Tweedside Tackle Limited was established in the late 1980s by Ronnie and Linda McElrath, then situated in Woodmarket Street Kelso.

The business flourished under the McElraths but Ronnie decided to follow his original profession as a boatman on Tweed (Ronnie is head boatman at Upper Hendersyde and a regular visitor to the shop). The business was then sold to Tony and Linda Vipond (originally farmers from Suffolk who moved to the Borders in the late 1980s).

Having been unsuccessful in finding a new farm in the Borders a career move led them to purchasing Tweedside Tackle from the McElraths. The business was moved from Woodmarket Street to its current position in Bridge Street in 1991 and the store reopened in September of that year. The business continued to grow into a centre for salmon fishing, not only in the Borders but throughout Scotland as a whole.

The Viponds decided to sell in 2005 to pursue other projects and after a couple of interested parties (a major UK retailer based in London and a chain of stores throughout the country) did not follow through with their interest, Tim and Caroline Pilcher secured the business in June 2006.

Tim has worked consistently in the international fishing retail industry for the past 27 years and has worked in the USA as well as the UK. Tim has fished extensively around the world including Russia, Argentina and in many, of the now famous, saltwater destinations.

Tim holds 2 IGFA saltwater world records for double-figured Bluefin Trevally caught on fly.

Caroline previously worked in the high-end luxury retail sector for many years and also has international fishing experience. Caroline holds 9 IGFA saltwater world records, also caught on fly.

Tim and Caroline both hope to carry on the tradition of Tweedside Tackle and to grow the business forward.

Tweedside Tackle stocks many key clothing brands such as; Schöffel, Le Chameau, Aigle, Liberty Freedom, Beaver of Bolton, Joules, Beretta, Seeland, to name but a few, as well as a large selection of locally hand knitted woollen and cashmere shooting stockings and windproof sweaters.

On the fishing side, the business has a broad range of specialised tackle and accessories supplied by famous names such as; Simms, Patagonia, Loomis, Guideline, Hardy & Greys, Lamson, Tibor, Rio, Bruce & Walker, Airflo, Redington, Sage, Fishpond, Loop, Michael Evans, Roman Moser, Abu and Shimano.

Tweedside Tackle are also the sole UK distributors for Saracione reels, precision machined and assembled in the USA. Most, if not all, of our salmon flies are tied in the UK and the store now offers a range of flies and accessories for international destinations.

Flies may also be tied to a customer's own specification, a service which is available upon request.

On the shooting side as well as stocking gun accessories which include Gun slips, Cartridge bags, gun cleaning equipment, quality clothing and footwear - decoys, books and DVDs etc, more than can be listed. We also have a gun room, in conjunction with John Dickson's of Edinburgh through which we offer a full repair and service facility. We also stock a good range of cartridges and amunition for all seasons.

Our gift range includes books, DVDs, cards, mugs, crystal glasses, cufflinks, horn items, leather goods, flasks, cup sets and leather bound record books. The store also stocks a range of locally hand carved sticks, silver products, horn goods and locally made leather goods. We have a wide range of tweed gifts ranging from handbags to cushions to door-stops! Gift voucher and gift wrapping service is also available.

Our newest addition to the store is Equestrian as we now stock ladies jodhpurs, gloves and suede half-chaps. This is a clothing area which we plan to expand on over time.

Tim and Caroline are ably assisted in the shop by Sarah Plummer from Kelso. A keen horsewoman and motorcyclist. Sarah has been an eventing and stud groom for the past 7 years and is still a keen horsewoman participating in local shows. Having fished in her younger years, she hopes to get back into the sport again soon.

Bob Smith also a keen fisherman and seasonal Boatman on Tweed, has 40 years experience, 15 of which have been on Tweed. Bob when he is not helping in the shop he is regularly found helping out as a Boatman on various beats on Tweed.