Country House

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.

Cargill's Monsters

  • 41lb September 1906, Mr Arthur Moon
  • 53lb October 1923, Sir Stuart Coats
  • 43lb October 1926, Sir Stuart Coats
  • 42lb September 1944, Lower Cargill
  • 40lb September 1944, Upper Cargill
  • 40lb September 1946, Upper Cargill
  • 41lb October 1948, Pot Shot
  • 42lb June 1958, Colin Leslie, Pot Shot
  • 42lb June 1959, Colin Leslie, The Cradle
  • 42lb September 1972, Colin Leslie, The Cradle
  • 40lb August 1973, Jim Pirrie, Cobble Croy
  • 42lb September 1974, Gordon McGregor, Cobble Croy
  • 41lb September 1975, George Taylor, Cobble Croy
  • 40lb July 1976, Colin Leslie, The Cradle
  • 43lb March 1983, Colin Leslie, Cobble Croy
  • 34lb October 2010, Alistair Sheach, Cobble Croy
  • 33lb June 2011, Hugo Greer, Clocksden
  • 40lb September 2011, David Rees, Potshot

Beat Map

Map of the Cargill beat

Contact Us

Phone
01738 636 407 / 07970 832 131
info@taysalmon.co.uk
Tay Salmon Fisheries
Stockgreen Lodge
Lairwell
Kinfauns
Perth PH2 7JU
TJS Web Design Lincolnshire