Salmon Fishing on the River Tweed

With fishing seasons on rivers across the UK coming to a close, is it good to know that probably the best place to catch a Salmon in the UK is still open until the 30th November.

The River Tweed is known all over the world for its salmon fishing and autumn 2013 looks like being one of the best for a number of years.  September’s figures are showing that catch numbers have been nearly double the amount of the average catch numbers from over the past 5 years!

The River Tweed is located on the Scottish Borders and is historically known as the boundary between England and Scotland. At 97 miles long, there are numerous beats to visit with varying levels of access so it is highly recommended to carry out a good amount of research before you plan your trip. Once you have decided on a suitable location, availability and booking fees can be found here.

There are many resources online where you can find information on what the best tackle to use on the Tweed is, but here are a few pointers and recommendations from us that may give you a helping hand whilst preparing your kit:

Fly Rod – We would suggest a 15ft carbon fibre rod with a double taper 10 or 11 line being the ideal choice of rod but anything between 14ft and 16ft would be fine. The  15ft John Norris Atlantic Double Handed Fly Rod is an excellent choice at a very good price.

Fly Line – It would be wise to take as many of your lines with you when fishing the Tweed but double tapered lines are generally preferred due to their spey and roll casting ability. It is also important to mention that very fast sinking lines and shooting heads are currently against regulations for the Tweed due to some misuse foul hooking fish. We stock many different brands of fly fishing lines at competitive prices all of which can be found on our site or in our latest catalogue.

Flies – This comes somewhat down to personal preference with each one of us having different degrees of success with certain flies than others. In the autumn months it is said that 2” overall flies work well with Salmon Waddingtons and medium weight tubes proving popular. If possible it is well worth your while talking to local fisherman or other experienced Tweed fisherman before you decide on what you pack in your fly box.

So make the most of the rest and no doubt the best period of this year’s salmon fishing season by booking a trip to the River Tweed and catch some of the biggest salmon on offer here in the UK.