A ghillie’s wife has become only the second woman in history to scoop the River Tay’s top fishing prize.
Gail O’Dea netted the Redford Memorial Cup, which has been awarded since 1986 to the angler who catches the Tay’s biggest salmon on opening day.
Nurse Gail landed a 14lb salmon in the Linn pool on the Taymount beat, near Stanley. Gail’s husband, Cohn O’Dea, is head ghillie on the beat. The fish was then unhooked, photographed, and released back into the river.
The previous lady winner was Jane Glass from Fife who won it in 1997. Her late husband, Duncan, also had his name engraved on the cup.
Gail received the trophy from Stanley angler Arnot McWhinnie, one of the founders of the Redford Cup.
She said: “I have been fishing for four years and am a keen fly fisher. I had an epic battle (with the fish) in the Linn Pool, which I amazingly managed to keep under control and safely land and return.
“The salmon was caught with a Vision 110 (green machine), one of my husband’s top spring lures.
“I am very lucky to have a husband who is very dedicated within his role and fishing professionally and personally.
“I shall definitely be in a great position to defend this trophy next year and shall without doubt be in the hunt for many years to come.”
Robert Jamieson, of Blairgowrie gun and tackle shop James Crockart & Son, presented Gail with a £250 tackle voucher, and Garry McErlain, chairman of the Tay Ghillies Association, handed her two specially-engraved crystal glasses to mark her achievement.
Also at the ceremony were George McInnes of Guildtown, head ghillie at Ballathie, George Todd, of Perth, and Derrick Fillingham, of Errol. All are co-founders of the award, named after their friend Ian Redford, who died in 1985 and was the owner of the Newtyle beat.
His late son, Ian Jr, played for Dundee United, Dundee, Rangers, St Johnstone, Ipswich Town, Brechin City and Raith Rovers.
A female angler from Perthshire holds the record for the heaviest British rod-caught salmon.
The prize catch a record unlikely to ever be beaten was made on the River Tay on October 7 1922, near Caputh, by Georgina Ballantine. Fishing with her ghillie father, as dusk neared, she hooked an incredible 64lb fish and landed it after a two-hour battle.
It was taken to Perth and P D Malloch made a plaster cast before the fish was gifted to Perth Royal Infirmary and eaten by staff and patients.
The river system across Perthshire attracts sportsmen and women from around the globe.