The Horsbrugh beat is on the North (left) bank of the former association water at Cardrona.
The beat has always been a consistently productive stretch on the upper Tweed, located in a very picturesque area of countryside.
Given the right conditions, anglers have as good a chance as anywhere of connecting with a fish.
The majority of the pools are easily fished, with easy access, as the main road runs parallel to the river for most of the beat, with several parking spots available.
A couple of pools are a little more challenging and not so suitable for the less able or inexperienced angler.
Double handed rods of 12 to 14 feet are adequate but in early autumn and lower water even a single handed or switch rod is fine.
There is no full time ghillie but expert advice on tackle, techniques and conditions is readily available.
Anglers staying at the McDonald Cardrona Hotel can literally just walk down to the river in the morning.
For a comprehensive list of places to stay whilst in the Borders visit the Where To Stay section on FishTweed.
Why you need to fish here
Horsbrugh actually comprises two beats, Nether Horsburgh (lower) and Horsbrugh Castle (upper).
Located in a very picturesque area of the upper Tweed valley, opposite Cardrona village. A good selection of pools and streams gives plenty options, even in very low or high water heights. Traditionally the upper Tweed has always been best in the last two months of the season, October and November. Fish can start to appear from July, given suitable water levels but it is usually September before larger numbers start to appear. Again, it is totally dependent on rainfall, as the earlier fish tend not to run in lower water. November used to be the peak month but over the past few years, the majority of fish have been coming into the river earlier and as a result October is now the peak month but November can still be very productive, especially if there has been a shortage of water in September and October.
Young anglers are very welcome. Anglers under 16 accompanied by a paying adult can fish free of charge, as long as they will be fishing alonside the adult accompanying them.
