Cargill Beat - Salmon Fishing on River Tay

Cargill is one of the most productive and best known beats for salmon fishing on the river Tay. The beat is divided into two double bank beats, upper and lower Cargill which are fished on alternate days with a maximum of six rods.  There are two boats and a well appointed luncheon hut on each beat with WC, cooking facilities, hot and cold running water and wood burners to ensure a comfortable days fishing.

The location of Cargill offers the fisherman privacy and seclusion. The Tay Salmon fishing season opens on the 15th January to 15th October. With Salmon entering the Tay system on a daily basis all year round there is always a chance that you will ‘connect' with a fresh run fish from the opening day to the last day of the season.

The character of the Cargill starts on the upper beat with the Bridge Stream, this is ideal for fly fishing, a long stream which can be fished in almost any height of water. As there is deep water close in this stretch is easy to fish. Moving down the beat the water flattens out and flows over what might be best described as a shelf of sandstone rock which runs for nearly half a mile. This is highly deceptive though because under the apparently placid surface strong tongues of flow have worn deep holes in to the ledges of rock producing some of the most attractive lies for salmon on the Tay. Especially in lower water conditions salmon pack into this water and can be quite easily fished for by spinning or fly. Pools with such evocative names as the Pot Shot, Rumbling Stone, Cobble Croy, Clocksden and the Cradle have produced some of the greatest catches on the Tay.