River Annan District Salmon Fishery Board

07/06/2026

We were fortunate with the weather for our recent fishing trip to Selcoth with lighter winds than expected and the rain staying away...

Over the course of the session, our youth anglers learnt more about safety when fishing, the Countryside Code, and had an opportunity to improve on their fly casting skills while using various fly fishing methods and techniques on what was a difficult day of fishing.

Conditions were good, but the fish played hard to get for much of the day and although everyone managed to land at least one fish, each fish caught was hard earned.

As well as the fishing, a few of the group also completed the CAST Award Level 2 during the session with angling coach Roger Smith, with a couple also completing the CAST Award Level 1.

Or youth angling project Positivity Through Angling is funded by the Holywood Trust, angler donations through angling events, and by the UAAA.

The project is delivered by the Annan DSFB and River Annan Trust with support from volunteer instructors, coaches, local anglers and parents.

Our next session is on the river Annan Saturday 20th June with an evening session at the Johnstonebridge Centre Saturday 11th July.

For more information on our youth angling development work and a list of sessions:

https://fishannan.wordpress.com/youth-angling-in-annandale/





📸: Images of a few of the fish caught on the day with Callum landing the largest fish at 6lb 10oz.

05/06/2026

Last Sunday we hosted a Trout Workshop at the Johnstonebridge Centre along with Roger Smith (GAIA instructor and Angling Trust level 2 coach), as an event for members of the Game Angling Instructors Association.

Also attending the event were biologist Kenny Galt from Galloway Fisheries Trust to talk about river fly life, fly tyer Paul Little talking about and tying spiders for river trout, and two of our youth anglers who were there to learn more about river fly fishing for brown trout.

Despite the poor weather forecast, the rain stayed away for a fantastic morning of fly tying demos from Paul, information on fly hatches and river fly life from Kenny, and casting demonstrations and advice from Roger.

A huge thank you to Kenny and Paul for giving up their time, Roger for arranging the day with GAIA, and to everyone attending.

It was great to meet you all!

The money raised from the event goes towards our youth angling development work.

For more information on Positivity Through Angling:

https://fishannan.wordpress.com/youth-angling-in-annandale/

05/06/2026

Over the past two weeks we have been busy with school sessions at both Johnstonebridge Primary and Beattock Primary, with P5-P7 completing river fly life monitoring sites, plus crafting and pond dipping with P1-P4. This week at Langholm Primary, we were talking to the whole school in sessions about river fish and river fly life along with Galloway Fisheries Trust.

Some of the activities during our Johnstonebridge and Beattock school visits included:
• Sampling river fly life monitoring sites
• River fly life activity sheets
• Making dragonflies
• Pond dipping
• Making creeping caddis

05/06/2026

*** National Volunteer Week - June 1st - 7th***

The Annan DSFB as an organisation is very much reliant on volunteers for much of the work we deliver, and we are very fortunate to have such a dedicated team of volunteers helping with a wide range of work including:

• Youth angling development
• River fly life sampling & monitoring
• Tree planting & habitat restoration
• Invasive species control
• Fisheries enforcement
• Angling events
• School education sessions

A huge thank you to all our volunteers who give up so much of their own time to give something back to the river and the next generation...

👏👏👏

26/05/2026

We often find unusual items in the river and occasionally find the odd phone dropped by someone, or maybe washed downstream, but three phones? All found in the same bit of the river!!!

16/05/2026

Another great day of fishing for our young anglers with some really impressive fish caught during the session 🎣🎣🎣

The morning was frantic with fish on both bait and fly but as usual, the fishing slowed a bit after lunch.

Then right at the end of the day, Ewan landed an impressive fish around 8/9lb which was then dwarfed by Rowans largest ever fish at 14lb, which he hooked and landed as we were still getting photos of Ewan's fish!

Thank you to all the guys at Selcoth, the current stock of fish are incredibly hard fighting and a good challenge for our young anglers.

Already looking forward to our next session with a second group of children.

https://fishannan.wordpress.com/youth-angling-in-annandale/

16/05/2026

A very large invasive American Skunk Cabbage plant removed recently from a burn near the Moffat Water, which was an unusual place within the catchment to find one of these plants.

Not quite as smelly as they get in summer when the seed heads are fully developed, but still unpleasant!!

15/05/2026

Picture of Billy Grahams salmon caught on Newbie earlier this week...

(video posted on Wednesday)

Although salmon have been seen showing by the occasional anglers fishing on Newbie and Hoddom, with the very low river levels, most of the anglers out recently have been targeting trout rather than salmon.

Rain is expected this weekend and early next week, but it will take a considerable amount to give the river a good lift and flush out the algae that's appeared in recent weeks.

15/05/2026

On Wednesday, Tracy from Galloway Fisheries Trust came over to the Annan to provide advice on non-native invasive plant surveying and treatment to Neil Alston and Finlay Thomson from the Upper Annandale Angling Association.

This year, with assistance from the Annan DSFB, Finlay will be surveying for and treating non-native invasive plants on the upper river having completed his PA1 and PA6AW Safe Use of Pesticides course last year.

Non-native invasives known to be present on the upper river catchment include Japenese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam, and American Skunk Cabbage.

https://invasivespecies.scot/

📸: Looking at Japenese Knotweed on the upper river.

12/05/2026

Mental Heath Awareness Week 2026 is focussed on the theme "Action" to promote good mental health...

Our youth angling project 'Positivity Through Angling' is focussed on the well being and health benefits angling can bring to children in terms of being active, gaining confidence, and making new friends with a common interest.

The project is open to all children with an interest in angling, either as someone new to fishing, or those already a keen angler.

To find out more about our project and youth angling in Annandale:

https://fishannan.wordpress.com/youth-angling-in-annandale/

Youth Angling News The latest news on youth angling sessions and events in Annandale plus news on angling opportunities for junior anglers… New Funding For 2026/27 – Great news for youn…