Top rod 5/6/16
We are now into June, which traditionally heralds the end of the spring salmon fishing season. This of course, does not mean that fresh springers cannot still be caught. Early June can often be a good time of year to catch late running spring salmon. Looking ahead, many anglers will be waiting with baited breath to see what the summer months have in store and how strong the grilse run is likely to be across Scotland. Only time will tell but let's hope that there is an abundance of fresh grilse and larger summer salmon running our Scottish rivers in the not too distant future.
It was dry and settled across Scotland for much of last week
Many parts of Scotland experienced settled, dry conditions for much of last week. There was a little rain, which affected northern Scotland on Thursday, but this did not amount to much. In spite of it being late May, it was by no means a heat wave. Looking ahead to next week, the weather is set to continue on a settled note. High pressure is likely to dominate for much of the week. However, there is a chance that some showers may affect western parts of Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will feel warm in the predominantly southerly wind, especially over central and southern parts of Scotland. Towards the end of the week it is likely that there will be more cloud cover over the country.
Last week catches across Scotland were down slightly on the previous week. This is to be expected as we are now in between the traditional main runs of fish. The majority of rivers have seen their spring run come and go and now anglers are waiting in much anticipation for the grilse and summer salmon to arrive in decent numbers.
An early season grilse caught last week, which is great to see
Anglers on the River Findhorn caught fish on most days last week. There was a small rise in water on Monday after rain over the weekend and this seemed to do the trick. There is some good availability on the Findhorn next week. Both the Drynachan and Darnaway beats have rods available in the upcoming days.
There currently seems to be a decent head of salmon in the River Spey. Ghillies reported seeing fish in many of their pools through the course of last week and most beats on the river caught fish. It was great to see the Grantown Angling Association beat fish well. June can be a prime month on the Association water, which offers prime salmon fishing on one of Scotland's most iconic salmon rivers, at a reasonable cost. Next week there are rods available on the Grantown Angling Association water as well as the Gordon Brae beat. Both these beats produced fish last week and could go on to produce again.
The mouth watering Brae water on the River Spey
Catches on the River Dee last week were respectable for late May. Fish were caught in decent numbers from most beats, which is a good sign for the summer months ahead. Next week there are rods available on the Dess, Waterside and Ferrar and Park beats. The picturesque Dess beat is located just downstream from Aboyne. The beat accommodates five rods until July and is under the excellent stewardship of experienced ghillie Eoin Smith. June can be a productive month on Dess and with some lovely fly water to explore. Any of these Dee beats could be well worth a cast next week.
The stunning Dess beat
Catches on the River Tay were down on the previous week. The bright sunny conditions coupled with low water towards the end of the week did not help. The fish caught were a mixture of late running springers and the odd grilse. Looking ahead to next week, the Tay is at a lovely height for fly-fishing. The Lower Kinnaird, Dalmarnock and Kercock beats all have rods available in the upcoming days and any of these beats could prove to be productive.
A cracking River Tay salmon
Anglers on the River Tweed struggled with low water last week and this did not help catches. The river would benefit from a rise in water to encourage any fresh fish in the estuary to run the system. If water levels remain low over the next few days, beats on the bottom river are likely to provide the best sport. Next week there are rods available on the Middle Pavillion, Ladykirk and Tweedhill beats. Any of these beats could be well worth a cast.
The bottom Tweed could be the place to be if river levels continue to stay low
With the traditional spring salmon fishing season now over, we look forward to the grilse run. Let’s hope it will be one to remember across Scotland this season.
We will be updating the “Top rod” feature again next Sunday. Until then, have a great time wherever you decide to book a rod next week. Hopefully, you may end up being top rod!
Tight lines,
Sandy & Sam