Scotland: Salmon, Scotch, and so much more

I have had the good fortune to fish for Atlantic salmon in some of the great rivers of Russia and Norway, places that are home to some of the largest fish and healthiest salmon runs in the world today. As I look back at many wonderful adventures overseas, there still remains something extra special about catching salmon in Scotland, inarguably the spiritual home of salmon fishing as we know it. It might be because this is the place I learned to fish, because I have Scottish blood in my veins, or because the taste of single malt whisky and haggis after catching a salmon from the River Spey is just too perfect a moment to be replicated anywhere else.

By JONATHON MUIR Photos by JAMES MUIR (WWW.JAMESMUIRPHOTO.COM)

Tay. Spey. Dee. Tweed. The names of Scotland’s ‘Big Four’ rivers whose fishing cultures and traditions have touched every inch of our sport, from tackle and fly design to casting techniques. I maintain the belief that, if you were ever lucky enough to experience a ‘perfect’ salmon fishing session, there’s no finer setting in which to do it than Scotland. It’s not all about this ‘famous four’ though, there are some truly world class rivers in the northern regions of Caithness and Sutherland, and many other beautiful and productive rivers as you travel down through Inverness-shire and the surrounding areas. Adventurous sorts can also head over to the Isles of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides for a salmon fishing experience like no other - surely the wildest and most remote place you can fish in the British Isles today.

Of course, let’s be honest here. The reason many of us now look outside of our home countries for our salmon fishing fix, and travel to the incredible and remote rivers of Russia’s Kola Peninsula for example, is because salmon fishing in Scotland is not quite what it was.

The heyday of the 1970s is often referred to as the ‘Golden Era’ of salmon fishing in Scotland, and numbers of fish running our rivers have never again reached the lofty heights of those glory days. The reasons and hypotheses behind this decline are under constant debate. Some rivers still perform extremely well, some even better than they once did, whilst many others are a mere shadow of their former selves. For the modern Scottish salmon hunter to be successful, the trick is now knowing exactly where to go, and exactly when to go to experience the fishing at its best. When you hit it right, you’ll soon understand what makes fishing here so special.

Scotland is blessed with a long fishing season. Our first rivers open on January 8th and our last rivers close on the final day of November - that’s a staggering 327 days (excluding Sundays of course).

“Some rivers still perform extremely well, some even better than they once did”

It remains so that fishing for migratory fish, salmon and sea trout, on a Sunday is illegal in Scotland - a strange quirk from the past maybe, but just another ingredient that makes fishing here a little bit mythical. Sundays are for talking about salmon, planning to catch salmon, and dreaming about salmon.

So.. when do you go and where do you go? Despite the long season, don’t turn up in January expecting to catch fish! Some rivers are known for their spring runs, and late March through to June can be a fantastic time to visit. Others are out-and-out summer rivers where you’ll want to fish from June through to August. Get the conditions right and September to October can be phenomenally good on some rivers too.

Wherever and whenever you choose to go, the most important piece of advice I can offer is to keep your expectations in check - remember this is an unpredictable game. Salmon fishing in Scotland is not a numbers game either. Yes it’s possible to have a bumper day or legendary week, but go there with modest expectations and you’ll come away from the experience with much more satisfaction.

A long season also brings with it a range of exciting fishing techniques and technical challenges. You can be casting 2-inch brass tubes on a 15ft rod and a Skagit line into the Tay in the middle of a snowstorm in March, and then riffle-hitching size 16s on a rocky Highland river with a single-hander in August.

Large rivers offer both wade fishing and boat fishing depending on your preference and ability, and you’ll find every style of river from those with perfectly manicured and accessible banks, to those where you’ll need to trek for miles through peat bogs and clamber over boulders.

You’ll find dramatic rivers like the Findhorn which flow through narrow gorges that cut through the Caledonian forest, to rivers that meander through open grasslands with views of distant mountains.

There’s truly something for everyone here. Whatever sort of fishing you enjoy doing, and whatever sort of tackle you enjoy using, Scotland will give you that opportunity.

Finding salmon fishing in Scotland is a combination of publicly available online booking systems, and secret text messages and emails within closeknit circles. Both systems have their merits and their flaws. With so many rivers and beats to choose from, it’s easy to get lost, book something without doing your research, and end up disappointed. Local knowledge and research here is king, and reaching out to someone who knows the water, the weather, and has experienced the fishing will help to put you in the right spot.

That’s where we come in. Farlows Travel may be more accustomed to arranging exotic voyages to the world’s greatest lodges and camps, but we also love giving out honest advice to people looking to experience the fishing in our home waters too.

As most fly fishers will know, there’s so much more to it than just the fishing. Much, much more. With a history filled with romance and struggle, the landscape of Scotland is one that can’t fail to speak to you. Its castles, ruins, and forests are dramatic relics from the past, every inch soaked in folklore, poetry and song. Scotland’s reputation for deep-frying absolutely everything has also overshadowed what I think is one of the best ‘foodie’ locations in Europe.

The country is blessed with having some of the world’s most amazing produce, particularly seafood. Lobsters, crabs, langoustine, scallops, oysters, Arbroath ‘Smokies’ (haddock)… the list goes on and on. Whisky - need I even mention its importance? If you’ve never cast a line for salmon in the River Spey while the smells of malted barley waft over the hills from nearby distilleries, you absolutely must. Come to Scotland to try and catch a salmon, but stay for everything else.

You can contact Jonathon at: jonathon.muir@farlows.co.uk, for advice and guidance on salmon fishing in Scotland, where to stay and when to visit.