THE RIVER GARRY – Atholl Estates, Blair Atholl Estates
The most beautiful river in Perthshire flows down through the Pass of Killicrankie and
into the Faskally Dam in Pitlochry.
A number of years ago the River Garry used to flow from Loch Garry through the
Glen to be joined by the River Tilt at Blair Atholl, but now with the intervention of
Hydro Electric power the head waters have been harnessed and what was once great
spawning grounds have gone.
To get to our beat:- travel from Blair Atholl on the B8079 for 1.25 miles until you
reach Railway Level Crossing Gates on your right (about 400yds from where the
bridge which carries the A9 crosses the river).
From Pitlochry, take the B8079 through the Pass of Killiecrankie, approximately 2
miles on your left, you will reach the white painted Level Crossing Gates.

Before opening the gates STOP! LOOK! & LISTEN! If no train is approaching
cross quickly and PLEASE CLOSE THE GATES behind you.
Follow the road and you will come to the Fisherman’s hut – there you come to the
middle of the beat, where you leave your vehicle to fish numbers 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. & 9.
pools.
Turning right, you can drive to pools number 2 & 1, passing number 3, “The Mid Cast”.
Leave your vehicle here at number 2 and walk to number, following the rough path
parallel to the railway for approximately 220yds and that takes you to the Tail of
Essangol.
Best Flies – G.P. Orange Shrimp. Black Shrimp. Silver Stoat. Hairy Mary. Garry Dog
POOL Number 1
ESSANGOL
This is our top pool. A lovely run coming in and curving down towards a big rock on
our side, the river then opens out to a large pool where fish lie throughout the year
before moving up the River Tilt.
Start at the top of the run by wading in until you come to a painted stone, with a very
short cast and almost straight across the river let the fly come round between the two
currents, for almost 15yds fish take very freely. Then come out and fish down the run.
Again with not too long a cast until you are half way down, increase your cast, fish
slowly and proceed to almost 10yds from the rock. The river deepens sharply, all this
part is medium to low water. From the big rock down to the tail, with high water can
be good.
Above the bridge there is a bank of gravel, wade out to there and fish the tail, from the
middle fish will take all the way down to the bridge.
If you wish you can cross the railway at the cottages at Essangol, leave your vehicle at
the bridge and cross the railway through the small gate down the wooden steps.
This pool fishes well in the early morning from 6am – 9am and again in the evening
9pm - 10pm when the fish begin to move out of the deep water up into the throat of
the pool.
POOL Number 2
THE GRILSE RUN
This is a lovely long pool that fishes with low and medium size and then the whole tail
when high water it is exceptionally good.
As the water flows from No. 1 down below the road bridge, you start well up the run,
look out for 2 pointed stones on the far side and as the fly comes towards the centre
of the river, fish usually take all the way down to the clump of trees on the far bank,
that is the deepest part of the pool.
When the water is high, start fishing from the trees down, half way down is a very
deadly spot for approximately 25yds. Lower down toward the tail is also good but you
must cast well over towards the far bank, as that is the way the fish move up into the
pool.
POOL Number 3
MID CAST
A long pool that has filled in with gravel in the past years. Wade in at the top by the
Old Pictish Ford and fish the run down.
Two good spots with medium water are across next the far bank, then down
approximately 30yds towards the far bank. Fish will take in the middle of the stream
until you come to an old croy. Stop!
With high water fish from the old croy down to the tail. It can usually be quite
productive ¾ of the way down coming to our bank.
Always best in September as the bigger fish seem to wait for a short time before
moving on into the Grilse Run.
POOL Number 4
THE POT
Opposite the fisherman’s hut you are looking at one of the finest runs that a highland
river could wish to offer.
“The Pot” approximately 100yds long is one of the most deadly pools on our beat.
At the top there is a rock formation, which comes quarter of the way across the
stream and behind that for approximately 20yds down, fishing into the calm water be
prepared for action. Half way down, with medium water, there is an old croy with a
deep hole in below some tress, down to the tail where it runs out, again a small rock
produces a lie where fish lie and take the fly in Mid stream.
Best time to fish this pool is 9.30am - 10.45am and from 1pm - 1.30pm. After that
alone until 6pm when fish move from the main holding pool below.
