I don`t think we have ever endured two weeks of worse weather in May at Murthly. The first week began with the water just coming down to 1ft, a good height, from a flood the previous week - Murtly likes low water to hold the fish and give us a chance to get at them. We did see several fish but no one connected.



The following day the weather turned cold and unpleasant with heavy showers and the river which was already 1ft 8ins on arrival was rising all day. Nevertheless Thomas Johnson Smith did manage to connect with a fish in Mrs Ballantine`s Boat Pool but it came off.

On the Wednesday the river rose again to over 3ft, a height Murtly hates and we were blank again.

With the new team on Thursday and the water at about 4ft amidst more gales and rain, we were given fresh hope by David Somers who managed a lovely sea-liced 8 pounder from left bank of the boat pool fishing a wagtail off an intermediate line.

The following day with the water still up at 4ft and yet more gales and rain I then managed another lovely fresh fish of 15lbs wich was covered in sea-lice from the Burn.



By the Saturday we were so fed up with yet more gales we decided to have an indoor bar-b-q at the hut and several spent most of the afternoon drinking rather than fishing! I did however go out for a cast and managed to hook but lose another fish in the Spruces. And no I wasn`t pissed at the time!

With the new week came new weather. Easterly gales this time combined with blazing sunshine. But with the water still high at 4ft Charles Dutton managed to lose one fish in the Tronach from the right bank in the morning. He then came round and I was with him whilst he fished on the other side when a fish came not once but twice to his fly. When I asked him to check it we found the fly was back to front!!!



On the Tuesday, wednesday and Thursday the height went on dropping between the heights Murthly hates of between 1ft 6ins and 3ft 6ins and combined with three more days of gales and blazing sun we caught nothing.

Then just for a change on the Friday with the water just coming down to a good height, the wind swung around and we faced more gales and were back to yet more b....y rain! But at least proving the importance of the right height, just before the river began to rise again Derek Coles got a nice fresh 10 pounder from the Burn Pool.

Saturday finished with no let up and yet more gales and rain saw us finish with me having to leave at lunchtime.

As I said at the start I don`t think I have ever had two weeks of worse weather for Salmon fishing on Murthly.