Andy Gunn - Newtyle Beat
This month, Andy Gunn, Head Ghillie on the Newtyle beat of the River Tay, sits in the hot seat and faces the Ghillie’s ten!
1. SSFS: What is the biggest salmon you have ever caught?
AG : A twenty three pound salmon caught on the fly from the Trap on the Newtyle beat in October 2012.
2. SSFS: What is the most memorable salmon you have ever caught?
AG : My first salmon on the fly, which was caught from the Upper Delvine beat of the River Tay in September 2006.
3. SSFS: What is your favourite fly?
AG: Sunray Shadow because of its versatility, as the fly can be fished on the surface of the water as well as deeper down. When fishing the fly on the surface, the visual and aggressive nature of the take, gives me heart stopping moments.
4. SSFS: What is your favourite salmon pool?
AG: The Pot Shot at Cargill, because of the vast amounts of fish it can hold in the autumn months.
5. SSFS: If there was one place in the world you could salmon fish, where would it be and why?
AG: Russia, because of the quantity of salmon that can be caught and also to have a genuine chance of landing a salmon of over fifty pounds.
6. SSFS: What is the most unusual sight you have ever seen on the river?
AG: A bull rolling down a ravine, narrowly missing an angler, and then landing in the Tay. Both bull and angler lived to tell the story!
7. SSFS: What are the worst conditions in which you have seen a salmon being caught?
AG: The water was at five feet, rising fast and chocolate in colour. In spite of this, I witnessed a thirty pounder being caught using a fly on a floating line from the Newtyle beat.
8. SSFS: What do you love about being a ghillie?
AG: I love the satisfaction of giving a guest some advice and then watching them put that into good use and catching a salmon.
9. SSFS: What is your salmon fishing pet hate?
AG: When anglers tape their rods, as candle wax does just as good a job.
10. SSFS: What is your favourite fishing dram?
AG: A seventeen year old Ardbeg.
The Newtyle beat is situated on the River Tay, just downstream from Dunkeld.
For availability call Andy Gunn on 07715257610.