|
|
|
|
Every angler hopes to find a special fishing place, somewhere that they may have dreamed of, a land of rivers and lochs, large and small. An abundance of fishing for wild brown trout, salmon, pike, rainbow trout and coarse fish in majestic surroundings. A family place, with lots of activities, attractions, fine food and a wide choice of excellent accommodation. Drained by the Tay’s mighty river system Perthshire has more than a few fishy stories of the big ones that didn’t get away. This large and varied county has a multitude of rivers and lochs so knowing which to choose might be difficult. Thankfully there is an excellent guidebook “Angling in Tayside” and a free brochure containing a large map of the area. Thereby secrets of Perthshire’s great fishing are revealed and you should have no problem netting your fishing dream here.
In Gaelic the word “Tay” means “the silent one” no doubt a reflection of this river’s powerful and majestic flow. Loch Tay acts like a giant reservoir for the River Tay that exits from its eastern end at the village of Kenmore alongside Scotland’s oldest Inn, now Kenmore Hotel. Salmon fishing in the loch produces a few monsters between twenty and thirty pounds each year. There are also large numbers of trout, charr, pike and roach. Trout can be caught by bait or fly all around the loch shores and boats can be hired for fishing. From its gentle birth below the Kenmore Bridge the infant River Tay flows eastwards picking up the River Lyon en route to Aberfeldy. There are several interesting salmon beats in the first few miles of its journey, the best pools being around its junction with the River Lyon. Trout fishing in the Upper Tay is excellent. Good fly-fishing catches of wild brown trout to over two pounds are not remarkable, if you have the skill to do it! Dry fly fishing is particularly effective during hatches; at other times nymphs and wet flies are best. The River Lyon, the first tributary of the Tay, has exciting trout fishing. Fine wild brown trout up to 2 pounds are caught, especially in the late spring when the flies are hatching profusely. There are good salmon beats on the Lyon and most of it can be easily covered with a single-handed rod but a double handed salmon rod is useful for controlling the fly and the fish in some of the more difficult water.
The River Tummel drains an extensive system of rivers and lochs and provides top class fishing opportunities for game and coarse anglers. Its headwaters drain Loch Laidon on Rannoch Moor, a vast wilderness area of highland Perthshire. The River Gaur leaves Laidon and heads east through Loch Eigheach to Loch Rannoch, the home of charr, ferrox trout, brown trout and mighty pike. The River Tummel leaves Loch Rannoch at Kinloch Rannoch and continues its eastward journey through Dunalastair Reservoir. This shallow, fertile loch was created by a hydro dam and it contains very large brown trout and some enormous pike. From Dunalastair the River Tummel continues through beautiful pine forest and over a series of cascades until it reaches Loch Tummel which holds a large population of pike and perch and some trout. At the east end of the loch the River Tummel again emerges, to flow towards Loch Faskally and Pitlochry. This is a beautiful stretch of river that has some very interesting wild trout fishing. The River Garry enters Faskally from the north, and it and its tributary the River Tilt offer good salmon fishing. The Tilt is a tumultuous stream that rushes through the dramatic landscape of Glen Tilt. Loch Faskally contains salmon, brown trout, pike, perch and grayling. Below Faskally, the Tummel is a large fast flowing river that contains large numbers of brown trout and grayling and it is known as one of the top trout rivers in the UK. Salmon fishing is good here and good runs of grilse occur in July. Dunmore Loch close to Pitlochry offers the coarse angler fishing for a variety of species including tench, roach, perch & pike.
Rivers Tummel and Tay meet at Kinnaird, a picturesque salmon beat characterised by lovely fly fishing water. Downstream are many famous salmon beats including Glendelvine, it was here on Saturday 7th October 1922 that Miss Georgina Ballantine landed the UK record rod caught salmon weighing 64 pounds. Between Caputh and Islamouth the river meanders and there is some excellent trout and grayling fishing available. Lower Tay provides opportunities to salmon fish famous beats during spring and early summer when the fishing is inexpensive. Less well known is the lower Tay’s excellent trout and grayling fishing. Specimen fish of both species inhabit these large dark pools. April and May are the best months for daytime fly hatches while later in the season evening fishing is best.
Meeting the Tay at Islamouth, the River Isla is another excellent trout and grayling river. The Isla follows a meandering course for most of its way and in the slow flowing reaches pike and roach abound. Below the Ericht confluence the Isla is a good salmon river. The River Ericht and its tributaries the Rivers Blackwater and Ardle enjoy very good runs of salmon and grilse. This is small river salmon fishing at its best.
The River Earn winds through Strathearn to enter the estuary of the River Tay. The main salmon run starts with the arrival of grilse and continues until autumn when some large fish are encountered. It also has excellent runs of sea trout which are known for their good size. Brown trout thrive well in the Earn and the grayling fishing is superb, possibly the best in the UK.. Loch Earn contains good numbers of brown trout, charr and rainbow trout some of which weigh several pounds with fishing available from bank or boat.
Loch Leven is Scotland’s most famous trout loch. Its brown trout are a unique strain called the “Loch Leven” trout. In appearance they are bright and silvery, more resembling a sea run trout than a typical brown trout. Nowadays the loch also holds strong, tackle testing rainbow trout to over 10 lbs. All over the World anglers hold the loch in high esteem and deservedly so - here you have a combination of history, heritage and great fly fishing opportunities that is second to none.
A casual glance at an Ordnance Survey Map reveals a number of hill lochs scattered throughout highland Perthshire. They provide lots of lovely fishing in magnificent surroundings and a uniquely Scottish experience. These are often lonely places where only the sounds of nature disturb the silence, a silence so pervading that at times that it can be heard. Eagles, ravens, osprey, red deer, otter and wildcat are just a few of the creatures that break the angler’s concentration as he casts for native brown trout. Drifting across the waves casting a short line and working a team of three or four flies back to the boat is the usual method. Anglers who prefer may wade or fish from the bank typically cast and walk around likely shores seeking out areas where trout are most likely to feed. Favourite places are where a burn enters bringing with it a supply of insects and rocky outcrops or other features likely to provide shelter and food for the trout. Large trout are occasionally caught and these can be very large indeed, into double figures. These specimens are individuals that have relinquished their customary diet for fish and spend their time hunting smaller trout and char.
Perthshire has a tremendous variety of quality fishing opportunities available at amazingly low prices. For instance a day’s fishing for wild brown trout on a top class river is likely to cost £5, cast your eyes elsewhere in the UK and that figure may easily increase tenfold. The most fantastic and unbelievable thing about Perthshire is that it is not a dream, its real and it gives anglers real choice, real accessibility, real value and quality. Don’t dream about great fishing – come to Perthshire, land your dream and maybe the fish of a lifetime.
|
|
|
|
|
|
