Freestone · Mixed · Perthshire and Angus, GB-SCT

River Isla (Tayside)

The River Isla flowing past Bridge of Dillavaird in Perthshire, Scotland, on its course to join the River Tay at Cargill.

The Scottish Government grades the River Isla (Tayside)'s salmon Good (Grade 1) for 2026, as part of the River Tay SAC.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Closed season
Out of season. File this water for the right month.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.45 mLast reading 6h ago
  • Water temp6.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.45 m
Last reading 6h ago
Water temp6.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather3°C
WindSW 15 km/h
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.5 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
7°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Hawthorn FlyHatch
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Isla flowing past Bridge of Dillavaird in Perthshire, Scotland, on its course to join the River Tay at Cargill.
    The River Isla at Bridge of Dillavaird, Perthshire, looking downstream towards its confluence with the Tay.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Every salmon caught before 1 April must be released by law; after that, follow the district board's and the beat's policy, and many ask for all fish to be returned. The upper river in Glenisla above Forter is tumbling Highland water holding brown trout and the occasional summer salmon. The middle river through Strathmore is classic lowland fly water: broad, pebbly, with good holding pools and fine brown trout fishing through the traditional season. The lower reaches below Coupar Angus hold resident trout, grayling, and salmon that have pushed up from the Tay, particularly in autumn. Fishing is a mix of Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus and Strathmore angling associations on the middle and lower river, with private beats scattered throughout. A proper big-river tributary that deserves more attention than it receives — and would certainly receive it were it not overshadowed by its famous parent.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), nocturnal pattern in peak season

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 75%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 15 January → 15 October

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026)

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

River Isla (Tayside) is a freestone river in Perthshire and Angus, Scotland. It sits at about 38 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 75 km long. Our data lists 4 species here, including brown trout, grayling and atlantic salmon. It is classed as a salmon river. The salmon season is recorded as running from 15 January to 15 October. Best window recorded for anglers: April to June (trout), August to October (salmon). Core methods listed: upstream wet fly and spider; upstream dry fly; upstream nymph. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Nearby waters in our listings include Tay at 14 km, South Esk at 33 km and River Eden (Fife) at 33 km.