River Tweed, Kelso, Roxburghshire

DESCRIPTION
For sale for the first time in 50 years, the Junction Beat and Sprouston Beat both stand on their own merits as two of the best beats on Tweed (as the ‘River Tweed’ is referred to in the salmon angling world). In combination they represent a once in a generation opportunity to own the single most famous and one of the most productive beats of Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Europe. The names of both beats are revered by all Tweed fishermen and widely renowned amongst salmon fishermen globally.

Lying at the point of confluence between the main stem of the River Tweed and its primary tributary, the River Teviot, and overlooked from the north bank by the grand old market town of Kelso, the Junction Beat is the uppermost beat of ‘Lower Tweed’ lying just downstream of Floors Castle and the Lower Floors Beat (being at the bottom end of ‘Middle Tweed’).

Lying a short distance downstream – and separated from Junction by the Upper Hendersyde Beat – is the Sprouston Beat – a two-mile stretch of the south (right) bank of the river which lies directly opposite to the Hendersyde Beat.

In each case, the salmon and sea trout fishing
rights in perpetuity are available for sale together with use and occupation of the fishing huts, in conjunction with appropriate vehicular access and rights to repair, maintain and replace the huts.

The River Tweed
The River Tweed (or ‘Tweed’ as previously referenced) is widely regarded by salmon anglers as perhaps the world’s finest salmon fishery and, certainly, one of the loveliest rivers on which to spend time fishing.

Extending to almost 100 miles from its source near Moffat in Dumfriesshire to the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Tweed is one of the longest rivers in the British Isles. In his book, “The Great Salmon Rivers of Scotland”, first published in 1980, John Ashley Cooper describes the river as follows:

“The Tweed is different – all Tweed fishermen will know the implication and meaning of the phrase. It is not only the spell cast by this lovely river and its surroundings which enchant us, not only its historical background and its great fishing traditions, but above all and naturally, its fishing and its fish”.

The season opens on 1st February and ends on 30th November. Historically, the Tweed benefits from two main runs of salmon: the spring run from the start of the season until mid-May and the autumn run commencing in late August and continuing until the end of the season. The grilse, summer salmon and sea trout run complements the spring run and, given suitable water conditions, the fishing can be excellent in July and August.

Both beats are in the same ownership and were purchased by the current owners from the Duke of Roxburghe in the mid 1970s. Each is run as a commercial rod and line salmon fishery with the majority of fishing weeks being let to tenants – most of whom are longstanding and regular – with the owners retaining some fishing for their own and their guests’ enjoyment. The beats are offered for sale individually but simultaneously and are
therefore available to be purchased together.

In his Magnum Opus – Salmon Fishing and the Story of the River Tweed (published by Medlar Publishing in 2015) – renowned Tweed angler, William (Bill) Quarry – who has spent a lifetime fishing both Junction and Sprouston – describes the composition of the beats beautifully in a book that any existing or aspiring Tweed fishermen is recommended to own and read. Using excerpts from this excellent tome, the beat is described for the purposes of the sale as follows:

THE JUNCTION BEAT
Extending to about 1½ miles of double bank fishing with 12 named pools, the beat is fished by (and let to) up to 6 rods depending on time of season and water height.

Fishing well throughout the season – as the catch records attest – the beat is particularly renowned for both its spring salmon and its sea trout. The pools vary from fast streams to deeper holding pools and the beat fishes particularly well during the autumn when fish aiming to run the Teviot are held back in low water. Daily catches in these conditions can be truly prodigious by both historic and modern standards and are comparable with many of the most prolific Atlantic Salmon Fisheries
elsewhere in northern Europe.

The record catch on the beat for a single day was on 27 October 2003 when 52 fish were caught with the main river running at a height of 6 inches above summer level and the Teviot at 3 inches. The best sea trout catch was 32 fish on 29 August 2020 with a largest fish of 8lb.

The record catch for a single season was the
1,197 fish caught in 2010 which was marginally
ahead of the 1,043 fish caught in 2007 and there
have been five seasons since 1989 in which between 750 and 1,000 fish have been caught.
The record month was in October 2003 when
370 fish were caught at an average of 15 fish per
day. The largest fish to be caught was a fresh run springer of 34lb caught in April 2013.

With 12 pools in total (as shown and named on
the beat map included in this brochure), the most productive are Junction (also unarguably the most famous pool on the river) and Hempseedford. The beat also includes about 350 yards of double bank fishing on the River Teviot including the Jack’s Plum Pool.

The beat is fished as three sub-beats, each with a boatman – and, depending on water height – each of the pools can be fished either from the bank (with wading required in places) or by boat (with four boats in total situated throughout the beat). Fishing is primarily by fly (and indeed is fly only between 1st and 14th February and again from 15th September to 30th November) but spinning is allowed in high water conditions with a minority of fish caught by this method each season.

Whilst predominantly renowned for its salmon
fishing, the sea trout fishing at Junction is also
exceptional with fish of over 10lb in weight caught most seasons and averaging over 4lb.

Fishing Records
The catch returns for the Junction Beat for recent seasons are detailed in the sales brochure and available from the selling agents.

Fishing Hut
There is a well-appointed, timber-built fishing hut overlooking the Jack’s Plum Pool that was built in 2016 to replace a previous hut which had succumbed to a flood. Built on a more elevated setting and to a higher specification than its predecessor and with ample parking for several cars, the hut is accessed by a vehicular track leading for about 400 metres from the A699 public road, a short distance to the west of Kelso Bridge. The hut is well-suited to its purpose for providing comfort and shelter throughout the seasons and includes cold running water, kitchen facilities, gas fire, WC and a covered deck overlooking the river.

