A Lower Langford angler has been celebrated for catching a 31lb salmon.

Mary Deakin was fishing on the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders when she captured the enormous fish, only the second salmon she had ever caught.

Her first salmon, caught a few years earlier on the same beat, weighed in at just 1lb.

The achievement was recognised with the prestigious Malloch Trophy, presented by the Tay Rivers Trust.

The trophy, with a rich history, is awarded to the 'best' fly-caught salmon on a Scottish river.

Calum Innes, chair of the Tay Rivers Trust, said: "Mary's salmon was a wonderful achievement, with a great story.

"The handling of the fish after capture was exemplary and it was released to hopefully pass on its genetics to a future generation."

Ms Deakin added: "Tom Davis, the boatman on Lower Birgham beat who helped land the fish, submitted the entry to The Malloch Trophy, and I was absolutely thrilled when I was contacted to be told it was the winning fish for the 2023 season.

"My father has been a lifelong angler and I am very much a beginner, but I realise just how special this was.

"It was wonderful that my family could be with me for the presentation of the trophy on the riverbank where the fish was landed."

She is the fourth woman to be awarded the Malloch Trophy since its inception in 1972, when Lady Burnett was the first recipient for a 43lb fish also caught on the River Tweed.

The record for the heaviest salmon ever landed on rod and line was also set by a female angler, Georgina Ballantine, in 1922 with a 64lb fish from the River Tay.

As the 2024 salmon fishing season draws to a close, the Tay Rivers Trust is seeking entries for salmon caught this year.

For more information and entry details, interested anglers can visit the Tay Rivers Trust website.