettled and this has meant that there has been no prolonged heat wave. In addition to this, it has also been a relatively wet summer and this has ensured that water levels have been reasonable on many r…

Watch Your Wading!!

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

During the summer months, the water is often low and clear and so a quiet, stealthy approach can be the key to success. Deep wading, especially in low water can disturb and spook any salmon in the pools. As fly fishers, we are always striving to get a few extra yards of extra distance when casting, …

Chasing Scottish summer silver!

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Salmon fishing in Scotland during the summer months is a magical experience. There are so many different salmon rivers for the visiting angler to choose from. Many of the rivers vary greatly in character and size, each offering a unique challenge. Some of the rivers in the Highlands are small in com…

An encouraging start to the Scottish summer salmon fishing season

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The summer salmon fishing in Scotland this year has been excellent so far. There have been good numbers of grilse and summer salmon caught from several rivers across the country and the prospects for the weeks ahead look promising. Many rivers during the spring period experienced prolonged low water…

The Scottish Highlands, a salmon fishing haven!

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The Scottish Highlands, a salmon fishing haven!

The Scottish Highlands boasts some of the most breath-taking scenery and salmon fishing in the country. It’s dramatic mountains, coupled with fast flowing rivers and rugged coastline make it a stunning backdrop to any salmon fishing holiday in Scotlan…

Finally, Scotland's rivers have water and prospects for the summer are looking good!

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The 2017 Scottish salmon fishing season has been productive on many rivers so far this year. Good numbers of spring salmon have been caught across the country and amongst them, some big ones landed, including a few fish over the magical thirty pounds mark. Some of the quality of the fish caught have…

CHASING SCOTTISH SUMMER SILVER

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Chasing Scottish summer silver!

Traditionally, the summer salmon fishing season in Scotland extends from the beginning of June through to the end of August. It is usually a very productive period in the Scottish salmon fishing calendar. The summer salmon fishing opportunities in Scotland are truly …

The magical mighty River Tay

Thursday, June 1, 2017

The world-famous River Tay, which runs through beautiful Perthshire needs little introduction in salmon fishing circles. It is the biggest river in Scotland, as well as one of the most prolific. Hard fighting salmon run the river from the opening day of the season in mid-January, through to mid-Octo…

Scottish May magic!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

We have now moved into May, which is a prime spring month on many Scottish rivers. Before our eyes, the seasons are changing, as we move from the colder days of winter into spring. Having said that, the last few days of April were certainly a shock to the system as winter seemed to return to Scotlan…

A good hooker!

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

As salmon anglers, we all hate losing fish. It is often hard enough to get a take, so when you end up losing a fish it inevitably feels like a lost opportunity. Tackle companies are constantly developing different hook designs and trying to capture us with catchy phrases like “chemically sharpened” …

Salmon fishing in Scotland, just the tip of the iceberg!

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Scotland not only has excellent salmon fishing opportunities but also a whole host of other exciting activities to offer during a holiday. So, if you are looking to experience some of the other delights Scotland has to offer for a few days during your fishing holiday or there are non-fishers in your…

Banish away those Easter blues by hooking into some spring Scottish silver!

Friday, March 24, 2017

We are now nearing the Easter period and have moved into the meteorological spring. The days are getting noticeably longer and when the sun comes out and the wind drops it is beginning to feel positively spring like. The long, dark winter nights are becoming a distant memory which will be a relief f…

The River Dee makes a promising start!

Friday, March 17, 2017

The River Dee is one of Scotland’s “Big 4” salmon rivers and a fly fisher’s paradise. The crystal clear, fast flowing waters and the mouth-watering pools make it an ideal river for the fly fishing connoisseur.
For years, the Dee had been Scotland’s premier spring river. The Dee was renowned for produ…

Tackle big springers!

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

In Scotland, many rivers get their first decent runs of spring salmon in March. These fish are usually large and very hard fighting. As each week goes by, there will be more salmon entering our river systems, increasing the chances of encountering that prized springer. March and April are great mont…

Catching a thirty pounder need not break the bank!

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Recently a thirty-pound spring salmon was caught from the Lees Beat on the lower River Tweed. For most anglers, catching a spring salmon is the ultimate achievement and a fish of thirty pounds even more so. To combine these two incredible feats together has to be a tremendous feeling.
The salmon that…

Catching a thirty pounder need not break the bank!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Last week a thirty-pound spring salmon was caught from the Lees Beat on the lower River Tweed. For most anglers, catching a spring salmon is the ultimate achievement and a fish of thirty pounds even more so. To combine these two incredible feats together has to be a tremendous feeling.<br />&l…

The 2017 Scottish salmon fishing season is now in full swing!

Monday, February 6, 2017

Over the past few weeks, several famous salmon rivers across Scotland have opened their banks to anglers. The season got underway in January, with both the Helmsdale and Thurso rivers opening on the 11th of the month. In recent days, the Helmsdale has produced it’s first fish of the new season. The …

Passion- The story behind Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Having salmon fished in Scotland for over thirty six years and both being very keen anglers, my wife, Samantha and I thought it would be good to share our wonderful experiences with fellow like-minded people. Just over two years ago, we decided to write monthly feature articles, which encompassed al…

The Scottish Salmon Fishing Season

Friday, January 13, 2017

The Scottish salmon fishing season encompasses almost eleven months of the year. The first rivers to open in Scotland are in the Highlands. Rivers like the Thurso and Helmsdale open on the 11th of January. The mighty River Tay is not far behind opening only four days later. Most of the other rivers …

Fishing In Scotland

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

If you are a keen angler, then the fishing opportunities in Scotland can only be described as mouth-watering. There is great salt and freshwater sport to be had on rod and line. There are wonderful remote Highland hill lochs to explore, which are home to some magnificent wild Brown trout and Arctic …