Riverbanks and Access
The subjects of sale include exclusive ownership of the salmon and sea trout fishing rights across both banks as shown on the plan within these particulars of sale. The solum of the river is owned by the sellers, with both banks being owned by the Duke of Roxburghe/Roxburghe Estates.

Vehicular access to the beat is via the track leading to the fishing hut from the A699. The pools on the lower river are accessed on foot from the public roads which run parallel to the north and south banks of the river.

Ghillies/Boatmen
Three full-time boatmen (the Tweed-specific name for those highly skilled people who are otherwise referred to as ‘ghillies’ elsewhere in Scotland) are employed on Junction to assist and guide anglers and to carry out maintenance of the riverbank, boats and hut. With over 80 years’ experience of the beat among them, the three men work together as a close-knit team with a unique extent of knowledge and experience of the beat.

All three are highly regarded by the vendors and the transfer of their employment to the purchaser under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) – or TUPE – is strongly encouraged.

Current Management/Lettings
The Junction Beat is run on a commercial basis for the purposes of letting fishing to parties of up to six rods on a weekly basis from the beginning of the season up to the end of October (with little or no fishing being let in November). Operating on a
consistently profitable basis, all letting of the beat is managed on behalf of the owners by Mark Merison of Merison Sporting –
detailed
information about the income and expenditure of the Junction Beat is available to seriously interested parties following their viewing and registration of their formal interest as a prospective purchaser.

GENERAL REMARKS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Boats, Machinery & Equipment
The boats owned by the vendors and used on both beats together with machinery and equipment used for the maintenance and repair of the fishing huts and beats plus the moveable contents of the fishing huts as owned by the vendors are available to the purchaser of each beat at a separate and additional price. Whilst modest in extent, a summarised inventory of these items is available on request from the selling agents.

River Tweed Commission
The Board has been in place for over two centuries and administers the river. Its policies have included the improved access of salmon to spawning tributaries, habitat and stock
enhancement, as well as the employment and superintending of Water Bailiffs. Among other things, the River Tweed Commission is required to manage the salmon, sea trout and other freshwater fish, regulate all fishing, remove obstacles to fish migration and prevent any illegal fishing taking place. The jurisdiction covers the River Tweed and all of its tributaries.

The River Tweed Commission is funded through the annual levy payable by each beat proprietor. Details of the annual levy payable in respect of Junction & Sprouston are contained within the income and expenditure summary which is available to seriously interested parties following a viewing.

River Tweed Protection Order
The River Tweed System is covered by a River
Protection Order. The Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed) Order 2006 consolidated and modernised the old Tweed Acts and Tweed specific fisheries legislation requires that any killing of wild Atlantic Salmon is managed according to the conservation status of the river.

A team of Bailiffs is employed to monitor the River Tweed to ensure that this is being followed as this is essential to ensure that fish populations are protected.

Environmental Designations
The entirety of the River Teed is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

SITUATION
The Junction beat occupies Lower Tweed – the stretch of river between Kelso and Coldstream comprising 13 beats which are recognised as the ‘super-prime’ beats of the Tweed system on account of their productivity and prestige. The long term catch records for the Tweed system demonstrate that the Lower Tweed beats account for over 50% of the total annual salmon and grilse catch on the entire Tweed system including its tributaries.

The majesty of this section of the river was
beautifully summarised by early 19th Century
Scottish author and Baronet, Sir Thomas Dick
Lauder as follows:

“Like a gentleman of large fortune, who has just
received accession to it, the Tweed having been
joined by Teviot leaves Kelso with a magnitude
and air of importance that it has nowhere
hitherto assumed during its course, and which
it will be found to maintain until it is swallowed
up by that grave of all rivers – the sea”.

The ancient town of Kelso lies between the two
beats on the north bank of the river overlooking
and adjoining the Junction Beat. A bustling market town with a population of just under 6,000, Kelso is known for several attractions including its 12th Century Abbey and Floors Castle – the ancestral home of the Dukes of Roxburghe, built by William Adam in 1726.

A particular feature of both the town and the
Junction Beat is Kelso Bridge, designed by John
Rennie who later – and more famously – built
London Bridge.

With a variety of local services including restaurants and hotels, the town is also home to National Hunt Racing whilst the Border Union Show and the annual point-to-points of the Jedforest, Berwickshire and Duke of Buccleuch’s Fox Hounds take place outside the town at Friarshaugh adjoining the Junction Beat. For Junction and Sprouston anglers, Fin & Game fishing tackle and outdoor clothing shop on Bridge Street is a short walk with many an angler stocking up their tackle supplies there during a week’s fishing.

In terms of wider accessibility, Berwick-upon-Tweed (from which frequent rail services to London operate) is 24 miles and about 40 minutes’ drive from each beat with both Edinburgh and Newcastle airports being 51 and 68 miles distant respectively and little more than an hour’s drive.

For accommodation, the Ednam House Hotel in Kelso is the most local and has a proud tradition of accommodating and refreshing Tweed anglers. Other favoured local options include the Collingwood Arms in Cornhill-on-Tweed and Hyatt Hotel’s SCHLOSS Roxburghe at Heiton in the Teviot valley.