September Salmon: Ending the 2025 River Findhorn Season on a High Note

The Salmon fishing season has now closed for the year on our local River Spey and River Findhorn and they will re-open on February 11th 2026.

Season Closing and Changing Conditions

After a rather unprecedented and prolonged dry spell through much of August, the weather started to become a little more unsettled as we moved in to early September. Some heavy rain showers over the River Findhorn catchment, slowly began to filter in to the river system and by September 11th, river levels had risen on the upper river reading 10” on the Shenachie gauge up at Cawdor. However, it started to fall away quickly and by September 12th river levels were reading 5” on the Forres gauge which was indeed quite an improvement on recent weeks!

September Fishing on the River Findhorn

Jon McCleary’s First Atlantic Salmon Experience

I was joined at Altyre Estate by Jon McCleary from the USA who was holidaying in Scotland for a few weeks, playing golf and generally sightseeing with his family. Jon was an experienced trout fisher haven’t spent his whole life fly fishing all around USA and other parts of the World. However, this was his first time experiencing Atlantic salmon fly fishing or Spey casting in Scotland. He was certainly a very fast learner and picked up the Spey casting technique almost immediately, I was impressed. We certainly saw several salmon showing in Roan pool and Roehillock pool but they were not too keen on taking any of Jon’s perfectly presented flies, which was frustrating and I just felt that we still needed more water to get the fish moving and on the take again.

I could see on the weather forecast and rain radar that more rain was falling over the River Findhorn catchment and therefore I invited Jon back to fish on the Saturday, which he took up without hesitation! I arranged for him to come back the following day to fish with local rod David Johnstone, who I knew would look after him. By Saturday September 13th, my prediction for more water had materialised and the river was reading 8” on the Forres gauge, which is just about “spot on” for us at Altyre Estate and water clarity was also perfect.

Jon and David started seeing fish running and showing almost from the word go and it wasn’t too long before David hooked and released a slightly coloured grilse of around 5 lbs from the Roehillock pool. Jon’s double Spey casting was improving rapidly but David also managed to get Jon putting out a good line off his left arm with a Single Spey cast. He was loving every minute! They both fished hard moving from pool to pool, beat to beat and Jon was really unlucky not to connect with a fish, having had four good offers and pulls, but unfortunately they didn’t stick! A little later in the day and back up on the Upper beat, David managed to hook into a very Big Summer run salmon of around 17 lbs, yet again in the Roehillock pool, which was duly and professionally netted by Jon and I think the smile on his face says it all. Well done David and well done Jon a great team effort! Jon has already been in touch with me and extremely keen to book up several days next Spring with me at Altyre Estate. Very wise and I shall be looking forward to netting his first ever Atlantic Spring salmon for him in April 2026.

Norman and Matt Gill’s Successful Trip

As we moved into the week commencing September 15th we saw more heavy rain falling over the River Findhorn catchment with river levels rising to 3’ on the Forres gauge by late afternoon! By Tuesday September 16th, river levels were at 2’ on the Shenachie gauge and 2’ 9” on the Forres gauge and falling away quickly.

My top man and head guide Ali Foyers was looking after father and son team, Norman and Matt Gill, who were fishing at Altyre Estate, for the first time. In fact this was Matts’ first ever experience of Atlantic salmon fly fishing and Spey casting. However, with Ali’s excellent guidance and tuition, it didn’t take Matt long to get up to speed with the casting technique and he managed to hook and release a cracking cock salmon of around 9 lbs from the Roan pool. Not to be outdone his Dad Norman managed to catch two sea trout as well, great stuff.

By Wednesday September 17th river levels were reading 1’ on the Forres gauge and it was feeling a little cooler. Norman managed to hook and release a 5 lb grilse from Roan pool, plus another fish hooked and lost for Matt a little later on. All in all a great result for both Norman and Matt, on their first ever River Findhorn experience and they had both timed their visit to the River Findhorn perfectly!

Nick and Russell Wright Turner’s Turn

By September 18th and river levels had fallen away quickly and were reading 6” on the Forres gauge and the wind was blowing fiercely with bright overhead sunshine! Ali, was back on duty looking after another father and son team, Nick and Russell — Wright Turner for the last three days of the week.

By September 19th river levels had fallen away to 5” on the Forres gauge. This was also Russell’s first time experience at salmon fly fishing and Spey casting. Ali, got to work and soon had Russell Spey casting with ease and covering the water perfectly. He managed to hook and release a 4 lb grilse from the top of the Roan pool and then later on in the day, hooked and released another bigger fish of around 8 lbs from the Roehillock pool, what a great result. By Saturday September 20th, river levels had fallen away to 4” on the Forres gauge and it had become very windy and much colder, so unfortunately no more fish were caught on their last day.

Charlie Newington-Bridges’ Annual Trip

On September 29th I was joined by one of my other regular groups of clients, headed by Charlie Newington-Bridges, who always book the same day with me every year and quite remarkably seem to get conditions absolutely perfect, as they did again this season!

River levels were running at a respectable 7” on the Forres gauge, although water clarity was a little on the dirty side! Ben hooked and lost a fish in William’s Run just before lunch. Then later on in the afternoon at around 5-15 PM Matt hooked and released a cracking big Summer run hen salmon of around 15 lbs on a small Red Francis tube from the top of the Roan pool on the lower beat.

A Season’s End and a Look Ahead

After a somewhat frustrating season of low water conditions prevailing throughout, this was the fitting end and always great to end the salmon fishing season on a high note!

We have some really great salmon fishing opportunities available throughout the season on the River Findhorn at Altyre Estate, plus the Meads of St John Beat at Darnaway in early April and The Upper Home Beat at Darnaway from the middle of May through to early August.

We very much look forward to meeting up with all of our regular guests and meeting up with new clients on the Rivers Findhorn, Spey and Aberdeenshire Dee in the 2026 season.

Tight Lines,

Ian