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2026 Fishing Season in Scotland: A Year to Remember
As another Scottish fishing season ends, we can finally hang up the waders and clean the rods.
More importantly, we can reflect on a memorable 2026 fishing.
And what a season it was.
Not only was it a record year for Alba Game Fishing, but it also delivered some truly unforgettable fishing experiences.
We welcomed guests from across the world for guided fishing trips in Scotland. Along the way, we shared spectacular catches, plenty of laughs and some remarkable moments.
From the River Tay to the River Tweed
Our 2026 season began with the first casts of spring on the River Tay and River Tweed in February.
Furthermore, salmon catches in February are usually low, however our guides were highly skilled at spicing slow day up with a bit of grayling fishing. This yielded some great specimens, including a few around the 3lb mark.
Likewise, we welcomed returning friends and first-time guests from many different countries. Several of our regulars pushed the bar and tried different fishing experiences in remote locations.
Best of all, we watched some exceptional fish slide safely over our guides’ nets.
Those moments never get old.
Challenging Conditions and Low Scottish Rivers
Of course, not every fishing day went exactly to plan.
However, the best fishing stories rarely begin with everything going perfectly.
Scotland experienced very little rainfall during the summer. Consequently, many rivers dropped to exceptionally low levels.
Those conditions made fishing challenging at times. Nevertheless, our guides adapted their tactics and worked hard to find opportunities.
Their knowledge, experience and determination made a real difference.
Despite the low water, our guests still enjoyed memorable days and landed some fantastic fish.
Guided Fishing Is About More Than Catching Fish
As fishing guides, we naturally judge a successful day by the experience we deliver. I really d o believe that the best guides are exceptional "people persons".
Of course, helping a guest catch a great fish is always special. However, we remember the people and conversations just as much.
Throughout 2026, there were laughs, friendly rivalries and a few painful missed opportunities.
There were also fishing stories that became slightly bigger with every retelling!
Most importantly, our guides share the excitement when guests caught fish they had travelled thousands of miles to pursue.
For many overseas visitors, a fishing trip to Scotland is a lifelong ambition. Therefore, helping someone fulfil that dream is incredibly rewarding.
Welcoming Anglers From Around the World
Throughout the 2026 fishing season, our international guests once again brought enthusiasm, humour and a real sense of adventure.
Some arrived in Scotland with decades of fishing experience.
Others were fly fishing beginners and picking up a fly rod for the first time.
Meanwhile, some guests had one particular goal in mind. Perhaps they wanted to catch their first Atlantic salmon, wild brown trout or Scottish grayling.
Others simply wanted to experience Scotland’s rivers, lochs and spectacular landscapes.
Either way, every guided fishing trip created its own stories and memories.
That variety is one of the things we love most about running Alba Game Fishing.
Looking Back at Our Best Fishing Moments of 2026
Before we start looking ahead to the 2027 fishing season, we wanted to revisit an unforgettable year.
Over the coming sections, we’ll share some of the standout catches from 2026.
In addition, these are a few of our fishing guides’ favourite moments from the season.
Fishing photos from 2026 - a small selection
Wild Brown Trout Fishing in Scotland with Perk Perkins
Early in 2026, I received a call from former Orvis CEO Perk Perkins.
Perk was planning a trip to Scotland in May with friends and family. Naturally, fishing was going to play an important part.
We discussed several options for his guided fishing trip in Scotland. However, one particular challenge stood out.
I suggested targeting a wild brown trout on the iconic Loch Leven.
Wild Brown Trout Fishing on Loch Leven
Loch Leven holds a special place in the history of Scottish fly fishing.
However, catching its famous wild brown trout is rarely easy.
Loch Leven can be notoriously dour. Furthermore, wind direction, bright sunlight and changing weather can dramatically affect the fishing.
Unfortunately, conditions were far from perfect when Perk arrived.
We faced bright sunshine, which certainly didn't make our task any easier.
Nevertheless, Perk persevered. Furthermore, he quickly adapted to the "loch style" of fishing team of three palmered flies.
His reward was a beautiful wild Loch Leven brown trout. It was exactly the fish we had hoped to find.
Even better, that trout sparked an incredible run of success.
Trout Fishing Across the Scottish Highlands
Over the following days, Perk continued his wild trout fishing adventure across Scotland. In fact, he caught good trout, wherever he went.
