• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Alba Game Fishing Logo, fly fishing Scotland, Orvis Endorsed guiding company

Fishing trips and touring throughout Scotland

Header Right

UK +44 131 560 6629   USA TOLL FREE 800-972-0408

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • About
    • About Home
    • Why Alba Game Fishing
    • Team of fishing guides
    • Videos of Fishing Holidays throughout Scotland
    • What Fishing Tackle is best in Scotland
    • Partner with Alba in Scotland
      • Barrio Fly Lines
      • 4×4 Hire Scotland
      • Links
    • Fishing in Scotland – Blog
    • Alba Brochure – 2024 Fishing and Touring in Scotland
  • Fishing in Scotland
    • Packages Home
    • Salmon Fishing Scotland
    • Trout Fishing in Scotland
    • Pike Angling
    • Corporate Events
    • Sea Fishing Trips Scotland
    • Fishing Gift Vouchers
    • Grayling Fishing
    • Bespoke Luxury Vacations in Scotland
  • Fishing Events
    • Fishing Events in Scotland
    • Fly Fishing Experience Days Team Building
    • Corporate and Incentives – Trout fishing near Aberdeen
    • Learn to fly fish in Scotland
  • Bespoke Vacations
    • Mixed Fishing & Touring Vacation in Scotland
    • Macnab challenge in Scotland
    • River Tweed Fishing Lodge September/ October
    • Fishing vacation, staying in Fishing Lodge in Scotland – Perfect Staycation
  • Fishing Accommodation
  • North American Guests
  • Basket

UK +44 7734 810 706  

USA TOLL FREE 800-972-0408

  • Home
  • About
    • About Home
    • Why Alba Game Fishing
    • Team of fishing guides
    • Videos of Fishing Holidays throughout Scotland
    • What Fishing Tackle is best in Scotland
    • Partner with Alba in Scotland
      • Barrio Fly Lines
      • 4×4 Hire Scotland
      • Links
    • Fishing in Scotland – Blog
    • Alba Brochure – 2024 Fishing and Touring in Scotland
  • Fishing in Scotland
    • Packages Home
    • Salmon Fishing Scotland
    • Trout Fishing in Scotland
    • Pike Angling
    • Corporate Events
    • Sea Fishing Trips Scotland
    • Fishing Gift Vouchers
    • Grayling Fishing
    • Bespoke Luxury Vacations in Scotland
  • Fishing Events
    • Fishing Events in Scotland
    • Fly Fishing Experience Days Team Building
    • Corporate and Incentives – Trout fishing near Aberdeen
    • Learn to fly fish in Scotland
  • Bespoke Vacations
    • Mixed Fishing & Touring Vacation in Scotland
    • Macnab challenge in Scotland
    • River Tweed Fishing Lodge September/ October
    • Fishing vacation, staying in Fishing Lodge in Scotland – Perfect Staycation
  • Fishing Accommodation
  • North American Guests
  • Basket

Fly Fishing for Wild Brown Trout in April

April 14, 2018 //  by Stewart Collingswood

Fishing the Dry Fly for Brown Trout – Rivers Tay, Spey, Tweed

Trout angling on the rivers in Scotland, peaks in April. Some of the trout can be found early in the season by targeting  on the dry fly. It’s been a cruel winter in Scotland. As a result as we creep into Spring, fishing has been slow and salmon thin on the ground. However, the meagre hatches of fly have produced short concentrated hatches of Olives. and we have caught trout on all three Scottish rivers in early April.

River Tay, Fly Fishing, Fishing for beginners, best rivers in Scotland, Orvis Guide, Alba Game Fishing,
Spring on the River Tay

Yesterday we were on the River Tweed with a group of 6 guests. 5 were learning to fly fish for the first time and Dad Harry an experienced trout fisherman. Harry, eventually hooked into a good sized trout and the initial few minutes of the fight were fairly sedate until the trout woke up. I estimate the fish was over 5 pounds and after 3 or 4 acrobatic leaps, it took all the fly line and some of the backing, and then was gone.</p></p></p></p></p></p></p>&lt;/p></p></p></p>

<p><p>Believe me, when a large fish comes off, the guide probably feels as much pain as the client!

River Tweed, Dry Fly, Wild Brown Trout, Alba Game Fishing, Fly Fishing, Scotland
River Tweed Trout April 2018

Big Brownie caught on the Tweed

Later that day, we did catch and release a lovely brown trout of 3lb 2oz. Matt, who lives in Australia normally enjoys sea fishing had his first encounter with a Scottish Wild Trout. Again a spectacular fight.(photo above)

In mid-April, we were fishing on the Spey for salmon and the fishing was slow. Just after lunch, a prolific hatch of Olives, some of the biggest I’ve seen, came on around 2 pm. There were two or three fish showing on the far shore.  has a slack pocket of water and there was more activity over there. Luckily there was a bridge so we swapped to the right bank. As soon as we arrived a big trout was head and tailing, nothing subtle about the rise, you could see this was a big fish, by the size of its tail.

Our guest, a retired Finance Director from Texas, demonstrated some wonderful casting and in no time, his rod was bent

into the trout. This fish was around 3-pound fish and a little lean. Without doubt it would have tipped the scales beyond 4lb, in normal condition.

River Spey, Dry Fly, Wild Brown Trout, Alba Game Fishing, Fly Fishing, Scotland
A 3lb River Spey Trout

The River Tay, one of Scotland’s best rivers

The River Tay holds some huge trout. Whilst salmon fishing last week in early April, we stopped for a short while to target trout and grayling. Nothing huge this time, but a nice sea trout, a grayling and a decent trout of about a pound in weight.

Some of the Orvis guides got together for a day of casting practice and fly fishing on the Tay in late March. At 3 pm, there was a small hatch of Olives and I tempted this wee sea trout on a dry. Sea trout rises are usually easy to distinguish, as they can be more gregarious on the surface when taking dries.  sea trout, wild brown trout, dry fly, river tay, orvis guide, alba game fishing, olive fly River Tay Sea Trout on a dry fly

In addition a few tasty trout were caught by the guides. One fish tipped the scales at 3lb and another bigger fish was lost, when it shook the hook. 

If you are interested trout fishing on these rivers in Scotland, please do get in touch

Alba Game Fishing support and are a Trade Member of the Wild Brown Trout Trust and practice catch and release for all species of fish.

Category: News

Previous Post: « Fishing Events and Hospitality in Scotland
Next Post: The Best Shore Fishing in Scotland »

Footer

Alba Fishing Logo

Explore

  • Fishing Accommodation

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Alba Game Fishing Copyright © 2025