A SWEDE has become the first angler to land the Tweedside Tackle Trophy for the second time.
Magnus Klintheim caught the first spring salmon of the season, a seven-and-a-half pound cock fish, on the Lower Floors beat on Saturday with his very first cast.
Magnus also hooked the first spring salmon of the season last year, on the same stretch of water, and is already looking forward to coming back next year to go for the hat-trick.
With less than ideal river conditions on the opening day of the season on Friday, it took a further 24 hours before a spring salmon was landed.
Nick Yonge, director of the Tweed Foundation, said the season had got off to a quiet start.
“If there was any fishing on Friday then there were no spring salmon caught, but then three fish were caught at Lower Floors on Saturday.”
He added that Friday’s opening day was largely scuppered as the river was ‘just too high’.
Magnus caught his fish on the Coachwynd pool using a Garry Dog fly with boatman Jim Smail.
He was presented with the trophy at Tweedside Tackle in Kelso on Saturday evening, along with a certificate and thermal clothing kindly donated by Patagonia.
The trophy, which will remain on show in the shop, was designed by local artist Jason Sweeney and was first awarded in 2007.
The Tweedside Decanter for the first salmon of the season from the Kelso Angling Association’s water on the Teviot is still to be claimed.