A guide to legal restrictions and good practice when fishing on Tweed and its tributaries

(Revised 2004)

As more and more people fish for salmon, as the many environmental pressures on salmon increase, and as exploitation continues to make high demands on wild stocks, it becomes more and more important for the salmon angler to set a good example in standards of sportsmanship and in care for wild stocks, the environment, wildlife and fellow anglers.

The purpose of this code is to encourage such standards and to avoid behaviour which may bring the sport into disrepute.

This Code consists of two sections:

In addition there are advisory notes on handling fish and on general conduct.

owners, managers, associations and clubs should ensure that the principles of this code are applied to the beat and are expected to withdraw permission to fish from those who contravene sections A and B.

Section A.: The Law

Legal regulations contained in statute, a breach of which could lead to criminal proceedings.

1. The season starts on 1st February and ends on 30th November.
2. There is no fishing on Sundays.
3. Before February 15th and after September 14th fishing is with fly only.
4. It is illegal to sell any fish which has been caught before February 15 or after September 14, even if months have elapsed and it has been stored by freezing or smoking. In Scotland, it is illegal to sell Rod caught fish at any time of year.
5. It is illegal to fish without written permission from the beat's owner or his representative.
6. It is illegal to use prawns or shrimps throughout the catchment and throughout the year.
7. It is illegal to use worms and alerts with multiple hooks at any time of year on the whole of the Ettrick and Yarrow and to their tributaries; the whole of the main stem of the River Tweed downstream from the old road bridge crossing above the confluence with the River Ettrick to the coastal limits of the district of the Commissioners; and the lower reaches of the principal tributaries downstream of the confluence with the River Ettrick as follows: on the Gala Water, downstream from the Boleside road bridge; on the Leader Water, downstream from the Leaderfoot Bridge; on the Teviot, downstream from Kelso to St Boswells road bridge; on the Till, downstream from theTwizel Cauld; and on the Whiteadder, downstream from the Newmills Cauld.
8. It is illegal to attempt deliberately to foul hook fish.
9. It is illegal to use gaffs before May 1st or after September 14th.
10. It is illegal to kill kelts, smolts and parr.
11. It is illegal to take unclean or unseasonable fish which includes baggots, kippers, and fish about to spawn or in the process of spawning.
12. It is illegal to buy or sell wild salmon roe or to fish with any form of salmon roe.

Section B.: Tweed Rules

Regulations which the Commissioners expect beat owners to impose.

1. Rod caught salmon should not be sold anywhere or any time of the year.
2. Artificial prawns or shrimps should not be used.
3. Gaffs should not be used at any time of year.
4. All foul hooked fish (i.e.. Those not hooked in or around the mouth) should be returned.
5. In order to help prevent deliberate foul hooking, the following fly fishing rules have been agreed (Rules (e) and (f) do not apply when fishing with a floating line and small fly.):-

   a) Maximum cast / leader breaking strain - 25lbs.

   b) Hooks or tubes should be properly dressed i.e.. With colour do badly and a reasonable quantity of hair/fur/feather in proportion to the hook size - not a bare treble with a few feathers tied on. Apart from the hook and/or tube and any tinsel ribbing, the fly should not include metal.

c) Maximum tube trouble size - No. 4.

d) No lead weights or swivels or other items which can be used as a weight.

e) Casts should be made downstream of square.

f) No retrieve, other than slow and lining or reeling in to be made until the cast has been fished out.

g) Continue to move steadily through the pool, normally at a rate of one metre between casts.

h) Anglers to remain at least 20 metres apart.

6. The Tweed Spring Salmon Conservation Measures should be applied in those areas and at those times specified in the following section.
7. Gyrodactylus salaris: to minimise the risk of spreading this parasite to Scotland, it is imperative that you clean and treat equipment before fishing on Tweed in one of the following ways if you have fished outside Britain and Ireland in the preceding three months:

a) Dry at a minimum temperature of 20° C. for at least two days.

b) Heat for at least one hour at a temperature above 60° C.

c) in those in a suitable solution. Vikron (at 1% solution); Wescodyne (at 1%); a 3% solution of common salt (Sodium Chloride) or a 0.2% solution of Sodium Hydroxide.

d) Deep freeze for at least one day.

The Gyrodactylus Declaration Form can be downloaded for the RTCs website:

www.rtc.org.uk/downloads/declaration.pdf

Three measures apply from 1st February to 30th June on the whole of the Ettrick and Yarrow, the main stem of Tweed below Ettrickmouth and the lower reaches of the tributaries downstream of the Ettrick. (See Section A.7 for full description).

1. Outside the period of the spring salmon conservation measures there are limits, but anglers are expected to keep only fish which they can sensibly make use of.
2. Fish to be retained should be promptly and efficiently dispatched with an appropriate priest.
3. Fish to be returned should be released as quickly as possible, the hook being removed with suitable forceps. Such fish should be handled as little as possible and returned carefully into running water fishing upstream.
4. Ripe/darkly coloured fish, particularly hens, are not suitable feeding fresh or for smoking and should be returned. It is not possible to lay down precise criteria for determining what is a keepable fish. Common sense and a discretion should be used, taking into account all the circumstances; for example a fish which was the anglers first fish or his only fish of the week might be considered keepable whereas a fish in the same condition should be returned when fresh fish are plentiful. If in doubt, please put it back!

The River Tweed Commissioners expect all proprietors to implement the rules in section B. and to withdraw permission to fish from those who break them.

The rules have been carefully drafted to ensure their effectiveness whilst minimising any disruption to the legitimate fishermen. We hope that the latter will understand the need for action and accept any inconvenience to them as their part in ensuring that the Tweed as a whole is sensibly fished.

The statutory responsibility for enforcement of Tweed Law, as set out in section a, has been invested in the River Tweed Commissioners by Parliament and is implemented by their bailiffs who have powers to prosecute offenders.

Angling as a sport and recreation can be easily disrupted by external interference. Water space is in great demand, both from anglers and other activities, and are therefore its enjoyment has to be shared. The following points should be observed by every angler.

The Commissioners would like to thank the salmon and Kota association for permission to include some items from their own Angling code, which is recommended as an excellent general code.

River Tweed Commissioners

The North Court, Drygrange Steading, Melrose, Roxburghshire, TD6 9DJ

Tel: Ealston (01896) 848294. Fax: )01896) 848277

Email: info@rtc.org.uk Web: www.rtc.org.uk

Established by Act of Parliament to protect the salmon & trout stocks of the Tweed river system.