It's rare to hear a positive story about salmon these days, but fish counters on one of the UK’s most iconic game rivers have just recorded the second highest number of them on record.
Scotland’s River Tweed is a globally-famous fishery, but like so many other rivers in Britain, salmon catches have plummeted alarmingly over recent decades.
However, hi-tech scanners and cameras on a weir at Gala Water, a Tweed tributary, have recorded 2,168 salmon. That’s well above the average of 1,363 since records began in 2000.
Additionally, 890 were counted on the Whiteadder, another Tweed tributary, which is also well above the 628 norm.
“It’s great news, and the cameras installed are also useful for monitoring fungal infections in salmon,” said Will Draper, head of FishPal.
“With increasing activity and stable water levels, the Tweed continues to offer great opportunity for those looking to land their first spring salmon of the year.”
