Netting at Paxton

Netting at Paxton 

Netting for Salmon was once prolific on the River Tweed.  Only 100 years ago, there were over 80 commercial netting stations strung out along the length of the main river.  However, with its economic value tailing off prior to the war and then many of the netting rights being bought by the RTC in 1987, netting diminished and is no longer a common practice on the Tweed.  There are now only two operational netting stations on the river, one of which is Paxton.

Paxton was one of the last commercial fisheries on the river, when, in 2015, the Tweed Foundation formed a partnership with both Paxton House and the Purvis family to run the fishery solely for conservation purposes.  Now, any Salmon caught in the nets are tagged, measured and recorded before being returned to the river to continue their journey upstream. 

The opportunity to sample returning adult Salmon and Sea Trout through netting at Paxton is one that is quite unique.   It has become an invaluable resource, helping us to monitor the health of the Tweed's returning Salmon and Sea Trout stocks and the information we gain from the sampling is integral in informing the best management practices for their respective fisheries on the river - read more.