Blessing event in north Northumberland village marks start of salmon fishing season

The short service – conducted by Rev Rob Kelsey, vicar of Norham – took place yesterday (Thursday) and involved pouring a wee dram of whisky into the water.

A line is cast on the river for the first time and the tradition remains that, if a fish is caught during the service, then it belongs to the vicar. This year, the event was attended by more than 30 people, who had the lovely surprise of seeing a seal watching from a distance.

At many places along the Tweed for about 1,000 years, net fishing for salmon was a major part of the local economy until its demise in the 1980s.

Since Victorian times, the vicar of Norham said prayers of blessing at midnight at the Pedwell Landing at the start of the new salmon fishing season.

The Pedwell Prayer would ask for a blessing on the fishery, its crew, its nets and its catch. The fishermen and a few friends might then retire to the warmth of the shiel for a wee nip of whisky from an old tin mug.

The blessing of the nets ended when the Norham fishery closed in 1987. But local resident Jim Blythe, who is also a keen fisherman, asked the current vicar if the tradition could be revived.

That was 12 years ago and the Blessing of the New Fishing Season, at 8am on February 1, is now an annual event attended by local ghillies, interested observers from near and far and, for the past two years, the chairman of the River Tweed Commission.

Rev Kelsey said: “It makes sense to me that the local church should be involved in the life of the local community by asking God’s blessing on those who make their living from the river and those who come to the river for recreation and refreshment.

“We also ask God to bless the river itself and all the animals – including fish – that live in, on or beside the water.”

An official event also took place at Kelso to highlight efforts to protect salmon as much as possible, with populations facing a severe decline in recent decades.