River Tweed News

02/11/2026

The TweedStart Ambassadors enjoyed some quality time on the water recently with a mix of grayling fishing on the Tweed and stillwater trout fishing at Kailzie. The first grayling day didn’t start too well due to a rapidly rising river, but a swift move from Dawyck Estate downstream to Kailzie afforded Luke and Alexander a couple of hours learning tight-line nymphing techniques before the spate reached Peebles.

Refuge was sought at Kailzie Fishery as high winds and another torrential downpour swept down the valley but when the storm clouds cleared there were plenty of trout active on the pond and some fine dry fly sport allowed the day to end on a well-earned high.    
On the second grayling day however conditions were much more favourable on the river at Kaizlie and some of the younger Ambassadors were rewarded for their efforts, all landing ladies of the stream. In the morning Cameron and Ethan picked up euro nymphing incredibly quickly. Cameron was first off the mark with an out of season trout and then a modest grayling. Then, just as he was about to give up on it, Ethan persevered and in the last ten minutes of the session managed to hook and land a stunning 2 1/4lb grayling.  A fantastic effort.

In the afternoon Hamish and Oscar also did incredibly well, both catching on the nymphs and Oscar got broken by real lump of a grayling before the river started to rise again.  Once again there was plenty of dry fly action on the Kailzie pond so the Ambassadors were able to mix things up and were kept on their toes matching the hatch and presenting flies well enough to fool the cruising rainbow trout.

Big shout out to Connor Newcombe Kailzie Fishery for his generosity in hosting our young Ambassadors again.

LEP # Federation of Borders Angling Associations # VardyFoundation # GeorgeCrawfordLegacyTrust # FishPal

28/10/2026

👀 October Tweed Foundation volunteer newsletter out now

https://rivertweed.org.uk/newsletter/tweed-foundation-volunteer-newsletter-october-2026/

26/10/2026

It was a very special day for TweedStart Ambassador Alexander recently. Thanks to the generosity of Old Melrose Estate he enjoyed a fantastic day of salmon fishing. Alexander showed once again how much of a natural he is at fly-fishing and was suitably rewarded for his double spey casting skills. He managed to catch a trout and a sea trout before going on to land his first ever salmon.

The magic happened in the last hour as he fished down through the productive Leader Rocks pool. Still only 15 years old, Alex is a shining example of what can be achieved with commitment and application. After hooking a salmon that didn’t stick last Autumn at Old Melrose it is also testament to his perseverance. This is a young man with a very bright future on the river.

# tweedstart # tweedvalley # flyfishing # borderslep # scottishborders

23/10/2026

The sun shone all day at for only the second ever TweedStart Girls Day recently, weather to perfectly match the enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge of 16 girls from Berwickshire High School. It was an absolute pleasure to teach such an engaged and eager to learn group.

The pupils were split into two parties, one sampling and identifying invertebrates from the fishery and learning how to tie flies, and the other learning overhead casts before fly-fishing on the Chatton ponds. The two groups swapped activities after lunch. Every single participant gave it their all and there are no doubt some TweedStart Ambassadors in the making.

The bright overhead conditions didn’t make for easy fishing, but lots of learning was enjoyed and although no fish were landed some trout were hooked on the dry fly, with several other close calls! The hardest part of the day was having to call time and stop everyone fishing. A top-class effort all round and a special mention to Chatton Trout Fishery for their generosity, to Head of Faculty Miss Grant, and to Norrie Tait and Alex Johnston for their invaluable help on the day. 

# BordersLEP # VardyFoundation # Federation of Borders Angling Associations # GeorgeCrawfordLegacyTrust # FishPal

06/10/2026

30/09/2026

📰 Check your inboxes. The September Tweed Foundation volunteer newsletter has gone out!

Not subscribed? You can read and subscribe by following this link https://rivertweed.org.uk/newsletter/tweed-foundation-volunteer-newsletter-sep-2026/

🙏 Funding for the volunteer Guardians of the Tweed programme is kindly provided by the Tweed Foundation and Fallago Environment Fund

29/09/2026

26/09/2026

As part of World Rivers Day, Tweed Forum are looking forward to a busy planting season ahead!

Our Riverwoods Project Officer Jane has been working in partnership with The River Tweed Commission to identify areas along our streams and rivers which would benefit from tree planting.

From willow staking unstable river banks to planting exposed upland burns prone to thermal stress, each tree planted will help to protect and enhance our rivers, ensuring they are able to support a wide range of native flora and fauna.



River Tweed News Scottish Wildlife Trust

22/09/2026

A major river restoration project has restored fish passage through Ettrick Marshes, one of the UK's finest examples of floodplain forest, delivering benefits for Atlantic salmon, biodiversity and the wider River Tweed catchment.

Led by the River Tweed Commission, the project addressed a barrier to fish migration that had developed over several years within the upper River Ettrick.

Investigations found that approximately 300–400 metres of the original river channel had become blocked by an estimated 10,000 tonnes of gravel and woody material, restricting the movement of migratory fish and their access to important upstream spawning and nursery habitat.

Ettrick Marshes comprises approximately 53 hectares of wetland and is an important area of floodplain forest within the River Tweed catchment.

Jamie Stewart, Clerk to the River Tweed Commission, said:

“The restoration of fish passage at Ettrick Marshes is a significant achievement for the River Tweed catchment. The scale of the blockage was considerable, reducing access to important upstream habitat for migratory fish.

“This project demonstrates what can be achieved through effective partnership working to find a practical solution that benefits both the river and the people who live and work alongside it. Restoring connectivity is particularly important for Atlantic salmon, and we will continue to monitor the site to understand the long-term benefits of the work.”

Community involvement was important from the outset. The issue first came to attention following a local councillor attempting to kayak through the marshes, which prompted investigation into changes of the river channel.

The restoration project was delivered through partnership working involving the River Tweed Commission, Scottish Borders Council, NatureScot, SEPA, the Tweed Foundation, Lord Napier, the Ettrick and Yarrow Community Development Company, local landowners and community representatives.

The Ettrick Marshes restoration project has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the Scottish Land & Estates Helping It Happen Awards, recognising the partnership approach behind the project.

21/09/2026

🧪 Volunteers have been busy over the past few days taking part in the Great UK WaterBlitz and the Big River Watch, both within the Tweed Catchment, but also nationally. Today Tweed Foundation volunteer coordinator teamed up with Connecting Threads: Tweed River Culture artists in residence to complete surveys on the Leader Water.

🌐 You can see water chemistry results as they come in on the Freshwater Watch website (https://www.freshwaterwatch.org/pages/great-uk-waterblitz-results), with more on their way. Most results across the Tweed catchment have indicated the waterbodies to be of very good ecological status with some being classed as moderate due to elevated nitrates, and in some cases also phosphates. A couple sites have indicated poor ecological status, one of which is also being monitored by Guardians of the Tweed riverfly monitors. All these results provide valuable data for river health within the catchment and across the country.

📱 You have until 24 September to take part in the Big River Watch. Just download the free Big River Watch app, spend 15 minutes watching the river, and answer a few questions. You can also watch the results flowing in on The Rivers Trust's website https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch