It was a poignant moment for comedian Paul Whitehouse as he kicked off the River Tay salmon fishing season.
Paul, star of Gone Fishing, revealed that January 15 – the official opening of the season at Meikleour – marked the fifth anniversary of his father’s death.
The sun shone on the frosty banks of the Tay at Kinclaven Bridge as Paul, 65, made the first cast from a boat, after popping a magnum of champagne.
“It’s a very important day obviously for Tayside, but it’s quite significant for me, personally,” he revealed. “My dad died on this day five years ago.
“I’m not at his graveside because I went the other day. He told me that he would be very proud that I’m here today opening the River Tay.
“He was a devoted fisherman and a devoted dad. He introduced me to fishing and it meant the world to us that we had that bond. It’s a fitting thing to do today, to honour his memory.”
Encounter with a ‘huge’ beast of a salmon
Paul revealed his dad gave him an “evocative” book, the Fisherman’s Bedside Book, when he was a kid.
His imagination was fired by the tome’s description of the record 64lb salmon caught by Georgina Ballantine on the Tay in October 1922.
“I was astonished and intrigued by the encounter with this fish,” he enthused.
“I’ve caught some big salmon in my time but not even half the size of that. She was a young woman – and that was a huge beast.
“I can just imagine the terror when she saw it turn in the current. What a special river – and what a scary river the Tay can be. It’s a beast of a river.”
Paul Whitehouse fishing with Bob Mortimer
Paul said he had been “privileged” to fish several times at Meikleour with fellow comedian, friend and Gone Fishing partner Bob Mortimer.
The duo filmed a Hogmanay special of the show in October, during horrendous flooding.
As rivers across Perthshire burst their banks, the pair and their crew had to flit from site to site in their quest for somewhere safe enough to film.
Paul recalled the time he and Bob headed out in the boat with head ghillie Calum McRoberts and they hooked a grilse.
“As Calum handed me the rod I saw these waders in my peripheral vision. Bob did a backflip in the boat!
“Luckily, or unluckily, he didn’t knock himself out. He jumped up, grabbed the rod, and we lost the fish. There was a moment of stunned silence. Then all three of us of starting laughing. It was hysterical laughter.
“There are many times when you won’t catch a salmon, so you might as well get ready to laugh as well as cry!”
Meeting legendary River Tay angler John Moses
Paul added that it was a privilege to meet legendary River Tay angler John Moses. He and Bob had interviewed him for their show.
Following John’s death on Boxing Day 2018, an annual trophy – for the largest fly-caught salmon caught on the beat – was launched in his honour.
John’s wife Sue presented the John Moses Trophy to Craig Foster, otherwise known as “Fishcake”. He had caught a 22lb salmon in 2023.
Paul concluded that while “times are tough”, he believes there’s plenty that should be done to replenish stocks.
He added: “Now’s not the time and place for me to have a moan. I wish everyone a brilliant season. Tight lines!”
Pipes and blessing during Meikleour opening ceremony
The opening was hosted by the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board (TDSFB), the Tay Rivers Trust, Meikleour Fishings and Perth and Kinross Council.
Anglers were marched down from Meikleour boathouse to the river by the Perth and District Pipe Band, led by Pipe Major Alistair Duthie and Drum Major Kenny Forbes.
The traditional blessing of the boat (with a silver quaich of whisky) was performed by Paul and councillor Xander McDade, provost of Perth and Kinross Council.
Paul then made the first cast of the year, after popping a magnum of champagne.
Proceeds from the opening ceremony will be donated to the Salmon in the Classroom programme in local schools, administered by the Tay Rivers Trust.
Hopes for salmon fishing season 2024
Claire Mercer Nairne, TDSFB member and owner of Meikleour Fishings, said efforts are ongoing to maintain and enhance salmon numbers.
She said: “At the start of a new salmon season we always feel some optimism.
“However, it would be wrong for us to put our heads in the sands. The reality is that the Tay’s 2023 rod catch of salmon was the lowest in recent decades.
“The Tay DSFB and the Tay Rivers Trust are working ever more closely on environmental projects aimed at safeguarding the long-term health of the Tay and its tributaries.
“Of course, some issues are outside our control and we operate within a framework of official policies.”
Tree planting on the Tay to protect young salmon
Calum Innes, Chairman of the Tay Rivers Trust, added: “One important initiative that we are increasingly focussing on is riparian zone tree planting in the Tay system’s upper tributaries.
“Bankside trees provide valuable shading which helps to keep water temperatures within acceptable levels for salmon.
“As the climate warms, this is a vital issue and the sooner we get young trees in the ground, the better.
“We are already progressing several possible tree planting schemes and it is our intention to accelerate this.”
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