The total rod catch on the Tweed, Britain’s most prolific salmon angling river, held up during 2008
despite it being the wettest year for almost a century in parts of the catchment. Critically a month of
fishing days were “lost” by the lower beats – normally the most productive on the river – during the
prime autumn fishing period. The total rod catch of salmon and grilse was slightly below average, as had
been widely anticipated after the record catch achieved in 2007.

The total rod and line catch was 13,738 salmon and grilse, compared to a five year average (2003-
2007) of 14,704. However the spring salmon component at 2,361 was the second highest figure in 23
years. Overall the consensus amongst river managers was that there were plenty of salmon and grilse in
the system but water conditions conspired against many of the beats that traditionally catch large
numbers.

Andrew Douglas-Home, chairman of the River Tweed Commission and the Tweed Foundation,
commented: “With so many days in the main stem lost to flooding, and with the celebrated high-scoring
beats below Coldstream (and the nets) having a shocker of a season, the total rod catch of 13,738 of
salmon and grilse is entirely creditable. In fact for most parts of the system 2008 was a very memorable
year with many middle and upper river beats, as well as some tributaries including the Whiteadder and
the Teviot, reporting their best season for a decade. The Whiteadder did particularly well, catching 796,
which is almost twice its five year average”.

Mr Douglas-Home continued: “It is particularly pleasing that the many syndicates and angling clubs who
populate the tributaries and upper river not only caught significant numbers, but also good fresh fish
which in a year of drought they never see”.

The total catch by the nets was 1,451 with 366 taken in the coastal nets (compared to 423 in 2007) and
1,085 by the in-river nets (compared to 4,382 in 2007 and a five year average of 2,595). High water
levels do not favour the nets as they encourage fish to enter the river quickly and run straight up
through the lower reaches.


NOTES
1) The full report for 2008 on the Tweed is available at www.rtc.org.uk
2) The 2008 rod catch was far more evenly distributed throughout the river system than has been the case for
several years.
3) Of the spring rod catch of 2,051 salmon, 1,589 or 67 % were released.
4) The River Tweed Commission is charged under The Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed) Order 2006 with the general
preservation and increase of salmon, sea trout and trout and other freshwater fish in the River Tweed and its
tributaries. The governing body is the Commission that consists of 43 members appointed by local authorities (23
from local angling clubs and 20 from other interests) and 38 members elected by the fishery proprietors.
5) The 2007 report, “Economic impact from angling in the Tweed river system”, concluded that it is worth just under
£18 million annually to the Borders economy and directly supports 487 full-time jobs.
6) The Tweed is an exclusively wild fish fishery. There is no hatchery for fish of any kind and there is now no
stocking of any species to open waters (rivers). This has been the case for salmon for some decades now.
More information on the River Tweed Commission website.