Salmon and Sea Trout, Scotland, Late October

This selection of photos are the better (sharper) ones from about 12 hours (3 days) of fish watching. It is hard to appreciate the colours and markings of the Salmon without a camera as the fish are only airborne for half a second or so. I also didn't know that much about Salmon before sitting down with them and was surprised at the differing sizes of fish, colours and markings. A few Sea trout were also jumping up the weir and i have only named the ones that i am confident with.

Leaping Salmon have just joined my exclusive list of yearly must see wlidlife events alongside Spring Goshawks, Winter Geese and Migration Watchpoints.      

A real monster of a a male

A gorgeous male mimicking the autumn beech leaves

A female Salmon in full flight. Many are only airborne for about half a second.

Presumably a Sea Trout - many spots below the lateral line, long upper jaw (hard to judge from this angle) and bulging tail centre.

A very large male that almost avoided the camera

A young Sea Trout taking a breather on the weir edge

A stunning male and without doubt the king of all fish.

A failed jump.

A Sea Trout showing the upper jaw extending clearly behind the eye, many dark spots below the lateral line and the concave tail tip.

I am guessing a Sea Trout from the lenght of the upper jaw

Sea Trout left and Salmon right. A nice comparison showing the lenght of the upper jaw relative to the eye.

A nice profile of the Salmons seriously strong tail.

Salmon pair with the female behind.

Grey heron perched on the Salmon ladder in the middle of the weir

Dippers displaying on the Salmon ladder wall