Week beginning 10 March 2014
Monday 10th March A lovely sunny start to the week, bit frosty first thing but soon warming up and no wind either ( which is a surprise after the weekends curry) 2’9” 44degs and clean, it is rising above us but nothing to worry about. Otters all over the place, mother with two pups outside hut and a bigger Dog in the Cauldstream, they were there most of the morning. We fished it hard enough all morning but not a touch was had and at lunchtime we found out why, every fish in the river seems to be at Junction as they had 10 this morning! At least it was a sunny day it always helps when you are catching nothing, we saw our first butterfly and bumble bee today and the first of the daffodils are starting to open, a flock of Golden Plover was over the Cauld and the first Skylark was singing, so spring is here at last, now then a sheet of weldmesh in the Slap that should slow them down. 13 fish off the whole river and 10 from Junction lucky boys. Yes there is another mole and the biscuit tin has failed again. Tuesday 11th 2’7” and 43 degs a frosty start but soon warming up, in fact it’s been the warmest day for a long time and the sun shone all day, everything was just right apart from the water height and there are no fish about the lees at the moment, all the more annoying when you get a text to say Junction had 11 this morning, now where did I put that sheet of weldmesh? Bob Harrison (aka Flipper) Ghillie at Learmouth phoned to say he had seen a Sandmartin that’s a very early Sandmartin and there’s very little fly life about so it’s going to have to work hard for its supper. We ended the day with one Salmon Kelt from the Cauldstream wading the tail with a Toby, and there was a splash in the ledges, it was a lovely day on the river apart from the lack of fish. Wednesday 12th Frosty start again 2’5” and 41 degs nice and clean the lads gave it a good thrashing and Andy had his first go with the fly and I have to say he put a few of our regulars to shame ( you know who you are) There was a couple of splashes in the Temple and I think I saw a brown trout rise or was it a grayling? Some of the Chestnut trees are thinking about coming into leaf in the south facing sheltered areas and lots of daffodils are now in bloom. No sign of the wee Sandmartin today and the Otters were fishing the Cauld first thing. The catches on the river were down a bit today only because the Junction didn’t get into double figures again, Lower North Wark had two so well done Calum, and I’d expect Upper North Wark and South Wark to be getting them as they like high water. The Mole must have died of old age as no signs of it going through the traps or it is fed up playing silly games.
Thursday 13th Another nice mild morningand the wee Sandmartin is still here, obviously a hardy wee soul. The Otter followed me in the boat all the way up the Temple this morning, maybe waiting for us to catch a fish, he’s got a long wait by the look of things.2’4” and 41 degs this morning which is starting to open up more of the beat for us, we had a couple of small Kelts from the Cauld on a Toby and a pull down at the Iron Gate on a fly but that was it for the morning, this afternoon was no better as we had one pull on a Toby in the back of the wall and nothing else to show for our efforts. All the fish are round the Kelso area again so lucky boys up there, we didn’t see a thing down here but I’m sure they are on their way as I write this. There was the odd dark olive coming down and a trout or two taking them this afternoon, the woodpecker was bashing his brains out on a Beech tree this morning, and we discussed the vapour trails being left in the sky by the planes with some of them making some strange turns, you can apparently download an app that lets you see what plane it is and where it’s going, just a pity someone hasn’t done the same for the salmon. My hens are laying and one is broody on about 12 eggs so that will build up my stock after some walker’s dogs killed a few. Looking back to last year we had 2 fish on the 13th and the river was 1’6” and 36 degs the running total was 23 compared to 2 this year that’s if we count the 1lb fish from last week. It’ll be better tomorrow but I have the dentist at 9.40 am as I’ve cracked a tooth, a bonnie wee blond from Poland helps to take your mind off whats going on. Friday 14th Dentist sorted me out with two fillings and never felt a thing braw! 2’1” and 44 degs Squeaky clean but blowing a hoolie and regular readers will know how much I like the wind, Colin packed up at 11.00 as he hates the wind as well, whilst Steven and Hillary Drury were down the middle and bottom of the beat in relative shelter but no fish were seen or touched. We had a wee Kelt from the tail of the Cauld this afternoon but thats all I have to report I’m afraid, I see South Wark had a fish today and Tillmouth so it must be our turn tomorrow. Saturday 15th We’ve caught a fish, yes, we’ve caught a fish a lovely liced 8lb Springer from the tail of the Cauld on a black and yellow tube and a wet 2 type line classic spring kit really. Andy Britton was the lucky boy who caught it, but he wasn’t so lucky first thing as he went up to wade the Ledges he forgot about the hole opposite the white post, or maybe I forgot to tell him about it, I’m sure he knew about it. So it was a very wet Andy that I found in the hut luckily he had brought a change of clothes with him and had his phone in one of those covers. The fishing 1’11” and a very warm 47 degs, clean, now that’s warm for March, no wonder the fish are going straight through us. I didn’t need to go to the gym over the weekend as rowing in that wind is enough exercise for anyone and the forecast is for a windy week ahead with heavy rain on Thursday. We really need the river to keep dropping so I hope the forecast is wrong.
our twitter feed