Tweed

[stoater]

Sounds quite a hike after one good year that does. All Buccleugh Estates water is good, and private, but it must be remembered a majority of Ettrick autumn-running fish are in fact summer salmon and grilse that have slowly progressed up Tweed, and are hence best returned. Consistent autumn rain will though pull up fresh late fish within 48hrs of leaving the sea, but not that many. 3 salmon of 40-50lb each have been photographed running Philliphaugh Cauld in the last 2 autumns.
My favourite Ettrick water is the first 2 miles above the Meetings at Boleside/Sunderland Hall. TAS has a 2 rod beat in this area(above Lindean Bridge) that is wonderful value. I love it there in May and early June with 12"+ of water. The springers hold their condition longer and are a great prize, even on camera. In 2003 I even caught a 12lb fish with a solitary long-tailed sea louse attached in May- 45miles inland- a truly satisfying catch. Incidentally by pure fluke, on the same day, I caught a wild 5lb4oz brown trout on the Stoat, but that was a truly rough and menacing looking old brute.
One good thing, it seems year-on-year the Ettrick is doing very sustainably with the help that is afforded to it by the Tweed Foundation. Let's hope it stays like that, and crayfish,gyd.salaris etc. don't intervene. That would be tragic.

[stoater]

Looks like all quiet on the Border front.
Can anyone enlighten us on why and how Tweed became a "Scots" river? Was it always thus?
It does indeed make sense to have the River under one sides' Law now, I reckon.
I love to visit and investigate the Castles, and natural crossing points, that indicate what a seriously important area this was to our forefathers.
One book I have describes post-Roman Monks having major catches of fish right up by Melrose, Mertoun beats in fact.
Do any Forum members have any bygone literature, or interesting snippets?

[elwyman]

Shame the Romans didn't build Hadrians Wall about 70 miles further north, then the Tweed and the Solway rivers would be in England. ;D

Having said that, the Scottish river boards seem to be doing a much better job than their EA counterparts, so perhaps hadrian got it right.

Saw a fishing programme about Tweed recently (Geoffrey Palmer/Rae Borras) set at Dryburgh. Lovely looking beat, and Rae was explaining how the monks at Dryburgh abbey had built a mill stream across the loop in a bend of the river. I think the monks kept live salmon in the mill stream all year round, and caught them when needed for food.

Yes, the borders are full of history, much of it very violent, much like the England/Scotland football internationals back in the 70s!

[tyneandrew]

Is that Whiteadder 9lb sea trout in T&S this month really 9lb's???

[elwyman]

It looks similar in size to the 9lb 5oz Wear sea trout in the photo underneath it!

[tyneandrew]

Fish always look small in photos.

I can maybe squeeze 9lbs out of the Wear fish (have a good close look at it)

But can't get much more than 5/6lbs from the other...

[salmonking]

Doesn't look 9lbs to me ,but ill tell you what...its a good clean sea trout for that time of year on whiteadder,they are normally well coloured up by nov....a strange year was 06.

[elwyman]

tyneandrew said:

Fish always look small in photos.

I can maybe squeeze 9lbs out of the Wear fish (have a good close look at it)

But can't get much more than 5/6lbs from the other...

I think photos can be very deceptive. If you look at the bottom photo of the 11b Pitsford brownie, it looks enormous in comparison with the 2 sea trout. What a tail!

[tyneandrew]

Very deceptive - i agree.

I'm sick of seeing that advert p.106 with all those small dead trout lined up on a rock

[stoater]

???tend to agree with Tyneandrew. Slim too, unlike the Wear fish. That Pitsford Brownie looks far nicer than both, almost makes me want to try stillwater flyfishing again!
There is definitely something in the global warming theory. Springers in Nov, kelts in June, and vice-versa.
It's always good to catch something though and if it makes someone proud that is all the better.

[elwyman]

Got confirmation of booking from Fishtweed yesterday for 3 days on Ashiestiel in early Novemeber. Only 10 months to go! ;D

It's been an expensive January - spring fishing, autumn fishing, club subs, and still some early autumn fishing to sort out.

Fishing used to be a relatively cheap hobby for me, until I took up the double hander!

[elwyman]

I see some rod vacancies for autumn are now starting to appear on fishtweed.

[Yorkshire Esk]

Fishtweed seem to have got most of the beats listed on the website now for availability

[elwyman]

Was tempted to have a "cheap" day or two in Feb/March, but looking at the prices and the 5 year averages, I think I'll save my money and go and blank on the Welsh Dee instead! ;D

Having said that, I hear Dryburgh North is a nice beat - anybody fished it?

[Yorkshire Esk]

I have fished the Dryburgh beat(top beat) on a couple of occassions. Nice beat, good fly water if that is what you are looking for, also good for spinning too.
George the Ghillie certainly knows his stuff about fishing, most helpful, good company and will do his upmost for you to catch a fish.
Have only seen the pools on the lower end, still very nice pools.