DRYGRANGE based charity Tweed Foundation who aim to protect, improve and enhance fish stocks in the River Tweed system has launched a special online auction to raise money.

Its efforts are vital in both environmental and economic terms with the most recent survey showing that the Tweed fishery contributes around £24 million every year to the local economy and provides 513 jobs.

Almost 50 Lots have been generously donated to help raise funds to support its efforts and will be offered as part of a special online auction running from Monday 23 May until 5pm on Friday 10 June.

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The Lots on offer include a day’s fishing on the Tweed’s Dryburgh Upper beat for four rods with a hot lunch, a day’s fishing for two rods at Ladykirk and Norham and six days on the Lower Pavillion beat as well as various fishing experiences on other sections of the Tweed, Whiteadder, Ettrick, Teviot, North Tyne and Rede rivers.

A trout fishing experience on a private loch in Coldingham also features as well as the chance to bid for up to 20 young people to learn angling skills on the Tweed Foundation’s TweedStart programme.

Border Telegraph: Photo by Eoin FairgrievePhoto by Eoin Fairgrieve

A guided Grayling fishing session with the organisation’s Head Fishery Officer, a casting instruction session and the chance to learn first-hand about the Tweed Foundation’s smolt monitoring project are also on offer.

In addition, there’s the chance to bid for other lots including Roe Buck and Red stag stalking experiences, hampers of exotic meats or fish, a bespoke cake and bottles single malt Scotch whisky.

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Tweed Foundation Director, Jamie Stewart, said; “Protecting and enhancing fish stocks in the Tweed river catchment is vital but we require funding from multiple sources to help us deliver the biological fish stock monitoring and habitat enhancement programmes that form the core of our work. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has donated to this exciting mix of auction lots and hope that people will bid as much as they can to help fund our ongoing efforts.”

Anyone wishing to bid in the auction can find further details at rivertweed.org.uk/news/