If you were to ask any angler what the most difficult fish to catch in a UK river is, the majority would likely agree that an Atlantic salmon is still one of, if not the most challenging feats in angling. As these fish enter the river to spawn, they are usually unwilling to feed which can make tempting them with rod and line incredibly difficult. When you factor in the ever-dwindling numbers of salmon re-entering freshwater, just finding one to catch is becoming a challenge in itself.
Thankfully there are still a few rivers that have a healthy population of salmon running, giving anglers a chance at catching these illusive fish, one of which is the magnificent River Tay in Scotland. Despite a difficult start to the season, due to the lack of rain, it didn't stop Craig Mason from netting an incredible brace of salmon, while on a session with his dad on the renowned Cargill Beat.
"Throughout the years I have had some great fish from Cargill with the help of the ghillies David Godfrey and Dyllan Dunbar, their expert knowledge can help anyone achieve their dream of bumping into the King of the river," Craig explained to us.
"In 2020 I had a fish of a lifetime weighing in at 31lb, showing how it is still possible to catch monster salmon in our rivers, and this top beat is the place to do it," he added.
"Generally the salmon fishing has been off to a slow start in Scotland, the lack of rain being mainly why. To try and connect with something I decided that the Tay was the place to do it, so off to the lower Cargill beat I went."
"I began fishing the Cradle which is only fishable in lower water and can be fished with the fly or spinner. A 20g Flying C was the lure of choice, matched with a Shimano Stradic reel and a Greys GR70 rod."
THE BEST LURE RODS WILL HELP YOU TAME HUGE FISH LIKE THIS ONE!
With the potential of a truly once in a lifetime fish from this beat, Craig makes sure he gears up to land anything that he might hook, and land them quickly to reduce the time spent fighting for a healthy release. 50lb braided mainline is standard with a 25lb Maxima leader tied to the lure, which also allows him to free his lures should they become snagged on the bottom when casting behind lies. After a few chucks into a likely looking area, a hard thump on the rod tip signalled he had hooked his first salmon of the day.
"The fish swims downstream towards me, before powering off into the faster water, where it holds out for a few minutes before I can gain some line and guide him into the slack water where Dyllan slides the net under," he recalled.
"The hooks come out in the net, so just in time! We get the fish recovered in the net before a quick weight and photo, then safely released to continue his journey upstream to the spawning grounds. It weighed in at 16.5lb."
IF YOU STRUGGLE TO LAND SPECIMEN FISH, HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL TIPS.
After the unbelievable start Craig moved upstream after seeing a few fish moving, and despite working the area with his lure, no more bites followed. As the day went on, he decided to move back down to the pool he caught the salmon from in the morning as he felt he had given it enough time to rest, in the hope some new fish had moved into the area. Sure enough, after a couple of casts, an unusually gentle tap was met with a firm strike and he was in again!
"This all felt familiar, until suddenly the fish decided to steam off upstream to the top of the pool, ripping drag like I have never experienced before. I began running along the cradle wall chasing the fish, hoping that it didn't leave the pool, with my dad in tow carrying the net," he said.
"I caught up with the fish just before it decided to start heading downstream again, fortunately he appears at the surface for just long enough to swing the fish into the side and net him."
"Another lovely bright silver Salmon, weighing in at 17lb. The fish was carefully released and swam away strongly, rounding off another amazing trip at Cargill. This place is salmon fishing heaven," Craig concluded.
