Five year average: [429] salmon/grilse
and {53} sea trout
2 miles double bank, 9 pools
5-7 rods, 1 ghillie, 2 boats
Price range: £40 - £410 +vat per rod/day
Click for Full Location Map
Click for Full Location Map
Boleside has long been regarded as one of the best Tweed beats, and is different from the other top beats, in that it is by far the furthest up the river. The beat's position, just below the meeting of the Tweed with the Ettrick water, accounts for much of its success. Spring fish going to the Ettrick and autumn fish heading for the Upper Tweed all have to wait at Boleside until there is enough water for them to continue. Hence the beat does well in early summer as well as in the autumn. There is also a very useful run of sea trout in the summer months.

The beat is two miles long which, rarely for Tweed, is double bank the whole way. There are two boats provided and there is good access by car to the hut and to most of the ten pools. In the autumn period (after 17th September) two gillies are employed and seven rods are let. Each fishes a sub beat rotating each midday and evening.

Until 16th September, only one gillie is employed and only five rods are let. They are rotated on the same am/pm basis but the two bottom beats are run together, as also are the two next upstream beats (hence making five beats in all).

In 2003 the beat changed hands. The new owners have already carried out a number of improvements and they intend to continue raising standards wherever possible.
 
SALMON CATCHES

  Year '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 Average  
  February 6 6 11 3 2 5.6  
  March 8 12 8 7 7 8.4  
  April 0 12 16 10 12 10.0  
  May 25 18 36 14 48 28.2  
  June 30 30 34 10 11 23.0  
  July 4 14 1 5 12 7.2  
  August 2 28 10 15 30 17.0  
  September 30 83 39 52 82 57.2  
  October 120 89 118 170 105 120.4  
  November 118 163 209 157 114 152.2  
  Total 343 455 482 443 423 429.2  

SEA TROUT CATCHES

  Year '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 Average  
  February 0 0 0 1 0 0.2  
  March 0 0 1 0 0 0.2  
  April 0 0 0 0 0 0.0  
  May 1 0 0 1 3 1.0  
  June 2 3 0 4 3 2.4  
  July 8 7 1 6 12 6.8  
  August 14 9 2 23 14 12.4  
  September 10 1 2 20 6 7.8  
  October 14 4 13 24 2 11.4  
  November 5 8 20 18 5 11.2  
  Total 54 32 39 97 45 53.4  



 © - James Leeming