A brief description of salmon fishing in Scotland including the main
four salmon fishing rivers, The River Tay, Spey, Dee and Tweed.

Scotland is world famous for atlantic salmon fishing attracting thousands of salmon fishing anglers to Scotland every year. This is not surprising as Scotland has some of the finest salmon fishing rivers in Europe with over a hundred different rivers to choose from varying from some of the smallest and more intimate rivers to the wide and fast flowing waters such as the River Tay. All of which provides excellent opportunities for quality salmon fishing throughout most of Scotland.

Some beats on the small to medium sized rivers such as the North and South Esk can produce annual salmon catches equal to some of the top beats of the big four so for any anglers who prefer to fish on a smaller river this need not be a compromise in the quality of salmon fishing. A comprehensive list of the Scottish salmon rivers and the seasons can be found here - Salmon Fishing Rivers in Scotland

Salmon fishing in Scotland is not restricted to just river and fly fishing as there are also numerous lochs in Scotland that offer fishing for salmon such as Loch Tay, Loch Earn, Loch Awe and Loch Lomond. This can be fly fishing but the most popular methods are spin fishing or trolling for salmon from a boat.

Every salmon fishing river in Scotland is divided into geographical beats and each beat will issue a limited number of daily permits. This is usually between 6 and 8 permits but can vary depending on the beat. The number of permits issued determines the maximum number of anglers allowed to fish on an individual beat each day so in most cases there will only be a maximum of 8 anglers on that stretch of river on any given day. For anyone new to salmon fishing in Scotland an explanation of what a salmon fishing beat is can be found here - Scottish Salmon Fishing Beats. All of the top salmon fishing beats will have a resident guide/s and a fishing lodge with tea, coffee and basic cooking facilities, a dining area and toilets. These do not have bedrooms and are not used to provide accommodation. They are built for the comfort of the guests as a place to shelter in bad weather and a place to have lunch. The resident guide will meet guests first thing in the morning and show them where they will be fishing. Most beats operate a change over system where you will fish a different section of the beat in the afternoon to where you were fishing in the morning to give all of the guests an equal chance of fishing the different holding pools.

Permit prices for salmon fishing in Scotland vary quite considerably depending on the river, quality of the beat and the time of year. Early in the season permits can be from as little as £20.00 per day up to £75.00 per day (excluding a personal guide) but from late July and August permit prices on the main salmon rivers rise quite steeply. This is when the main salmon runs traditionally take place each year and because there are a lot more salmon in the rivers everyone wants to fish at this time pushing permit prices up. During the latter months of the season prices can be anything from £100.00 a day to in excess of £600.00 per day again depending on the on the river and quality of beat. As a rule of thumb the higher the permit price the higher the catch rate will be on any given beat. You can still find relatively inexpensive salmon fishing on some of the smaller rivers or less productive beats of the major rivers for £30.00 to £60.00 per day. If you hire a professional guide he or she will be able to advise you on the best salmon fishing available at the time to suit your requirements and budget and should secure permits for you. If you want to fish without a guide then permits are available online either direct from the beat website or from an online booking agency. Local tackle shops can also provide permits. On the main rivers availability for the top beats in the latter months of the season, August, September and October is very limited so booking early is always advisable.

Salmon Fishing on The River Tay

The Tay is not only the longest river in Scotland covering 120 miles, it also has the largest volume of water of any river in the UK, making it less water dependant to fish well than most of the salmon fishing rivers in Scotland. With the spring runs starting from mid March it provides excellent salmon fishing right through the season. The river starts it's journey from Loch Tay at Killin and travels through some beautiful and spectacular scenery passed Kenmore, Aberfeldy, Dunkeld and Perth before reaching the Firth of Tay just east of Perth where the river becomes tidal. Our own salmon fishing trips predominantly take place on the top ten beats of the River Tay although we also fish the North and South Esk Rivers in Angus and some of the Tay tributaries.