POOL Number 5
THE RAIL
This used to be a fine pool, the first from Poldornie where fish rested on their way up
to the Pot. Many years ago it changed, filling up with gravel and becoming shallow.
At the top there is an outcrop of rock where fish lie next the other side.
For almost 10 – 15yds down in calm water follow your fly round taking in mid stream,
fish this down until it shallows off, that is low to medium height, then when the river is
big, fish well down where fish lie next our side. They take very close in. Do not be too
hard playing them at this height or they will go back to Poldornie.
POOL Number 6
POLDORNIE
This is the main holding pool in the whole beat, it is very deep 25ft in parts.
It holds very natural lies with good ledges well down the pool and as it turns below the
“Pulpit Rock”, below “Sauder’s point” fish lie there before it flows out into a beautiful
tail, which fishes extremely well when the river is big and too heavy to fish the top of
the run.
It can be a difficult pool to fish and takes a while to know exactly the lies and taking
places at different heights of water.
The pool starts at the very top of the run, coming in fast and narrow by an outcrop of
rock, when water level permits, one should start here. Short cast again, extending as
you come down to the end of the rock, approximately 15yds down you have a bank of
gravel from the far side which extends to the middle of the river leaving a fast current
flowing down to the big rocks on our side, deepening all the time into a big massive
pool.
The river then turns, narrows and flows out between two big rocks into the tail.
Fish take in low water at the top of the pool.
Turn off the gravel bank and down in the middle as the water drops into deep. When
high water fish off Saunder’s point. Let the fly come round towards the “Pulpit Rock”
and east again to a small point of rock next the other side. The river is deep here.
Go from there to the rocks before the pool opens out and fish this very thoroughly
casting over the fast current into the calm water. When the river is big go down to the
tail and fish from the green bank right over and out to where the water runs out into
some streams on it’s way to Old Clune.
Best time to fish Poldornie is early morning 6am – 8.30am again 10am – 11am. Evening
when the river is low 9pm – 10.30pm. Fish retire into the deep during the day and
then begin to move towards evening when you have 1 – 1 ½ hours when they usually
take.
POOL Number 7
OLD CLUNE
Here again we have a lovely little deep pool with a fast flowing current coming in along
the rock and striking the far bank, then smoothing out into a nice tail.
It is deep at the top with a ledge going in below where you stand, you will see fish
moving about beside this ledge in low water.
As the water hits the opposite bank there is a ridge of gravel where fish lie. The pool
then plains out, flowing quietly for the tail.
Fish lie down the opposite bank and in high water in the middle and out to the left
near our side before the water goes into the stream of Pool 8.
This is a pool that will fish at almost anytime. High, medium or low water, it often
holds a number of good heavy fish. If you hook a fish in the tail, always try and gently
get it up the pool or it may go out into the “Shepherd’s”, not so easy to follow in high
water.
POOL Number 8
THE SHEPHERD’S
The Shepherd’s is a long pool which I have developed and find it has been well worth
fishing.
After we leave Old Clune there is a nice ‘stream’ run flowing into this long pool, again
it is not deep and at the top between the two runs there are good lies where fish take
well. You must cast well over to let the fly come naturally over the fish, you will find
that to roll cast is very suitable here.
Fish for 100yds, depending on the height of water, come out and walk down until you
come to some stones near our side, wade out and fish for another 20yds casting over
towards the far bank, this only applies in high water, fish like to rest here.
This pool is best fished in September and onwards. Time 11am – 2pm.
POOL Number 9
THE BOAT POOL
At one time years ago there was a boat ferry on the pool, where people from Old
Clune and Balrobbie crossed the Garry before the river was bridged.
This is the last pool on the beat. A long run, not too deep, which is well worth fishing
at all sizes, especially at a medium height. Fish lie here for a rest after they have come
over the rapids at Killiecrankie and travelled up through Urrard.
Halfway down casting not too long a line, fish come and take freely. Down opposite a
pointed stone next our side is also a good spot, again increasing your cast, well over,
fish take as far down as you can fish.
The pool shallows off then and is not really worth fishing. You may see fish moving but
they are not ‘taking fish’, they are coming into the pool.