Salmon Fishing at Braelangwell Lodge, Scotland
Due to a bereavement this week was unlet.
Despite the forecasters predictions for rain the river peaked at minus three and it went to munus 9 on a couple of occasions. Despite this we managed 2 salmon, 5 grilse and 14 sea trout for the week. The sea trout were all caught between 10.30pm and midnight. All bar one of the salmon/grilse were carrying long tail lice and were in excellent condition.
The Hodgson party caught 2 salmon and 3 grilse for their week. The river was running at between 9 inches and minus 9 so we’d have hoped to have caught a few more.
The localised heavy showers are keeping the river from getting to low and the gauge is still showing minus 7. One grilse was caught yesterdy from Burnmouth.
We had showers all week that kept the river runnung at between munus 6 and minus 9. The Miller party caught 1 grilse in the Morail whilst fishing for sea trout and also 10 seatrout for their week.
Despite the forecasters promised rain we have just had a small rise here and there. 1 grilse was caught on Monday night after dinner then last night, after dinner Paddy Miller had 5 sea trout and a brown trout.
The Sykes party have had the best week of the season so far with 20 salmon/grilse and 7 sea trout in the book. Top rods were Jonathan Sykes and Jaimie Corke with 5 each, Jonathan caught the biggest at 15lb from Millers. There was only the one grilse on Saturday which was caught by Liliana from the neck of the Morail after dinner.
All the fish were returned.
Friday saw minus 5 dropping to minus 8 with a water temp doen to 51f. 4 salmon, 3 grilse and 2 sea trout were caught. Jonathan Sykes had a 15lber from Millers, Jaimie Corke had 2 grilse from the Washerwoman and 1 from the Morail on his 60th birthday too. Andy MacInnes had a salmon from Charlie’s and a grilse from Gardners run. He also lost a 20lb plus fish from Keepers run after an hours fight. Jim Arkell caught a 10lber from the Morail. We are now on 19 salmon/grilse for the week plus 6 sea trout.
We had an average spring at Braelangwell. The weather was cold but not bitterly cold. Because of this the fish were not quick to come upstream from the bottom beats.We had a brief warm spell mid April and on the 14th Peter Crawfurd, who knows the river well, caught the first two salmon off the top beat, one in Keepers and one in Smooth. It was the 23rd of May before we caught another fish on the top beat, from Otter of all places !!
The biggest fish of the spring was 17lb, caught by Jon Dearing from the Shepherds. There was a distinct lack of multi sea winter fish this year. Maybe they are just late…..
Gerald Franklin caught the first fish of the season from the Washerwoman on the 15th of March. We ended up with three for March, 17 for April and 37 for May with an average weight of just under 9lb. Top rod for the spring was Jonty Goodchild with 8 to his rod. The best week was Jonty’s with 19 salmon in the book.
Every fish that was caught was successfully returned. Now that we try and return the salmon as quickly as possible, one thing Finlay gets asked when a salmon gets away without been in the net is “what counts as being caught” is it touching the nylon, touching the fish etc but the best one this year has to be, “does it count because he touched it with his face as he fell in on top of it whilst netting it”? !!!!! 
We caught 2 salmon yesterday, 1 in the Neck of the Morail at 12lb and 1 in the Washerwoman on a Collie. We had 1 on Thursday taking us to 16 salmon for the week so far.
River basin management planning is about protecting and improving Scotland’s water environment in a way that balances costs and benefits to the environment, society and economy. The new edition of the Scotland river basin plan is now available.
Much of the water environment in Scotland is already in good condition. The water bodies and protected areas that are not in good condition are affected by impacts on their water quality, physical condition, water flows and levels, and accessibility for fish migration, or by the impact of invasive non-native species on their aquatic plant and animal communities.
The river basin management plans for the Scotland and the cross-border Solway Tweed river basin districts, set out the measures required to address these impacts and meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive.
The River Basin Management Plan for the Scotland River Basin District 2015-2027
