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PITLOCHRY ANGLING CLUB |
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Portnacraig Beat |
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SOUTH BANK OF RIVER TUMMEL AT PITLOCHRY
The River Tummel is a large river, especially noted for its spring salmon but also with runs of summer salmon and grilse. Portnacraig fishes at it’s best with a bit of water, which encourages the fish to hold to the Portnacraig side of the river. Starting at the top of the beat is a fast run of “riffley” water where fish lie waiting to ascend the fish ladder which they do in increasing numbers once the water temp. has risen to around 10 deg c. This run can be especially good for grilse in July and August. Next down is a much deeper pool which is more suited to spinning, perhaps, but the tail of this pool is a great cast for the fly. Salmon lie well back on the lip of the pool and takes can be very aggressive as the fly will be coming round at some speed. Below the Summer Stones(which aren’t visible except in very low water but are slightly upstream of the parking bay) is a long run of good water. Below the surface are many ledges and slabs and fish can be expected to take all down the run, often quite close in to the bank. There is no need to wade deeply here as all the water can be comfortably covered from close to, or on, the bank. The tail of this pool is marked by the Suspension Bridge and this is, arguably, the best taking run on the beat. Salmon lie in this steady water just below the Suspension Bridge, which is not deep. Casting across and allowing the fly/lure to drift round on the current is all that is required and provides many salmon off the beat. In low to medium water you can work right down under the bridge, continuing downstream about 50m until the depth and flow make it necessary to come back out onto the bank. In summer low water conditions anglers can push much further down the bank, wading out just a couple of metres and many fish are taken very close into the bank. A wide variety of tactics are used to fish this beat with fly accounting for 50% of the fish taken.
The 2008 ticket prices are: April, May and early June £35, all other times £20 Day tickets only cover up to 5pm (from 5pm on is for members only, through a season ticket), and no worm fishing is allowed at any time.
Legal
parking in the area continues to be in short supply. The old turning space,
which is just past Portnacraig Inn on the access road to the Dam, can be used
for parking by anglers. Beat Map( Please click
to open beat map for printing)
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Portnacraig (The Summer Stones) |
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How to book. Tickets are now available fromPitlochry Tourist Information Centre, 22 Atholl Road, PITLOCHRY, Perthshire PH16 5BX (01796 472215, 01796 472751). Anglers will be limited to maximum of two days fishing over the period April and May, except for bookings within two weeks of the date of fishing. Tickets are also available on line through FishTaywww.FishTay.co.uk except for April and May (which will only be made available on-line at short notice).
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