River Tweed film Festival 2024

Rae Borras is right at home in this episode of The Game Fishers Diary, as he heads north to his cottage on the banks of the River Tweed to fish the autumn run of Atlantic Salmon. This yearly getaway is a real privilege for Rae, situated casting distance from the bank. As Salmon anglers around the UK will tell you, it just doesn’t get any better than the hallowed Tweed when it comes to Salmon. It’s the most desirable week of the year, the first of October, and despite rising water, the Salmon are present in massive numbers. Top gillie Dougie Tate has no problem putting Rae onto the fish, and he enjoys a session anyone would aspire to have.

The River Tweed, perhaps Scotland's most majestic river, here set against the backdrop of Floors Castle estate, Paul fishes with his grace, the Duke of Roxburgh on the Floors beat. Then he meets up with Jim Miller to fish the world famous Junction Pool in the heart of Kelso, a memorable day, as Paul hooks his personal best salmon on the fly at 20lbs.

In this instalment of Hookè, a group of the best fly fisherman from around the world go chasing big Atlantic Salmon on the Hunt River in Labrador, Canada. At the invitation of Loop Tackle, Charles, Alexis and Fred join owner Chris Verbiski on his beautiful Hunt River Lodge. We learn from Chris and his team of conservationist scientists about the revitalisation of the river, the success story of its catch and release programme, and the significance of the Atlantic Salmon species. Moving up the shallow, clear pools, the anglers experiment with the exciting new technique of Salmon dry fly fishing in search of the bigger, more aggressive fish. The crew then fly across the mountains to a secluded lake bubbling with big, sea run Sea Trout.

The Selfish Generation explores the exhilaration and fragility of Atlantic Salmon fishing during the trip of a lifetime, as a group of diehard anglers and young protégé’s visit Russia’s remote and revered Yokanga River. Located deep in the Kola Peninsula, the remoteness and ruggedness of this recently established fishery is reflected in the power and size of its legendary Salmon. We hear from the pioneers who established fishing on the Yokanga; the mythical stories of monsters, wilderness and untapped sporting potential that inspired a generation. It encourages a sense of urgency, examining a loving but problematic relationship with an entire species at risk of extermination. At the centre of the trip are young anglers Ollie and Otto, hopeful representations of what the next generation needs to embody; a respect and responsibility for the environment not just for fishing, but for the planet. The Yokanga delivers on its reputation when young Otto hooks into a giant, exploding into the hardest battle his guides have ever witnessed. Starring Otto laine, Olli laine Alexey Strulistov, John Horlock, David Lambert, Matt Harris and Jasper Paakkonen, this film is a visually beautiful insight to the best of fly fishing.

When settlers first arrived at Lake Ontario, they found Atlantic Salmon there in quite prodigious numbers. However by the 1890's with gross overfishing and the industrialisation of the landscape man had completely wiped them out. This film charts a modern day conservation program that is trying to re-introduce a genetically related version of the species back into the lake and its river system. It is beautifully shot and combines historical archive with testimony from scientists, conservationists and anglers, all trying to re-establish The Forgotten Salmon. To watch this video now, just login or register

Rae Borras takes a summer holiday in the valleys of south Wales, fishing for big Brown Trout and exploring the current state of the troubled but tremendous River Usk. The Usk has been revered by game fishermen throughout the ages for its bountiful salmon runs, but they’ve all but disappeared in recent years. Rae visits the legendary Sweets Tackle shop owner Jean Williams, to hear the tales of what once was in a community rooted in a history of angling. But there’s still hope for the Usk. We sit down with Atlantic Salmon Trust member Tiggy Pettifer to examine some worrying evidence and learn how cleaning up the river's headwaters could save an entire ecosystem from collapse. Downriver, Rae joins elite fly fishing guide Kim Tribe for a masterclass in New Zealand-style nymphing near the town of Llangynidr, but months of drought have the river in a dyer state. Catching one of the famous Big Usk Browns seems like no easy task, but as the light slips away on the beautiful Glanusk Estate, a magical hatch of insects brings the river to life.

Man-made barriers are one of the biggest threats to a dwindling population of wild Atlantic Salmon. Now redundant weirs, dams, pipes and tunnels across Scotland are preventing not just spawning fish, but downstream migration of smolts. We learn from the country’s top scientists and conservationists about fish passes, rock walls and tagging projects, simple and cost-effective solutions offering a glimmer of hope amid the demise of our nations most beloved fish.

Cold, hard science is perhaps the best weapon in the fight to save the wild Atlantic Salmon. Presented by the researchers leading the charge, this episode of Our Wild Salmon addresses destructive government practises, altered genetic composition and a sea lice pandemic threatening a species. We learn how only through electrofishing, tagging and monitoring techniques can we combat the misinformation spread by the big companies exploiting our waterways.

Will just adding fish to our rivers save a species in decline? It may seem a simple solution for our Atlantic Salmon, but scientists and conservationists across Scotland know it’s more complicated than that. We examine the use of enhancement stocking to boost rod catches, restorative techniques to bring rivers back from the dead, and mitigating programmes to combat the barriers in our rivers. If not a solution to the problem, responsible stocking could be a vital tool.

Our wild Atlantic Salmon need free access to cold, clean water. Contrary to popular belief, fisheries management is not about managing fish – what we need to do is manage impacts, pressures and people to ensure that we provide our fish with suitable conditions to flourish. If we get that right, the fish will look after themselves. We have time to make a difference if we take decisive action now.

Poaching may seem like a harmless romantic rebellion of the past, but the modern reality is threatening a fragile population of wild Atlantic Salmon across the UK. Bailiffs and enforcers along the British coast are fighting an organised band of criminal activity. We see the use of gaff hooks, snares, and gill nets capable of devasting the population of a river, enabled by weak government legislation and lack of resources.

We’ve destroyed the environment for breeding Atlantic Salmon to their demise for hundreds of years, and volunteers across Scotland are attempting to make amends. Farming, deforestation and construction along our waterways can affect everything from temperature to gravel constitution to PH balance, a devastating blow to a hatching fish. We join leading conservationists as they plant woodlands, redirect rivers and educate the next generation of protectors. Upon witnessing the mind-blowing success of one such endeavour, experts suggest habitat restoration may be the priority on the fight to save the Salmon.

Blue Charm is brought to you by Ian Gordon, a former world champion Spey Caster and very experienced salmon fisherman. He learned his trade on the River Spey, the home of Speycasting, and is considered one of the leading salmon fishing coaches in the world. In this feature length film Ian covers every aspect of fly fishing for salmon fishing in Scotland, including Speycasting instruction (single and double), fly tying, watercraft, history. He fishes some of the most well known rivers, including the Spey (naturally), the Dee and the Findhorn. A more comprehensive look at salmon fishing in Scotland you could not hope to find. You can find out more about Ian Gordon and his hosted salmon fishing trips on his website To watch Blue Charm, just login or register