Salmon fishing in Scotland
Salmon Fishing In Scotland
It is easy to see why Scotland is one of the world’s premier Atlantic Salmon fishing destinations. There are a multitude of famous and prolific salmon rivers across the country, which offer some of the finest salmon fishing for even the most discerning of anglers. It is the huge variety of salmon fishing available in Scotland that makes it such a salmon angler’s paradise. From the smaller more intimate rivers of the Scottish Highlands, to the larger world-famous rivers like the Dee, Spey, Tay and Tweed - Scotland truly has it all.
You can salmon fish in Scotland for eleven months of the year and therefore it has one of the longest Atlantic Salmon fishing seasons in Europe. Each river has a different opening time but most of the rivers across the country generally open in January or February and close in September or October, although there are a few rivers which permit salmon fishing until the end of November. Fresh, hard fighting salmon are caught in most of Scotland’s rivers throughout the course of a year, making it one of the most sought-after salmon fishing locations in the world. If you combine the fantastic salmon fishing opportunities with the stunning scenery Scotland has to offer, it truly is a fishing marriage made in heaven!
Salmon Fishing in Scotland: A Complete Guide
The majority of salmon fishing beats in Scotland are set on private estates and are therefore privately owned. This ensures that that there are strict limits on the number of anglers that are permitted to fish a stretch of water at any one time. This is ideal, as it allows anglers plenty of space to fish, coupled with the chance of exploring undisturbed water.
In the Scottish Highlands, many of the salmon rivers are much smaller in size compared to the rest of the country. The Thurso, Naver, Helmsdale and Oykel are just a few examples of famous salmon rivers in this part of Scotland. Many of the rivers in this region are spate rivers, which means that they rely a lot on rainfall. Sport can be fast and furious after a lift in water following heavy rainfall. As these rivers are smaller, they offer the visiting angler a much more intimate experience of salmon fishing. The water in these rivers are often crystal clear, so stealth tactics can pay rich dividends.
The Highland rivers enjoy a good run of hard fighting spring salmon, with fresh fish being caught from mid-January. Spring catches usually peak in April and May. The months of June and July usually mark the start of the summer run. At this time of year, good numbers of grilse and larger summer salmon are regularly caught. The summer run continues until the end of August and given adequate water, some of the rivers in Highland Scotland can provide some excellent summer sport for the visiting angler.
Best Places for Salmon Fishing in Scotland
The River Spey is also classified as a Highland river. The Spey is, of course, the birthplace of the world famous double handed “Spey cast”. The River Spey is one of Scotland’s “big four” salmon rivers and runs through Scotland’s stunning whisky country providing a spectacular backdrop to the salmon fishing experience. Some of the fly water on the river is second to none. Salmon fishing on the Spey starts in February and fresh fish are caught from opening day onwards. Usually, it is the beats located on the middle and lower parts of the river which prove to be the most productive during the early part of the season. However, as the water temperature rises in April and May, and salmon enter the Spey in greater numbers, more fish are caught further upstream.
Traditionally, the Spey is probably best known for its summer fishing. Large numbers of grilse and summer salmon usually enter the river from late May onwards. This ensures good sport for the angler throughout the summer months. The river closes at the end of the September. Towards the end of the season, sport on the lower river can prove very fruitful, especially if there is a good run of autumn salmon.
When to Go Salmon Fishing in Scotland
Probably the most famous, and prolific river for spring salmon fishing in Scotland is the River Dee - located in Aberdeenshire. The Dee is another one of Scotland’s “big four” salmon rivers. The River Dee has crystal clear waters, which offers its own unique challenges to the visiting salmon fisher. This stunning river produces large numbers of fresh fish, from when it opens in early February through until the end of September. Some of the beats located on the middle and lower river remain open until the 15th of October. During the early part of the season it is the beats on the middle and lower river which produce the bulk of the action, but just like the Spey. Once the water temperature begins to rise, the fish move further upstream. Indeed, the Dee is such a productive river, that even the Queen has her own stretch of water on it!
In recent years, the summer fishing on the River Dee has improved significantly. There appears to be more grilse and larger summer salmon entering the system. In addition to the salmon fishing at this time of year, there are also usually bountiful runs of Sea trout. These magnificent fish can often provide a welcome distraction to the salmon fishing on the river. The salmon fishing season on the River Dee draws to a finally in mid-October, and once again it is the beats on the lower river which produce the bulk of the fresh fish later in the season.
Salmon Fishing in Scotland for Beginners
Probably, the most prolific river in terms of catches in Scotland is the River Tweed. The Tweed winds its way through the rolling hills of the Scottish Borders, with some of its banks set in both Scotland and England. The river opens at the beginning of February, and has a decent spring run. Early in the season, the majority of the fish are usually caught from beats located on the lower part of the river. From March and April onwards, the middle beats also enjoy some good sport. During the summer months, it is usually the bottom beats of the river that are the most productive, especially if the water is low. The river also has an excellent run of Sea trout, with fish weighing into double figures regularly caught.
The Tweed is probably most famous for its autumn run of salmon. As the river is open until the end of November, fresh autumn fish are caught from early September until the end of the season. People from all over the world come to fish the river at this time of year and it is easy to see why. Catches in double figures for a day is not uncommon on some of the beats in October. Given adequate water, it is usually the beats on the middle and lower river that excel at this time of year. Towards the end of the season beats on the upper river can also produce decent numbers of fish.
Top Rivers for Salmon Fishing in Scotland
Away from the mainland there are also some fantastic salmon fishing opportunities on some of the Scottish Islands. The Hebrides are a group of Islands located on the West coast of Scotland. These Islands offer the visiting angler some excellent sport on both lochs and rivers. Many of the lochs are interconnected by smaller rivers and like the Scottish Highlands, many of the rivers fish better after there has been a lift in water. Loch style salmon fishing from a drifting boat can often produce good results. The best of the sport on these rivers and lochs are usually during the summer months, when impressive numbers of grilse can be caught. Most of the fisheries in this part of Scotland are open until the middle of October.
As you can see, the salmon fishing opportunities in Scotland are truly endless. The rivers that are mentioned above are just a few of examples of the wonderful salmon rivers available for the visiting fly-fisher to explore, but there are many more. When you combine all the copious salmon fishing opportunities, with the beautiful scenery and excellent accommodation options, it is easy to why people return to Scotland, year after year, to chase hard fighting Scottish silver.
