The head of a famous salmon fishery has said it was a “joy” to host two titans of British comedy at her Perthshire estate.
Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer tried their luck on the River Tay during filming for the new series of their hit show Gone Fishing.
Episode One went out out on Friday evening, and their exploits in Tayside will be shown on BBC Two later this month.
Claire Mercer Nairne, owner of Meikleour Fishing, said she was thrilled to meet the comedy duo during filming last year.
And she revealed she nearly got into trouble when she swiped Bob’s lucky fishing hat.
“It was a joy to have the filming crew on Meikleour,” she said. “There was an impressively large team who arrived two days prior to actual filming.”
She added: “Filming the elusive Tay salmon is not without challenges, but the team was fairly confident because the conditions were excellent and there was some fish caught before they arrived.”
Claire, who worked behind the scenes with producers as a fishing consultant, said: “Paul Whitehouse is a very experienced fly angler and a real gentleman.
“I felt privileged to share a few tips, and a couple of flies with him.”
She said: “Bob Mortimer is absolutely hilarious and came up with some marvellously inappropriate jokes that hopefully were not caught on camera.
“I loved his ‘gone fishing’ look and his little hat,” she said. “So I had to steal it and try it out for myself.
“Sadly, I had to give it back. I was only allowed to wear it for a short period of time.”
Claire, the first elected female member of the Tay Salmon Fisheries Board, applauded the show for its more serious message.
Fast Show star Paul introduced his friend Bob to fishing, as both of them recovered from heart surgeries.
“Recovering after a life-threatening illness is an on-going battle and fishing is one of those activities that can really help,” Claire said.
Head Ghillie Calum McRoberts was filmed taking Bob out on a rowing boat.
“They were both really enjoyable company,” he said. “We had a great time filming.
“It was great to be able to show them this part of the world, which they were both unfamiliar with.”
He added: “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but there was a real moment of comedy gold when we were filming the episode. I can’t way to see it.”
Speaking recently on the Adam Buxton Podcast, Bob said his visit to the Tayside beauty spot had been his first real experience of Scotland.
