Taymount brings together the scale of the River Tay, varied salmon water and the knowledge of ghillies who understand its changing character throughout the season. Here, a day’s fishing revolves around reading the current, choosing the right presentation and working each pool with purpose.

Our connection with Taymount is through Guideline ambassadors Cornelius O’Dea and David Park. Their practical approach to salmon fishing reflects our own: understanding the water, refining tackle and helping anglers make more of their time on the river. It is a partnership with a strong connection to the fishing itself, extending from bankside advice to fly patterns developed by Cornelius and available in the Guideline range. 

Situated upstream of Stanley in Perthshire, Taymount offers access to two distinct stretches of the Tay. The Upper and Lower beats each extend for approximately a mile and are fished on alternate days, under a reciprocal arrangement with neighbouring Stobhall. Fishing is limited to six rods, with two ghillies, boats and a fishing hut on each beat. This rotation introduces anglers to different water over a multi-day visit, from flowing fly runs to deeper holding pools. 

The Lower Beat has a particularly distinctive character. At the Major’s Cast, the river gathers into a rocky gorge before passing through Campsie Linn into the Linn Pool below. These changes in depth, current and river structure help explain why local knowledge matters so much here. In cold spring conditions, the Linn Pool is an important holding area; as the water warms, salmon can negotiate the falls more readily and the water above becomes increasingly relevant. 

Taymount is a salmon beat with riverside facilities, so accommodation should be arranged separately. It also offers more than one fishing method. If swinging a fly is the focus of your visit, discuss this when booking so that the ghillies can advise on suitable conditions and expectations. The Tay’s size is part of its appeal, but water height can significantly change how much of a pool can be covered effectively with fly tackle. 

Build your fly box around a few dependable patterns in different sizes and weights. This gives you more useful options than a large collection of similar flies that all fish at the same depth.

For spring, Willie Gunn, Posh Tosh and Cascade variants provide a strong foundation. Black and yellow, combinations of black, orange and yellow, and mobile shrimp-style dressings all feature in established Tay selections. Cohn’s Spring Willie Gunn, designed by Cornelius at Taymount, adds a particularly relevant local connection. Carry tubes for deeper presentations alongside lighter dressings for lower water. 

As the river settles, smaller Cascades and Francis patterns become useful additions. A selection around sizes 10–14, supplemented by slim Sunray Shadows, covers contrasting profiles for summer fishing. For autumn, retain those smaller options but add larger shrimp patterns and tubes incorporating red and orange. These are suggestions drawn from wider Tay practice; the final choice should reflect the conditions on Taymount that day.

Cornelius’s Guideline B2B is an especially interesting option for low, clear water. Designed to fish on a floating line with a long tapered leader, this compact tube can be worked with short strips during the swing. It offers a different presentation when a small fly with added movement is appropriate, and makes a direct connection between Taymount’s bankside knowledge and our fly range. 

Our recommendation is to think about depth, angle and speed together. A heavier fly alone will not necessarily produce a deeper, more controlled swing. Casting angle, the initial mend and the density of the line all influence how the fly travels through a lie. Start with the ghillie’s suggested approach, then make purposeful adjustments rather than changing patterns after every unproductive cast.