River Clyde Fisheries Management Trust Ltd.
 

  

The Clyde              

     The River Clyde, from its source in the Lowther Hills to Greenock travels approximately 100 miles and drops 2,000 ft. The City of Glasgow is situated on the river as it starts to widen out as it approaches the sea. The climate is temperate with an average of 40" of rain in a year, and it is not uncommon for the warmest day in the winter to be the same temperature as the coolest day in the summer. St Kentigern is the patron saint of Glasgow and he established a cathedral there in the 6th century. St Mungo's cathedral still stands today on the same site and is Scotland's best preserved church of the Gothic period. It is largely due to the Cathedral that Glasgow gained its original importance. Glasgow has three universities now, but the original Glasgow University was established in 1451 and is the second oldest university in Scotland.

      It is often said with justification that "The Clyde made Glasgow and Glasgow made the Clyde." Without the river and its access to the sea, Glasgow might never have grown to become Scotland's largest city. But the Clyde started as a shallow salmon river which, over the years, was dredged to make Glasgow into a major port with sea-going vessels sailing right into the heart of the city. In addition to imports, Glasgow's manufacturing output was exported via the Clyde, including 50,000 locomotives from Glasgow factories.

    Despite the narrowness of the river, the banks of the Clyde used to be one of the largest shipbuilding centres in the world. During the 19th and 20th centuries 30,000 ships were built
on the river.

    There is a long tradition of Glaswegians sailing "Doon the watter" to the coastal resorts on the Firth of Clyde. Steamers used to sail from the Broomielaw with day trippers and those going to places like Rothesay and Dunoon for the "Glasgow Fair" (the traditional two weeks in July when Glasgow's industries closed down). Only the Waverley paddle steamer keeps that tradition alive but there is now also a water-bus service from a jetty at the foot of Jamaica Street which runs to the Braehead shopping centre. Glaswegians and vistors alike can thus get a unique perspective on the city.

              The catchment area of the River Clyde is about 2000km² and the river changes in character a great
          deal in its 121km journey to the tidal weir in Glasgow.

                In its upper reaches, it is used to fill the Daer reservoir which supplies drinking water to much
          of South Lanarkshire; there is also sheep farming and commercial afforestation in this part of the
          catchment. The river is joined by tributaries of various sizes and quality reflecting the land uses of
          their catchments: there is much opencast coal mining in some, whilst others are urban or agricultural.
          The Clyde passes through a fertile valley in its middle reaches where there is extensive market
          gardening, fruit growing and garden centres.
     Salmon parr    Wild Brown Trout
(bait, n. A preparation that renders the hook more palatable. The best kind is beauty.)