Freestone · Mixed · Perthshire

Tay

The River Tay at Grandtully on a September day, the wide clear river with wooded hillsides beyond.
Marginal · Atlantic Salmon
Gold-bodied Willie Gunn · 10-12
Marginallive now
Marginal — persistence required
River dropping into shape after a lift. A short window. Work the obvious lies and move on.
85% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.59 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp18.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
GB
Gold-bodied Willie Gunn10-12
From the river-specific salmon pack.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.59 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp18.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather19°C
WindS 4 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead0.3 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
19°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Earliest opener in Britain — 15 January. Spring run January through May; summer grilse from June; autumn run peaks September into early October. Category 3 stocks — mandatory C&R on most beats.
Where
Big-water beats from Stanley down to Stobhall, Cargill, and Meikleour. The Tay's scale demands big casting; the far bank is often the fish bank. Lower beats hold the autumn run.
Method
Spring: 2 to 3 inch brass tubes (Willie Gunn, Garry Dog) on fast-sink line, worked slowly through the deep pools. Summer and autumn: smaller flies on floating line. Boats harl the wider beats — traditional, efficient on water too broad to Spey-cast effectively. Mandatory C&R.
Kit
15 ft #10 double-hander for spring — the Tay rewards reach. 14 ft #9 in summer. Fast-sink, intermediate, floater. 15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
The signs are strong. Water starting to fall after a rise — early stages of coming into shape. Still coloured but fining — improving conditions. 18.7°C — outside the ideal range but fishable. Conditions are moving in the right direction and should be fishable soon if not already.
Likely species
Mayflies
  • Blue-winged oliveMost likely
    #16–18 · Dun
    Duns are up; a sherry spinner fall may follow.
  • Anglers curse mayfliesAlso possibleLower confidence
    #20–22 · Spinner
    Go tiny: 20-22 spent spinner, single fly, long tippet.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
JS
Jock's Shrimp
8-12 · Swing
Beats · 9 · 6 reaches

The Tay is Scotland's largest salmon river system, and far more than a chain of named beats: it is a huge catchment carrying the main-stem Tay, Loch Tay, and the Earn, Isla, Ericht, Tummel, Garry, Lyon and Dochart, each needing its own logic. The lower river around Stanley, Ballathie, Cargill and Islamouth is big ghillie-and-boat water, often harled — a completely different proposition from the upper-river fly beats, Loch Tay trolling, Tummel hydro-influenced spring fishing or Earn sea trout. Most beats are let by estates and fishery companies through FishPal, with Perth & District AA the main ordinary-angler lane on the lower river. The season is one of Britain's earliest, 15 January–15 October (the Earn runs 1 February–31 October); there is no Sunday fishing and no prawns or shrimps. Conservation runs first: statutory catch-and-release applies 15 January–31 March, and the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board recommends releasing all salmon and grilse throughout the season, with all sea trout released. Good water never overrides conservation rules, warm-water stress or ghillie guidance.

