The Border Esk
Sea Trout Fishing on the Border Esk
Although catches have declined over the
past decade or two, the Border Esk, together with its major tributary, the
River Liddle, is still one of the best sea trout rivers in southern
Scotland. Much of the available fishing on the Border Esk and Liddle,
known as the Esk and Liddle Fisheries, extending to some twenty
miles of fishing, is owned, and has been managed for many years, by
the Buccleuch Estates, with day, weekly and season permits being
made available to local and visiting anglers at reasonable cost.
From the beginning of the 2012 season, the fishing has been managed
by a new local angling club, which has secured a ten year
lease of the "association" waters from the estate. Permits are now made available to locals and to visiting anglers in
much the same way as before.
The Border Esk at Skipper's Bridge, Langholm
Sea Trout Fishing on the Border Esk and River Liddel
Best known for its sea
trout, the River Esk also has a decent run of salmon in the second
half of the season. The Esk and Liddel Fisheries beats include some
of the best fly fishing water on the middle Esk and the middle and
lower Liddel. At one time the Esk and Liddel fishery beats, regarded
as among the most productive in the country, might produce around
5000 sea trout in a season, many of them taken on the night fly
during the short summer nights of June and July, with the added
bonus, towards the end of the season, of up to 500 salmon. For
reasons that are not clear, catches of sea trout on the Border Esk,
like those of other Solway rivers, have declined in recent seasons,
with the Buccleuch Estate beats now producing somewhere between 500
and 1000 sea trout per season and around 200 salmon. Given the right
conditions, though, June and July can still provide some excellent
night fishing.
A Typical Border Esk Sea Trout, July 2019
Sea Trout Catches over Recent Years on the Border Esk
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
905 |
1059 |
1199 |
650 |
1033 |
1079 |
1111 |
The fishing on much of the Scottish part of the
river is now managed by the
Border
Esk and Liddel Angling Club, formed in 2011. Day, weekly and
season permits are available for all beats.
See also
Border Esk Fishing ;
Border Esk
Photos and
River
Liddle Photos.
View Google maps and aerial satellite views of the Border Esk
Pan the whole length of the river and zoom into
aerial views of the salmon and sea trout fishing pools
View
Larger Map
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