Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining or 2

At long last have managed to get back on the Upper Tay beat behind Taymouth Castle. Vehicle access has been restricted for quite a few years now with ongoing work on the castle and golf course, but managed to get permission as to drive in as long as I was out by 5pm so a good result saving a long walk.

Picked up permit from the Kenmore Hotel and what a bargain £35 with 9 named pools over the length of the beat and fishing available from both banks, although some places are hard to get to.


I'd decided that I was going to fish the Chinese Pool hard with the fly as its a nice long run where

there used to be some nice holding lies. The river had risen over the last couple of days which hopefully will have encouraged fish to push on up the river.

Set up was a Guideline LPXE 14', 8/9# matched with a Hardy Mach 55 sink tip and a silver bodied shrimp style fly.

Started at the head of the pool and was down to just about half way when there was a solid take about a rod length out, net was too far away so after a brief fight a lovely bar of silver weighing approx. 7.5lbs was tailed photographed, measured and safely released.

A welcome 'wee dram' to celebrate the success and it was back to where I'd finished to cover the rest of the pool. Just at the gauge marker there was a solid take in the middle of the river as the fly swung over the large rock and the fight was on again, this one was a lot more powerful and the first run had me into the backing, after a sustained fight where the fish came into the shallows only to bore out into the deeper water again, it was safely in the net, (which actually broke at this point, the frame snapped)good job the fish was safely inside. Again a quick measure, photo and another safe release of a beautiful Tay springer weighing in at 14lbs still with sea lice on so it travelled hard from the sea.

No more salmon after this but one very greedy brown trout that hammered into the fly. It's a long time since I've seen the brown trout here on the Tay having an absolute feeding bonanza, everywhere you looked there was fish rising.

Tight lines to all.

Don't forget to check out Friars Carse web site for fishing course information on the River Nith.