Burnfoot Beat owner explains what gets people hooked on fishing

Julie Hunter is the owner of Burnfoot Beat, a fishing patch along the Border Esk River which spans from the outskirts of Longtown to the River Lyne.

This beat is a hotspot for anglers, with people coming from across the UK, Wales, and Scotland to fish the patch, which is inhabited by trout and salmon.

Carl Powell proudly poses with one of his catches (Image: Border Esk Fishing)

Speaking about the hobby, Julie shared what she believes it is that gets people hooked on fishing.

She said: "I think that once they have caught a salmon, it's the thrill they say when they get a salmon on the line.

"Standing in the river, getting soaking wet... but they want to do it.

"It's outside, in the fresh air, you can switch off from everything and you are away from your phone if you want to be.

"I think it is just a nice leisurely thing to do."

In Julie's words, the thrill of catching your first salmon is the bait for many anglers, and her regulars are always proud to showcase their catches, with one particular salmon caught by Chris Wotherspoon in 2022 weighing in at 29 pounds.

Chris Wotherspoon wrestles with the 29lb Salmon he caught at Burnfoot Beat (Image: Border Esk Fishing)

The 2023 fishing season on Julie's beat is well underway after its commencement in early February, with the possibility of continuing to fish until October.

However, the season is beginning to get shorter, year after year, and Julie puts this down to a number of reasons.

She said: "We have not had the fish coming in in April and May... they have only properly started coming in the last couple of weeks.

"Fishing is hard enough as it is. People want to blame the anglers for the diminishing numbers of fish.

"You cannot keep any salmon now and you can only keep 4 trout within the season.

"Some people are not fishing anymore because they have put it on catch and release."

Chris Wotherspoon showcases one of his catches (Image: Border Esk Fishing)

Julie also explained how there was a spike in the number of salmon caught in the fishing season during the Covid-19 pandemic, with 487 taken on just her stretch of the Border Esk.

"We had the best year we had had in years.

"It was like the olden days and that is because there were no trawlers," she said.