River Tay Salmon Fishing Season Gets Underway
Anglers are to gather on the River Tay for the annual opening of the salmon fishing season.
Anglers are to gather on the River Tay for the annual opening of the salmon fishing season. The first flies will be cast in Perthshire at the official start of one of Scotland's most popular angling rivers.
In Kenmore, a ceremony dating back to 1947 will be held with fishermen following the Vale of Atholl Junior Pipe Band to the banks of the Tay where a toast will be offered to bless the water for the new season.
Once the first cast is made in the middle of the river, a shout of tight lines'' is made as all the fishermen make their first cast for the new season. But any salmon caught before April will be have to be returned to the water in line with new legislation that came into effect last year.
The Kenmore Hotel expects hundreds of people to attend the traditional opening.
A spokesman said: Kenmore has been the venue for this historic occasion since 1947. Whatever the weather, fishermen travel from all over the country to be present at this historic occasion at the Kenmore Hotel. It is a truly impressive sight to see the fishermen and their supporters line up behind the Vale of Atholl Junior Pipe Band and march to the Tay a few hundred yards away. The fishermen then take up their positions along both banks of the mighty Tay while the final ceremonies are performed on the river itself and a toast is offered to bless the water for the new season.''
The River Tay is Scotland's longest at 119 miles and is one of the country's five big Scottish salmon rivers.