The spring salmon run starts around mid March until the end of May and salmon can be found throughout the Tay system right through the summer months. September heralds the autumn salmon run which produces the largest number of salmon at any time during the season. The Tay produced the largest ever rod caught, salmon in Britain which was caught by Miss Georgina Ballantine in 1922, weighing 64lbs, and which still remains the British Record. There is now strong evidence to suggest that the salmon are spending a longer time at sea and growing considerably larger before entering the river system which has had the effect of producing numerous salmon in excess of 30lbs and even some in excess of 40lbs. The season on the Tay is from the 15th of January until the 15th of October. Methods of fishng can be fly fishing, spin fishing and harling where there are boats available.

Salmon Fishing on The River Spey.

The River Spey is just over a hundred miles long and runs north east from Loch Spey past Newtonmore, Aviemore, Grantown on Spey and Aberlour joining the sea in the Moray Firth at Spey Bay just north of Fochabers. Not only is the Spey famous for salmon fishing and the Spey Cast but the waters of Speyside are used to produce more whisky than any other region in Scotland.

The salmon fishing season on the Spey doesn't start until the 11th of February and a few spring salmon are usually present in the lower region of the river. Salmon start to increase in numbers from early April and by June can be found throughout the river. The summer months can produce some excellent fishing and many fish in excess of 30lb have been caught in the spring runs.

Most beats are fly fishing only although some beats will allow spin fishing if the water levels are too high for fly fishing. Permits can be obtained direct from the beats own websites, through an online booking agency or from the local tackle shop. The tackle shop in Grantown on Spey also does tackle hire. There are several association waters which provide permits at reasonable prices and the River Avon and River Dulnain which are tributaries of the Spey also provide some excellent salmon fishing. The salmon fishing season on the Spey is from the 11th of February until the 30th of September.

Salmon Fishing on The River Dee.

The River Dee is 85 miles long and runs east from the source at the Wells of Dee spring (at 4000 ft) on the side of Braeriach in the Cairngorm Mountains. The Dee runs past Braemar, Balmoral, Ballater, Aboyne and Banchory before joining the sea at Aberdeen. Unlike the Spey which has peat coloured waters the Dee has remarkable clear water despite being bordered by peat hills on its course. Even after a heavy spate the waters clear remarkably quickly.

The Dee is renowned for being one of the best spring salmon rivers in Scotland particularly on the lower beats in February and March and as the season progresses into April and May, salmon can be found on most of the river. The summer months produce some excellent salmon fishing throughout the system right up to the close of season in Mid October. The fishing is fly fishing only and owing to conservation measures introduced in the mid 1990's to counteract decreasing spring salmon numbers a strictly catch and release policy was introduced throughout the season.

Permits can be obtained direct from the beats own websites, through an online booking agency or from the local tackle shops. The salmon fishing season is from the 1st of February until the 15th of October.

Salmon Fishing on the River Tweed

The River Tweed is the most southerly of the big four salmon rivers actually forming part of the border between England and Scotland and like the Tay and the Dee flows into the sea on the east coast. It is 97 miles long and starts at Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well a few miles north of Moffat where the Clyde and the River Annan also rise from. It first runs north toward Peebles and then veers east where it is joined by the Etrick water a few miles south of Galashiels and Tweedbank. From here it runs passed St Boswells, Kelso, Coldstream and Norham before joining the sea at Berwick on Tweed.

The Tweed is internationally renowned as one of the most prolific salmon fishing rivers in Scotland and although renowned for its large salmon runs in the autumn it also produces some excellent spring runs on the lower beats as early as February. Come March and April salmon can be found on most beats throughout the system and fishes extremely well right through the summer months. The main salmon runs take place during the autumn months and last until the end of the season in November. Fish of over 25lbs are not uncommon and a record fish of 50lbs was caught and released in 2013 on the Tweed. Some tributaries of the Tweed such as the River Ettrick and the Teviot can also provide excellent salmon fishing.

The fishing is fly fishing only although a few beats will allow spin fishing in high water conditions. Permits can be obtained direct from the beats own websites, through an online booking agency or from the local tackle shops. The salmon fishing season is from the 1st of February until the 30th of November.

Our own guided salmon fishing trips predominantly take place on the River Tay in Perthshire and the North and South Esk Rivers in Angus. Please email Enquiries for more information and availability.