Tom Davies Lower Birgham
This month, Tom Davies, Head Ghillie on the Lower Birgham beat of the River Tweed sits in the hot seat and faces the Ghillies’s 10!
1. SSFS: What is the biggest salmon you have ever caught?
TD: A nineteen pounder from the Lower Birgham beat of the River Tweed.
2. SSFS: What is the most memorable salmon you have ever caught?
TD: I was fishing in Ireland on the River Blackwater in Co Cork. I was casting well and pleased with some tight loops when I got carried away and made a horrendous cast. The fly line got tangled around the tip of the rod and fell in a heap into the water. Not good! All of a sudden, I looked up to see my line was heading upstream and tightening to my rod tip. It was a ten-pound sea liced salmon, which I duly landed!
3. SSFS: What is your favourite fly?
TD: A black and yellow cone head tied with Arctic fox.
4. SSFS: What is your favourite salmon pool?
TD: A bit biased I know, but the Bell Rock pool on Lower Birgham!
5. SSFS: If there was one place in the world you could salmon fish, where would it be and why?
TD: Salmon fishing in Norway, because some of the salmon are colossal in size.
6. SSFS: What is the most unusual sight you have ever seen on the river?
TD: This is carefully censored...I was fishing on Vancouver Island in Canada with some friends. We were walking down the banks of the Quinsom River, keen to get to get to a particular pool located on a bend in the river. When we got to the pool, we pushed our way through the undergrowth and branches on the path to be confronted by a "lady of the night" on a morning job with a client. She was sat on a rock, legs akimbo shaving her beaver....not somethimg you expect to see on a salmon pool, regardless of being in Canada! Needless to say we moved downstream rapidly to fish another pool!
7. SSFS: What are the worst conditions in which you have seen a salmon being caught?
TD: It was 4ft 6 after a summer flood on Lower Birgham and the water was chocolate. I was told by my guests that I was allowed to fish. Not the greatest offer, I thought. I went out first thing and caught a sea trout. By the end of the morning, I ended up with two salmon and a further sea trout, all caught on an orange Rapala.
8. SSFS: What do you love about being a ghillie?
TD: It makes me feel very proud to be in a position where I can assist and make someone’s first or last ever salmon a memorable experience.
9. SSFS: What is your salmon fishing pet hate?
TD: When people say “You are never going to catch a fish if your fly is not in the water.”
10. SSFS: What is your favourite fishing dram?
TD: We are not allowed to drink while on duty… but a sloe gin does
go down well!
The Lower Birgham beat is situated between Kelso and Coldstream. For a video of the beat and contact details have a look at our “Meet the beat” feature on the website.