Lower Tay — Perth, Stanley & Islamouth · 3 beatsMixed
Islamouth, Cargill & Ballathie, Perth and District Angling Association
The 3 beats
IslamouthAgent booking
Islamouth (via FishPal)
The most famous beat on the Tay, at the mouth of the River Isla — about a mile of double bank for five rods with two ghillies, a hut and two boats. Essentially fly-first: only fly fishing is permitted unless the water is really high. A confluence beat where fish pause before entering the Isla/Ericht system. Weekly-let or sold through FishPal subject to availability.
Fly only unless water is really high; no Sunday fishing; no prawns or shrimps. Statutory C&R 15 January–31 March; TDSFB recommends releasing all salmon and grilse all season and all sea trout. Warm low water should suppress prospects despite the catch record.
Cargill & BallathieAgent booking
Cargill / Ballathie (Atholl Sporting) via FishPal
Two of the best-known and most productive lower-Tay beats, each two double-bank beats for six rods with two ghillies, boats and huts. Big-river fishing where ghillie and boat decisions are central — fly, spinning and harling all feature depending on height. Ballathie's five-year average runs to around 179 salmon. Weekly-let or booked through FishPal.
No Sunday fishing; no prawns or shrimps. Statutory C&R 15 January–31 March; TDSFB recommends releasing all salmon and grilse all season and all sea trout. Boat fishing — ghillie safety guidance central. Warm low water suppresses prospects.
Perth and District Angling AssociationMembers
Perth and District AA / Perth & Kinross Council
The main ordinary-angler lane on the lower Tay — council/association permit water around Perth, with day rods available and a 2026 season validity from 15 January to 15 October. An affordable route into a river otherwise dominated by premium ghillie beats. The lower river holds the autumn run.
Statutory C&R 15 January–31 March; TDSFB recommends releasing all salmon and grilse all season and all sea trout. No Sunday fishing; no prawns or shrimps. Confirm current permit rules, outlets and species lanes.
Meikleour, Dunkeld, Newtyle & middle-Tay beatsAgent booking
The middle river from Islamouth up through Dunkeld to Kinnaird — more fly water, but still large-river ghillie-and-boat context.
Upper Tay — Edradynate, Pitnacree & Aberfeldy/Kenmore beatsAgent booking
The smaller but still sizeable upper river around Aberfeldy and Kenmore — Edradynate, Pitnacree and Balnabeggan and similar estate beats.
Loch Tay — spring salmon trollingGuide / lodge
Loch Tay offers spring salmon trolling and boat hire from Killin to Kenmore — a genuinely different product from river fly-beat fishing, scored on boat and loch conditions rather than river height and hatch.
Tributaries — Earn, Isla, Tummel & Dochart/Lyon · 2 beatsMixed
Tummel, Garry & Tilt (Pitlochry), Earn, Isla & Ericht tributaries
The 2 beats
Tummel, Garry & Tilt (Pitlochry)Agent booking
Estates and associations (via FishPal)
The Tummel/Garry/Tilt system carries hydro-influenced spring salmon fishing — Lower Tummel and Portnacraig at Pitlochry are the main listed beats. The Pitlochry hydro dam can hold fish back until water reaches around 10°C, causing spring fish to accumulate in the lower Tummel. A genuinely different conditions module from rain-fed beats; some FishPal day-rod and association access exists.
No Sunday fishing; no prawns or shrimps. Statutory C&R 15 January–31 March; TDSFB recommends releasing all salmon and grilse all season. Hydro-regulated flows — fish movement is dam- and temperature-driven, not simple rainfall. Verify beat rules.
Earn, Isla & Ericht tributariesMembers
Clubs, estates and associations (via FishPal)
The Earn is an important autumn salmon and sea-trout river with strong club/association value — Crieff Angling Club offers an ordinary-angler permit route. The Isla/Ericht/Shee system is a major salmon tributary group that improves with water through spring, summer/grilse and autumn. The Earn runs on its own season (1 February–31 October). These are condition-sensitive tributaries and should not inherit the main-stem score.
Earn season 1 February–31 October (Tay main stem 15 January–15 October). No Sunday fishing; no prawns or shrimps. Statutory and TDSFB C&R guidance applies. Spate-responsive — warm low water suppresses migratory prospects. Verify club rules and controllers.
Stanley trout & grayling and association waterMembers
A separate ordinary-angler lane on the Tay — Stanley Trout & Grayling Fishing and similar association/club water.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here around 19°C — probably warm enough to stress Atlantic Salmon . These are likely cooler.
River Garry (Tayside)
35 km
~18°C
Brown trout · Atlantic salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 6
  1. The River Tay at Grandtully on a September day, the wide clear river with wooded hillsides beyond.
    River Tay at Grandtully
  2. The River Tay flowing upstream of Dunkeld Bridge, Perthshire, with wooded banks on either side.
    River Tay upstream of Dunkeld Bridge
  3. The River Tay rapids at Grandtully, fast broken white water over bedrock in a gorge section.
    River Tay rapids at Grandtully
  4. Panoramic view of the River Tay at Kenmore where it exits Loch Tay, with the village and hills beyond.
    River Tay at Kenmore
  5. The River Tay viewed downstream from Caputh Bridge on a summer day, the broad calm mid-river.
    River Tay from Caputh Bridge
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

SEPA WFD 2022 — River Tay (R Tummel to R Isla confluences): Good overall classification. This is a heavily-modified water body, so SEPA reports 'Good ecological potential' rather than status — the ecological element itself is Bad, reflecting flow regulation (Pitlochry/Tummel hydro), not pollution. Corrected 2026-06-18 from UKSC006506 (River Almond, a tributary). Source: SEPA WFD 2022 classification (spatialdata.gov.scot).

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC006499

The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 85%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightLow But Fishable-1.7
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftFalling Slightly After Lift+3.4
Water temperatureCool To Moderate+3.5
Time in seasonSummer Peak Window+1.7
ClarityClearing+2.4
Hydrology base9.3
Will they take?Willingcaps the band

Fish should be willing to take — clearing, stained water.

Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
No prolonged stable spell before the current rise.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 15 January → 15 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Fly Fishing Near Perthfeatured in this city guideScotland Playbookloch & river fishingAtlantic Salmonsalmon tactics
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts