Fish Eden: Game Fishing

Game anglers can fish for Salmon, Brown and Sea Trout and Grayling on the River Eden and its tributaries.  Game fish are part of the salmonid family and (with the exception of Grayling) spawn in the autumn so the close seasons run from the beginning of October. Please see close season information for details on each species.

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

An anadromous (migratory) fish found in the temperate and arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is a silvery colour with steely blue spots on fresh fish. They can be mistaken for fresh run sea trout but salmon have a distinct narrowing on the tail which allows it to be handled easily.

The season starts on the 15th January, is catch and release until the 15th June and ends at midnight on the 14th October. The first serious run arrives in mid – March and continues through May and June, with the Eden's grilse run commencing in July. August often sees an early run of large fish, and the good fishing continues until the end of the season on the 14th October.

The average weight on is the Eden is around the 8-9 lbs class, although from August until the end of the season there are catches of around 20lbs.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

The record Eden trout was caught in 1911 and weighed 8lb’s. The average weight in the Eden catchment varies depending on the area fished and the technique used. Weights of 1lb – 1½lb’s are common, with several catches of 3lb – 4lb’s over the past few years.  

A streamlined dark brown coloured fish covered in many small spots of different hues of red and blue.

The season for Brown Trout starts on the 15th March and runs until the 30th September.

Sea Trout (Salmo trutta)

The sea-running form of the Brown Trout these fish become highly silvered when they migrate to the sea, becoming darker again as they spend more time in freshwater. They are often mistaken for salmon but can be identified by the tail fin which does not narrow like salmon making it more difficult to handle.

The Migratory Trout season begins slightly later on the 1st April but also runs to the 30th September.

Grayling (Thymallus thymallus)

A silver or dark grey coloured fish with a distinct dorsal fin distinguishing it from other salmonids. This fin is almost as high as the depth of the fish and one third of the fish's length.