In addition to my courses, I sometimes have fishing available separately but sadly no longer own or operate Upper Caberston on Tweed. For more details about the beat and to book with John Miller the new owner please go to www.uppercaberston.com

Upper Caberston, River Tweed

Upper Caberston is located in the beautiful upper Tweed Valley in the Borders of Scotland. The Beat consists of approximately a mile and a third of double bank fishing winding its way from Traquair Water at the upper limit, right down to the Bridge at Walkerburn. The Beat is fished by 6 rods rotating in pairs around 9 named pools including the (in)famous Cauld Pool where, in the years before the dyke was breached, the poachers could snitch Salmon out of the Salmon ladders using that well known fly the Walkerburn Angel.

All the fishing is either from the bank or by easy wading with good access. Though there are a few spring fish and a summer run of Sea Trout, the prime Salmon fishing months are Late September, October and November when the main run of autumn fish runs the upper Tweed and given water spectacular sport is possible.

Significantly this area is often fishing at its best when many of the lower beats are washed off. There is a good fishing hut, with kitchen and WC and an excellent Ghillie, Steve Dickson. Steve works part time off season but full time during October and November.

Spring & summer – The beat is let either by the week for salmon, sea-trout and brown trout, with the full use of the hut and the part time assistance of the ghillie, or as last minute day rods on the un-let weeks without the hut or ghillie.

September, October & November Lets - Rods are let in 3-day periods of Mon-Wed and Thurs-Sat.

The pools from the top down are as follows:

Island pool - This is a running pool opposite the upper Island which consists of a rapid with two shelves that form brief stopping points between the Bishops and Traquair water. It is best fished from the Island side.

The Bishops - This is a long stretch of lovely fly water enhanced by two small croys. It takes a lot of our fish and though Bishops tends to work best from the left bank, particularly in high water, it fishes in lower water from both sides.

The Clure - Otherwise sometimes called the bus stop due to the post that sticks out from the lower left bank, this is really the fast deep channel that eventually runs round the corner and into the Gooselandale. The Clure works best from the right bank.

The Gooselandale - This is the slower deep holding pool above what is left of the old weir. With our removal of the old croys that were channeling the flow over to the right bank, this is now one of the best high water pools on the entire upper tweed. In fact on two days in 2005 we took the only fish from the tweed from this pool, proving that it is never too coloured to catch if you are the right place. It fishes from the left bank in high water and from both banks in low water.

The Cauld Hole - This is the weir pool, greatly improved by the big flood in January 2005. Fish stop here before running the weir. Not easy to fish, with numerous back eddies and opposite flowing currents it still takes a number of fish each season from both sides.

The Upper and Lower Runners - Two pools with a gravel bar dividing them that start opposite what in high water is our lower island. The upper fishes best from the right bank and the Lower Runner from the left.

Weavers - A long, fast run, with a deeper channel against the left bank and numerous lies along its entire length, from the hut down almost to the rugby field opposite the village. Lovely fly water all the way and a consistent fish taker at low water levels.

Shaws - On all the old maps this was a separate pool that became part of Weavers when one of my predecessors installed four croys to speed up the flow. In the summer of 2005 we removed the croys and reinstated this as it once was, a fantastic high water deep holding pool which fishes from both sides but is better from the right bank.

The Bridge Pool - The last of our pools, which runs down to the Iron bridge in Walkerburn. Beautifully improved for us by the big flood in January 2005. This is the quintessential salmon pool, a fast run in to a deep holding corner where the Walker Burn itself comes in, then a long smooth holding section, spilling into the classic V tale and a long rapid below it. The Bridge pool works at every height and from both sides but is more easily fished from the left bank.