Lower Tummel

[storlaks]

Any of you guys fish or have fished the Lower Tummel recently?

Got a day in April but it was over 20 years ago since I fished it (was just a youngish lad) and don't really remember much about it.

What's the top/good pools and which is the best bank?

Tips welcome

cheers

[akflyrod]

i fished east haugh beat 2 weeks ago 4 rods never seen a fish it was raining and cold but it is a super stretch of water some great fly water and only 18gbp i was told it can be hot in april.

[madkeen]

Storlaks if its the pitlochry angling club(moulinearn) water the i have fished it a few times.As you come through the gate after the farm on the left bank this is the start of the beat, start fishing here and get yourself right under the trees on your bank often see a fish or two here.Then its just a case of working your way down the beat till you get to a long staight run i would fish it to the end of this run then return to the top of the beat and start all over.There is good pool at the start of the staight run(not sure of names)a big swirly pool akward to fish with your line coming back on itself but well worth fishing with a wet 2 big tube set up and fish it right till it runs out into the straight run.Tight lines Alan.
ps dont be disapointed if you don't see fish this is normal as they tend to be runners and and stick to the left bank.

[storlaks]

Cheers. I'll just start at the top and finish at the bottom (-:

[macd]

£18 sounds good.

anyone got details for Pitlochry AC?

[scottyjock]

www.fishtay.co.uk/lowertummelpac/river.asp?dom=FishTay

www.fishtay.co.uk/portnacraig/river.asp?dom=FishTay

[madkeen]

Macd the Tummel is excellent value for money with even the posh beats charging no more than £60 a day.For me the Tummel is better than the Tay for flyfishing but its really just a spring river with april and may the top months once the fish start to go through the dam in numbers(june) the fishing tails off.
Alan

[macd]

Thanks lads. Its always been on my to do list-the guy that created the flamethrower (the fly not the other one) got a 27lb fish last spring.

will look into it- are day tickets limited- do i need to book well in advance?

[storlaks]

Ross, if I recall correctly, when Fish-Tay put up all the available dates on the website, there were rods available in April and May. Next year, get in early and nail a May-day.

[madkeen]

Day tickets are limited but you might still get a day in april/may if you phone the Pitlochry tourist information centre they were still doing tickets a couple of weeks ago.Google Milton of Fonab they also have some good water and might have rods available .
Alan

[elwyman]

Up to date report for Tummel -

www.pitlochryanglingclub.co.uk/news.html

I see Jim Fisher is still doing his bit to increase the annual rod catch in Scotland. ;D

[donnieW]

There should be an update still to come - 2 caught on Lower Tummel yesterday. I went to the sawmill beat tonight and arrived as Innes Smith was about to land a fish..........but he didn't........

[elwyman]

I see you get another mention Donnie.

Still not that many being caught downstream - do you think the fish are a bit late this year?

[donnieW]

I think they are a bit scarce! I am new to the area but think there are a few more about on the Tummel than the catches would suggest. I would expect to see a fish or 2 every time I'm out - most evenings/late afternoons. Very quiet at Portnacraig but the fish that were there earlier certainly haven't gone upstream and very few have been caught/killed.

[elwyman]

Steve and I fished East Haugh on Thursday and Friday, after 3 hard fishless days on the Spey.

Hopes were not high, the river was on the low side, not many fish had been caught, and the weather was scorching hot and sunny. Having said that, the Tummel is a big water and we were hopeful that a few springers would be pushing up river.

We stayed in a B&B next to Quayles tackle shop. We popped into the shop first thing Thursday and the young lad said he'd just spotted Donnie heading to the river. We assumed this must be our very own donnieW. If the local expert is fishing, there must be a chance we said! ;D

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I caught a lovely 8lb springer from the top pool, Poltreigh, at midday, on a size 9 (salar double)Cascade, on the intermediate monteith tip.

Steve almost made it a double on Friday afternoon with a similar size fish from the bottom pool, Moulinearn, but the fish threw the hook as he was preparing to beach it.

For the conditions, an excellent result.

Many thanks to Jock and Donnie for advice given.

PS 82 salmon had gone over the ladder when we popped in on Friday.

I see what you mean about the wading at Portnacraig!

We watched a local guy wading down in front of the pub, without a wading staff. He must have had 3 legs!

[donnieW]

Well done! Very few being caught on the Tummel - they seem to be running fast and going through the ladder (130+ tonight on the counter and fish lying in the lower chambers). I've been back and fore a lot for a couple of hours fishing and must have driven past you! Hope conditions are better for you next time.

[elwyman]

Sounds like the fish are starting to shoot up the ladder then. I got chatting to some guys on Saturday who were going trolling on Faskally, the loch above the dam.

I must thank the person (Jock?) who mentioned the big boulder in the top pool, which normally catches a few newcomers out. Lovely wading on gravel, all the way down the pool (Poltreigh), until you get to the croy on the other bank - I managed to find the boulder with my trailing right leg, and nearly went in!

That boulder must have been specially selected because it is camouflaged perfectly to blend in with the river bed!

[munro]

Well done Elwyman. That same pool is the one in which I caught a 6 lb grilse one July evening. It was a very hot day with temperatures in the 70s and not a cloud in the sky. I caught my fish at 6pm. The fish in that pool obviously don't read the books

[madkeen]

Well done for getting a fish in hard conditions.Fished E Haugh today and not a touch for all the rods out.Seen one fish in the Moulinearn.Poltreigh is a lovely pool,did you wade out on the gravel spit to fish the Pot alongside the gauge?With an extra 6" of water and it would be a struggle to get out there with the speed of the current.
Alan

[elwyman]

Hi Madkeen,

Having heard all about the Pot, I graciously left it for my mate Steve to fish! ;D

He said the wade was ok in the low water conditions, but as you say, it would be a nightmare/impossible with an extra 6" of water.

Poltreigh is a lovely pool with some deeper hoding water, but I have to say that Greenbank (below the right bank hut ) is some of the nicest fly water I've fished. Having said that, I wasn't convinced that it was deep enough to be holding fish - does it hold fish in lowish water?