Salmon River Therapy

By Jock Monteith 17th May 2023

It's truly fantastic that we still have the Scottish salmon rivers to take refuge in for 'cleansing the soul' and regaining positive mental composure amidst this world of chaos and deception.

Salmon Fishing Good For Your Soul

There's something truly 'mystical' about the flow of a salmon river that does indeed re-charge the soul if you open your mind to its natural magnificence and energy. Maybe it's the fact I'm a 'water signed' Piscean being born in March (15th) as was my great mentor the late & famous Tay Ghillie Willie Laird (16th) although many other star signers will no doubt agree with what I'm saying here too. I'm not taking away from the excitement and challenge of catching such an often 'tricky' fish but this brilliant pursuit definitely goes much deeper than that for many salmon anglers.

What Is The Main Attraction Of Scottish Salmon Fishing

I believe that the 'real' attraction of Scottish salmon fishing has very little to do with the actual objective of catching a salmon if you really try to work out why you'll continually stand in a river with a fly rod in your hand which is like a magnet that never switches off until you're doing just that. A psychologist I'm sure could explain this mental 'pull' much better and why the peaceful draw of a salmon river is such a huge attraction for so many.

Why You Should Escape To A Salmon River

Human beings were never meant to be contained in mobile metal boxes on tar macadam runways or stressing to get to the next meeting in the 'concrete jungle' to climb an illusionary corporate ladder or to just be able to meet intentionally 'over inflated' monthly living costs. That waste of life is the furthest polar opposite away from the vibe of the salmon river you could ever imagine. 'Escapism' for certain is definitely one of the main reasons why this amazing pursuit is so popular these days and just getting back into a more meaningful environment to satisfy our ancient pre-programmed 'hunter gatherer' DNA.

A Memorable BBC Radio Interview

I recall an interview I had with BBC Radio Scotland about 20 years ago where the reporter or presenter asked me what I thought the main attraction of being on a salmon river was. I replied that in my opinion we were not engaged in the marketing of Scottish salmon fishing but what we were selling was 'river therapy'! She liked my summary and instantly got my point and appreciated the simple explanation. I also informed her that if the NHS were prescribing a day's salmon fishing to its patients as alternatives to patented chemical simulations of natural substances then the drug companies who are clearly out to intoxify the entire world would experience huge dips in profits!

Why You Should Take Your Salmon River Therapy Seriously

Next time you arrive on your favourite salmon beat and are slipping into your chest waders and wading jacket think of them as a your anti modern day society protection suit which stops that contamination getting in and any similar frustrations getting out. Salmon are indeed highly sensitive creatures and the best & most effective salmon fishers I know are those who are totally aware of their own vibe and can tune into exactly how our silvery friends may be viewing things. The salmon river has an uncanny knack of calming down even the most stressed or mentally super-charged individuals in under an hour such is her amazing calming influence and natural hypnotic energy.