Spinners,
Lures, Baits and Plugs |
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The
choice is almost overwhelming. All are designed
to catch fishermen and most will catch salmon.
As Charlie MacDonald a Loch Tay Ghillie used to
say "you could troll with a sausage and still
catch fish". |
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Salmon
tend like a slow retrieve with a fast wiggle,
so it pays to experiment. |
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Plugs |
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Blades
& Spoons |
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Plugs
usually have a buoyant body. They rely on a lip
or curved front to make them dive and wiggle.
Avoid plugs that connect the line to a plastic
lip, they are not strong enough.
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Spoons
as the name suggests came from kitchen spoons.
Cut the bowl from the handle. Drill a hole at
either end. Attach a split ring at one end and
a split ring and a hook at the other and away
to go! |
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The most famous is perhaps the
Rapala.
The original floating version in 4.3/8" in black
and gold, blue and silver, and of course orange
work well.
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The
Blair spoon has bumps along one side which cause
turbulence which is so say attractive.
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Another
one that works is the Canadian
Wiggler |
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Next
came the original "Toby". This is a long thin
"spoon" with little fins at the back. There are
now thousands of imitations. Some Tay anglers
connect 2 together to give extra weight and a
rattle, while others file off the fins which they
claim improves hooking efficiency. |
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Kynoch
Killer or Tay Lure |
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Spinning
Blades or "Mepps" |
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A
very simple lure which dives deep and wiggles
like mad. Great for harling. The line passes through
the lure so that the fish can't work the bait
free. Said to imitate a squid. Some Tay anglers
attach a second trailing hook to improve hit rate.
Many ghillies on the Tay swear by a magnolia colour
for this lure. |
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Mepps
has now become a standard name in Europe for this
type of lure. A blade rotates around the body
of the lure. This style tends to cause the line
to become twisted unless used with a weight or
vane and must have swivel/s. As with all good
things there are lots of imitations. Simple silver
or gold in size 3 works well. |
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Devon
Minnow |
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The
Flying "C" |
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Originally
this was a wooden bait through which the line
is passed and attached to a treble. The lure is
fished with a weight which is bumped along the
bottom. The bouyancy of the bait keeps it from
the snags. The "yellow belly" is the best known
colour combination with a dark green back and
yellow underside. Also very effective, but can
spin the line. |
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A
derivation of the Mepps, this has a rubber casing
over the body and a rubber tail which adds to
the movement. Came out of Ireland. The "C" stands
for condom! Also very effective, but can spin
the line. |
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Worms |
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Prawns |
Be
careful when booking your beat that worm fishing
is allowed. Worms can be very effective. You need
to use a large clump of lob worms. Brandlings
are not goof enough. |
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Prawn
and Shrimp fishing has now been banned
on the Tay as a conservation measure and the bailliffs
are enforcing the rule ferrociously, so don't
get caught red handed! Some rivers still allow
prawn and shrimps. |
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Paul's
Personal Choice |
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Paul's
Personal Choice |
Black
and gold Rapala
Yellow Belly Devon. |
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Green
and gold Toby.
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