He caught pike in Loch Awe, Ferox trout in Loch Quoich and a mix of Ferox and brown trout on Loch Damh in the Scottish Highlands.
Perhaps the defining moment of his Scottish fishing trip came when trout fishing near Inverness at Loch Eye.
Spring Fishing in Scotland: Big Trout, Salmon and Memorable Fishing Trips
Remarkably, we found ourselves delivering Tours in the Hebrides and Shetland this year. Our regular and much loved guests Jeff and Debbie spent 10 days in the Highlands near Inverness and the Isle of Lewis and Harris.
Unfortunately the weather wasn’t ideal with strong Northerly winds for just about the whole trip. This made the Fishing tricky but it didn’t stop the action.
Equally who cares about catching trophy fish when you were in such achingly, beautiful surroundings. So whilst we didn’t catch any huge specimens, there was plenty of sport.
In summary, I think that was one of the most memorable trips.
A Trout of a Lifetime on the River Tweed
April is always an exciting month for guided fishing trips in Scotland. This year, however, it was particularly busy for Alba Game Fishing.
Traditionally, April offers an excellent chance to catch some of Scotland’s biggest wild trout. Therefore, expectations are always high as the season gathers momentum.
This April certainly delivered.
Our guide Graeme was fishing the River Tweed with a guest when something very special happened.
Conditions were far from ideal. In fact, they had endured a tough day on the river. However, persistence eventually paid off.
Towards the end of the day, the guest hooked and landed an enormous wild brown trout.
It was quite simply the fish of a lifetime.
I’ll never forget how excited Graeme sounded when he called me. This was the biggest trout any of us had ever seen from this stretch of river.
Of course, estimating the weight of a wild fish from photographs is difficult. However, we believe this magnificent Tweed trout weighed around seven to eight pounds.
For a wild Scottish brown trout, that is an exceptional fish.
It also proves why spring trout fishing in Scotland can produce some unforgettable moments.
Dry Fly Fishing and a 58-Person Corporate Fishing Event
Alongside some fantastic dry fly fishing, April brought another milestone for Alba Game Fishing.
We hosted a corporate fishing event for 58 guests from France.
It was the largest event we have organised in our 23 years of running guided fishing experiences in Scotland.
Naturally, I particularly enjoyed giving the welcome speech.
The previous weekend, France had comprehensively beaten Scotland at rugby at Murrayfield. Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t going to let that one go!
Thankfully, our French guests took the Scottish humour in good spirit.
Bringing Together 28 of Scotland’s Best Fishing Guides
An event of this size requires considerable planning and organisation.
Therefore, we brought together 28 experienced Scottish fishing guides to deliver the day.
Some travelled from the west coast of Scotland. Others joined us from the Scottish Highlands.
Bringing so many talented guides together was fantastic. More importantly, it allowed every guest to enjoy an authentic Scottish fishing experience.
There was also one particularly memorable arrival.
One gentleman from Paris appeared wearing possibly the worst fishing shoes I have seen in my life.
They looked like something from a 1970s Elton John video.
Naturally, we gave him a special prize!
More Than 120 Guided Fishing Trips
April and May were incredibly busy months for Alba Game Fishing.
In total, our team completed more than 120 guiding jobs and fishing experiences across Scotland, during these 2 months.
Consequently, our guides were working flat out.
However, the number of bookings tells only part of the story. The real highlights often come from the people we meet and the memories we help create.
This year, in particular, we have welcomed many fathers and sons on fishing trips.
For us, that is one of the great pleasures of guiding.
A First Atlantic Salmon at 14 Years Old
One of our favourite moments involved 14-year-old Hayden, who joined us for a fishing trip with his dad.
During their day, Hayden hooked and landed his first-ever Atlantic salmon on the River Tay.
Even better, the fish weighed approximately 16 pounds.
Imagine catching a salmon like that at just 14 years old!
Afterwards, Hayden’s grandfather commented on social media that he would remember that fish well into old age.
We think he is absolutely right.
These are the moments that make guided fishing trips about much more than simply catching fish.
Salmon from Lower Kinnaird on the River Tay
Finally I will round it up with another memory. Although there have been too many to include them all. Jane Brown from the USA landed this beautiful early September Atlantic Salmon from the River Tay at Lower Kinnaird. I know this is a special memory for our guide Stephen, as the fish put up a hell of a scrap.
Jane did an excellent job, stayed calm, didn't rush the fish and listened to tuition.
