Monday 14 July 2008: Upstream
There's a weir just upstream from the bridge that crosses the Tweed as you travel from St Boswells to Kelso where you are guaranteed to see a heron or two fishing. The salmon fight their way up here each year to spawn, and I'm hoping this autumn I'll get some photos of them leaping. Last year I waited for hours at another weir and managed to get one, not-very-good shot.
It's amazing that the fish have the tenacity to make the epic struggle each year, and so many must perish in the attempt. There's a visitor centre just near Selkirk that does a good job of giving an insight into the salmon's life.
While I was hoping to get photos of one of the herons I got chatting to a fisherman who regularly rents the cottage by the weir. He had had several heart attacks and a bypass or two, all due to work stress in the building trade. His niece had died from a stroke in her 30's. Now he'd decided to just take it easy, and he comes to the Borders to fish several times a year.
It made me think about why we all spend so much time fighting our way upstream, only to die in the attempt. Note to self: try and go with the flow.
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