To know of the Junction Beat of the River Tweed is to know of its magnificence. Without a doubt one of the finest Atlantic salmon beats in the whole of the UK, those who have been lucky enough to fish there speak of its wondrous waters — one acquaintance tells a tale of how, each autumn, the Junction table at the Ednam House Hotel in autumn would be heaving with stars of the sporting and media world.
It is now for sale, through agents Strutt & Parker, for £2.8 million. The beat, which comprises 1.5 miles of double-bank fishing for six rods, has been in the hands of the current owners since the 1970s, when it was purchased from the Duke of Roxburghe. While no longer reaching the highs of 1,000+ fish at the beginning of the century, the beat still holds its head up despite the decline of Scottish salmon stocks in recent years, with a five-year-average of 480 salmon and 77 sea trout each year.
The Ednam House Hotel, the hottest ticket in town for celebrity anglers in the autumn
Salmon fishing on the Tweed dates back to the 12th century, when the monks of Melrose Abbey were granted a charter by King Malcolm IV in 1156 to construct a dam for trapping salmon. This early recognition of the river’s significance set the foundation for its status as one of the world’s best salmon rivers. In the words of John Ashley Cooper: ‘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.’
Along with the Junction, the Sprouston Beat is also available with Strutt & Parker, for a guide price of £2.65 million. The beats are not adjoined, so are being sold separately, despite having the same owner. Sprouston offers a fraction under two miles of single-bank fishing, with a reciprocal agreement for the other bank.
‘Once every few years, a sale comes to the market that really stands out, and this is one of them,’ says Robert McCulloch, head of Strutt & Parker’s Agency team in Scotland. ‘Junction is the best-known and most prestigious beat in the salmon fishing world and, whilst less well-known, Sprouston is many Tweed anglers’ favourite due to its combination of privacy and productivity.’
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