Week beginning 10 October 2022
Monday 10th October. A lovely sunny day with a stiff westerly wind, 1’9” as the rods were arriving but rising as we were getting the draw done and puting rods together, it was up 4” by the time we got on the water and the chance of a fish was slimmer by the minute. By 12.00 it was up over a foot and starting to colour so game over. The rods at Learmouth were a bit luckier getting a fish on their first cast of the day; Lower North Wark had a couple and South Wark one. Hoping that the water runs through us overnight and is a beery colour tomorrow rather than brown. It really is a shame as it was almost perfect at 8.30am.
Tuesday 11th October. 2’3” and 46f this morning but still very beery, Stuart Thornton was in the Temple and Cauld, he had a bit of a pull just below the Ledges and a brown trout at the bottom of the pool, we popped in for a coffee and then tried the Cauld were he had a 10lber just above the 3rd croy on the right bank using this trusty Junction shrimp tube, down in Learmouth Brian Lovering had an 11lber on a sink 5 type line and Barry had a 10lber from the Iron gate. This afternoon Barry was in the Cauld and had a couple at 10lbs and 16lbs, the 10lber forced its way through the net as I lifted it and had me momentarily puzzled as I’d no idea where it had gone, I couldn’t see it in the beery water, luckily it had headed straight into the rushes and with it’s head covered I was able to tail it out. The catches on the websites were much better today with fish from top to bottom of the river; it was pleasing to see fish down at Milne Graden and Ladykirk still being caught so they haven’t all buggered off upstream. With the levels dropping and water clearing tomorrow should be a good day.
Wednesday 12th October. I’m writing this on Thursday night so have kind of forgotten what happened on Wednesday, 1’10” and 50 degrees and beery, 9 landed although website will show 8 as one fish was caught in Learmouth in the evening and I didn’t find out until today. Thursday 13th October. A lovely sunny day with just a light breeze some of the time. 1’10” and 46 degrees with just the slightest ginger tinge. Geoff Sleight here for three days with pals Dan and Samson, Stuart Maugham making up the four rods, Stuart had a fish out of the Slap first thing and had another two late afternoon from the Back of the wall, Learmouth stream let us down for the first time in weeks (well since the fish arrived) with not a pull to be had. Samson had a 13lber from the Cauld this afternoon; Dan had a 13lber from the Iron Gate and that made up all the action today. There were far fewer fish about today in the near perfect conditions; I didn’t see a fish all afternoon from the Iron Gate to the Bags, it’s a bit like they’ve gone, hopefully they just have their heads down with the temp drop and the wee lift overnight. The Whooper swans arrived today honking and whooping as they flew in let’s just hope they avoid the bird flu that is all around at the moment. If you ever want to see a kingfisher now is the time as there seems to be one or two on every pool. There are still some fish below us as Tillmouth had 6 today but nothing reported below that.
Friday 14th October. A wet morning with the Lees gauge reading 1’7” and 50 degrees. Jonathan Maughan took over from dad today and managed 3 fish from the Glide, Middle stream and the Bags so its a 10/10 for effort especially as he had leaky waders. Samson had a good day getting 3 from the Back of the wall 13lb, 14lb and an 18lber. Geoff had 1 from the Duddo and 2 out of the Slap all on his now favourite fly a big red frankensnaelda. We also had 1 from the Annay and Dan got 2 out of the Cauld this morning, there were very few showing but they must be there as 11 fish is a good day. Fish were caught right through the system and again good to see some being caught as far down as Pedwell and Ladykirk. Another 2 cygnets fell victim to the bird flu today and went floating past the hut and away down towards Learmouth.
Saturday 15th October. Jonathan Reddin joined us today and was up the top as he slotted in where the other rod had left, we tried the Slap but no takers so dropped down into the cauld where he had a cock fish of about 13lbs or more, it might have been 15lbs I can’t remember, anyway it led him a merry dance. We tried the left bank before the wind picked up, saw a fish just off the croy, covered it and hooked it this was a hen of around 9lb-10lbs both caught on a wee black and yellow tube. Geoff had an 11lber from Learmouth and Samson had a 4lber out of the Cauld this afternoon, Andrew got one out of the Annay and we had another from the Glide for Jonathan to his favourite back and yellow tube. The wind spoiled the day making casting and certainly rowing a challenge. There is another lift coming down the river not big but enough to unsettle it, hopefully it’ll be back in order for Monday. 37 for the week 37 returned and that puts us over 300, 325 in fact, this time last year we were on 223 so an improvement. Some light rain about on Sunday evening but shouldn’t bother the river.
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©M Campbell 2022
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