Tweed

[stoater]

well things have got going, very nicely. What a shame that of all those people who fish and enjoy the Tweed don't share their experiences here....probably havn't yet discovered the Forum.
The tributaries are on song too of late, my pal Dave Higginbottom has had 7 fresh grilse and a couple of seatrout off the Till in the last 2 days. Then again that was on dubious methods, worm and Mepps!
Any other reports?

[hadrian]

Would appreciate any info on how the Teviot has been fishing lately,fishing it the first week Oct. Do we have a chance as things stand right now or is rain and lots of it a must between now and then?Fished it last year in Nov,the temp reading on the car dashboard on the way into Jedb read -8 degrees,snapped my rod pulling the tip down to clear ice off the tip ring.

Hadrian.

[stoater]

Tweed has at last kicked herself back to life after a worryingly quiet summer period. There are now good numbers of fish running right up the River, and all the tribs. A couple of decent floods of late have meant some excellent days for those lucky to have made the right plans. 10 days ago a friend of mine visited Tweedside with me for the first time. We had 3 good days on Beats many miles apart and managed 13 good fish to about 16lb, keeping 4 sea-liced ones only. The bigger fish were starting to show at the very bottom of the river, so things look like they're getting back in shape for a Tweed autumn.
Anyone else been out? Daft question that as all the Beats look well-rodded to me as I drive past. Maybe I'll have to invest in a digital camera and try to do some sort of Tweed photo diary like my friend Gethyn did on his Camarthenshire seatrout fishing website forum, I don't think the Tweed should hide it's success, it should be proud of it!

[wilbert]

Stoater/(Thunderbird) I read the report on the sea trout forum and is was a good read which made me want to go out fishing but Lancashire was not blessed with the rain that hit Scotland last week.

here is the link for all those not familiar with the sea trout forum.

seatrout.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=River&action=display&thread=1158621964

[salar76]

Fished Ashiestiel on Saturday - far and away the earliest I've fished Upper Tweed.

Water was just perfect but there was little evidence of fish, although all reports I'd heard indicated that throughout the length of the river fish had been running upstream. There had been fish showing there all week and a fair few caught (especially considering the minimal effort), but not yesterday - there must be some well stocked pools up there somewhere. Sadly, brownies were all I managed, but it was good to be back.

[sagefly]

Lawrence, I fished Upper North Wark on Saturday perfect conditions, but few fish to be seen, this was the story on most of the lower river beats.

MY fishing partner saw huge numbers of fish running throughout the day but caught nil.

I had one half hearted pull in the afternoon, a fella fishing the mill stream ahd a grilse that should have gone 5lbs but only managed 2lbs on the official scales. It looked so kelt like that it should have been returned.

There was virtually no summer run and nearky all the grilse have been hugley undernourished, perhaps it is time for an organised campaign to ban the sand eel fishery for the benefit of the all wildlife, my gut feeling is that within 2 years there will be an improvement in the quality of not only the fish but also the bird colonies.

[salar76]

Hi Greg - quite suprising after the good catches earlier last week. Did you make the drive up from london then?!?

[stoater]

Things seem to be going very well now in terms of the River. There are good numbers of fish passing through all beats well into the Upper River, which is early for this section. I saw more fish attempting to take Philliphaugh Cauld on the Ettrick than I've seen for many years last week, which is most encouraging, but probably just a reflection of good waters lately.
The beats around Kelso, that need not concern I guess 99% of the hardcore entusiasts that frequent this Forum, are at least giving their tenants something to justify the excruciating rents. Catches of 5-10 fish per Rod/day seem normal. I thank the Proprietors that these beats remain affordable for 80% of the season, when they still afford excellent fishing!
Let's hope the odd spate continues to get the silver lunkers into the Upper River!

[stoater]

Good start to october today, and what is generally looked upon as the true autumn season. Good to see that Boleside(on the Ettrick junction,start of Upper Tweed)had 13 salmon, bodes well for those financially challenged Tweed afficanados amongst us.
Thinking of another trip this week-end, possibly with a day on the bottom of the Ettrick too. Made some lovely 0.75" black/yellow aluminium tubes, I am starting to become very conservative and seem to fish little else, except in a big water. Then, a Teeny line and 2" plastic tube almost makes up for the fly-only restriction: too many people give up when the River's big in the Autumn.

[elwyman]

Catches on Tweed seem good at the moment, Boleside had 11 yesterday and 13 today. Fish seem to be getting into the upper river as well.

Hoping for some good rain between now and my trip to Caberston in November. ;D

Anyone else fishing Tweed this backend?

[robmason]

I'll be up in November,just downstream of you.

[salar76]

yep, fishing traquair in a couple of weeks and nest & traquair for the last few days.

[elwyman]

A complete washout today, I see from fishtweed.

Should get the fish moving upstream!

[elwyman]

Fishtweed reports a 40lb salmon off Rutherford today!

Must have been a mistake? Now changed to a 25lber!

[peter]

Hi anyone been out on tweed last week?

[dunbar]

I'm fishing Upper Tweed at Cardrona this week till Saturday. Monday/Tuesday have been slow, water has been up and down last few days, bit coloured, leaves etc, so fishing has been unpredictable. Water is only starting to cool down now, but we should have been at this stage weeks ago. Normally by late October there should be good numbers of settled taking fish in the pools but it all seems to be later this year, no doubt due to the temperatures. Managed one fish yesterday but that's been it. very few fish showing too, though I was encouraged to see a shoal of running fish at last light tonight.

With 4 days to go, and the prospect of a dropping water and frosts, things should hopefully improve.

[peter]

Hi just wondering what set up you are using at the moment?

[stoater]

::)In a weeks' time I'm off to Sunderland Hall for 4 days- maybe more if the Ettrick is still fishing. But, I am worried... for it seems that Fish are not resting in this beat, this season, as they usually do. My pal Dave H has blanked 3 consecutive Thursdays, in good conditions, and apparently hardly seen a fin stir! All very odd.... the 2 adjoining beats, Boleside and Fainilee, have been having a very good time. A lot of beats round Kelso are enjoying Russianesque catches, so the Fish are obviously there and running.
Anyone else been out on Sunderland Hall? Please tell me my worries are unfounded... or is it the 2003 landslide as my pal reckons?

[dunbar]

Well, if one judges the success of fishing in purely statistical terms, my week on the Tweed was as grim as it gets. Textbook conditions - spate & falling water last weekend, couple of frosts midweek and clear water, perfect height for last part of week - tally - 1 fish (first day) for 6 days hard, continuous fishing. Lost a couple and that was it. Seeing about 3-4 fish a day if lucky, and one day saw absolutely nil.

This was up at Cardrona where by this time the pools should be full of good sized autumn fish. Looking at Fishtweed, most of the beats above the Ettrick had poor catches - the classic Upper beats such as Ashiestiel, Traquair, Glenormiston etc reporting 2-3 fish a day where these should normally be expected to be into double figures of fish a day at this time of year.

I suspect (hope) the autumn run is just late, and that the sudden frost and drop in temperature (12 degree drop) mid week put the kibosh on any fish that were there.

[robmason]

I think you are being unrealistic about the potential of the upper tweed beats. They are never as prolific as the middle/ lower beats and double figure days are few and far between despite the numbers of rods on each. Anyway November is nearly always the best month on the upper beats and it's only 4th.