Week beginning 10 May 2021
Monday 10th May. Much warmer than of late and the river temp was up to 48f today and 1’8” on the Lees gauge. Ian Merrell here for three days along with pals Jonathan, Mark and Gordon. We had 4 fish today, well I say we but Jonathan was the rod on fire as he caught all 4 and lost another, in second place was Gordon with 2 lost in the Slap. Jonathan’s fish came from the Middle stream where he got 2 this morning then got 1 in the Bags and lost another, this afternoon he got another lovely fish from the Slap on a large sunray. We didn’t really see many fish but they were there, with a few showing in the Glide along with some cracking trout which was a bugger as I’ve had my trout rod in the car for weeks and this weekend I took it out. All 4 fish were fresh as paint and were from 6lbs to 10lbs all on a 1” tube apart from the sunray one. Sunshine and heavy showers all day but even the rain was warm compared to the last few weeks. Many thanks to James Cheer who delivered as promised some Broccoli and Cauliflower plants on his way past to fish the Junction, what I’m going to do with 600 plants? I’ll have to rent a field.
Tuesday 11th May. I was hoping/expecting a another good day but it didn’t happen, Mark and myself were in the Slap and cauld this morning, we saw a fish in the Slap straight away but that was the only fish we saw all morning. The Cauldstream was looking perfect at 1’8” and 50 f and we went up and down it very diligently but not a pull was had, even my extra large sunray couldn’t find one today. The rest of the lads round the beat fared no better. This afternoon the highlight was a huge hatch of Grannom which almost chocked you so many were there in the air. Catches on the river were down on yesterday, maybe it was the wee rise going through or just there was no fish for us to cover, Lower North wark had 3 this morning so Callum (Head Ghillie) wasn’t going to blame a wee rise. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Wednesday 12th May. The river heights were on mission creep today and the fish if there were any there had their heads down, the only connection we had today was Jonathon Maddocks again in the Middle stream where he hooked a fish on a tube in the heavy current which decided it didn’t want to be hooked. 1’11” this morning and 50f, at 9.00pm tonight it was 2’5” at Sprouston and no doubt carrying a bit more colour. The fish were scarce we couldn’t even get on to boil at a large sunray in the slap or the tail of the cauld. The osprey gave us a couple of fly pasts and the kingfisher was zipping about with a blue flash. There is only one duck left with any ducklings the otters have had a field day with the rest of them, it was chasing them all over the place opposite the hut at lunchtime. The flood put paid to all the oyster catchers nests, even the one at Cornhill bend which I thought might make it was just 6 inches to low and got washed away. New team on tomorrow so they’ll be keen as mustard to be at them.
Thursday 13th May. We were faced with a river that was sitting at 2’5” on the Lees gauge but the colour of coffee, not the really milky coffee but not a colour you want for a day’s fishing, two of the lads had offers of fishing further upstream above the Teviot so off they went, another decided to keep his powder dry until tomorrow whilst the fourth was coming tonight for a chuck in the thin streams where by this evening a fish might see the fly a bit easier. All I can say is “it’ll be better tomorrow”.
Friday 14th May. 1’11” and 48 degrees and beery. John Macleod was back on the Lees after an enforced covid lockdown absence and was soon into action getting a liced 8lber from the Iron gate point, Colin Hewitt had a pull in the Middle stream and that made up the action for the morning as Steve Robins who fished the Slap and cauld didn’t even see a fish. Steve however made up for it this afternoon getting a lovely 11lb fresh fish from Learmouth stream. I saw two fish in the Slap after lunch but that was the only fish I saw all day. The Cauldstream is still not holding any fish and we have no idea why as it looks perfect, we need a few decoys in there perhaps. Tomorrow it should be about 1’7” and cleaner so it’ll be a numbers game.
Saturday 15th May. 1’8” and 48 f with a beery tinge. John Macleod, Colin Hewitt, Liz and John Macgregor made up today’s team. Colin was in Learmouth stream where he had a pull down by the gate, he can’t seem to get them to stick on this trip. John fishing the Slap and cauld gave the Slap a few flies then we went into the Cauld for an hour, on heading back to the hut for a coffee I said give the Slap a cast or two while I put the kettle on you never know when one will sneak in. Four or five casts later and John was shouting for a net, we had to chase the fish as it ran down into the Cauld, into the net hook out tag in and away we reckoned 7lbs with a lot of bite scaring on its sides from seals or dolphins. The fish were scarce today, we saw a couple in the Cauld (where we seem to be unable to catch one), a couple in the Glide and that was it. So there we are another week over 7 for the week, could be worse, could be better.
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©M Campbell 2021
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