Week beginning 11 July 2016
Monday 11th July. A sort of muggy humid start to the day with the odd sunny spell. 1’8” and 60 degs but very black water, I thought the lads might pick up a seatrout as this can be the water you get them in but they never had a touch. Chris Tunmore here from deepest Norfolk and John Little from Geordie land so quiet a mix of accents. They have both fished the beat for many years so know what they are doing, Chris is the only man I know still to use a double taper line and you always know where he is as you can hear him long before you see him, you can hear the line hissing through the air like a demented cobra from 500 yards, but it works for Chris so I can’t knock it as he can winkle the fish out. The lads were going back tonight for a go at the seatrout but the river which dropped during the day is back up to 1’8” again, that and a very stiff wind blowing might make the pub look more attractive. Score for the day is 1 Rabbit, 1 Mole and 1 Squirrel.
Tuesday 12th July. 1’8” again and still fairly beery. Fished the temple up and down and had 4 trout Chris fished down to the Glide and had 1 pull. This afternoon John Little was in the lower cauld and had 4 sharp pulls from what would be seatrout but none stuck on, but he connected later on in the afternoon getting a fresh 9lber from the Glide, both were fishing 10’ intermediate sink tips and #8 flies. This evening I went out for my first cast of the season and never saw a thing, I went through Learmouth and the Iron Gate and gave Cornhill bend a sunray. Chris Tunmore on the other hand fishing the Ledges managed a fresh 10lb seatrout so happy boys tonight.
Wednesday 13th July. 1’4” and 59 degrees colour much improved. I took John into the Cauld with a floater and 8’ inter tip and a #6 gold bodied Willie Gunn and about half way down he was into a fish then out of it just as quick. We then gave it a go with a sunray but didn’t move a thing, I then set him loose to go and thrash the beat to a foam whilst I tackled the Annay with the strimmer which is a far tackle as it’s anything but even and the vegetation is about 4’0” tall so as I write this I’ve popped home for a shower to get rid of the nettles and slug and snails that are splattered all over me. Latest – Chris Tunmore had a couple this afternoon both 7lbs and fresh, one from top end of back of the wall and one from the Iron gate point John Little also lost one in the Glide, I heard from Kevin at Milen Graden that he saw plenty fish running this morning so they might be with us tomorrow. We also had 2 moles and 2 rabbits.
Thursday 14th July. Chris Ladley and Rodger Oxtiby here for a couple of days, Rodger started on the Slap Croy and had a couple of pulls on a #8 Flamethrower then one was lost on a sunray, we moved down into the Cauld but now that the river has dropped again the bloody backwaters are back making rowing and fishing from the south bank a bit of a bugger. Chris fished the ledges first but no action. This afternoon the lads set off down the beat but on seeing them tonight had nothing to report. I had to go down to Hardys at Anlwick to get my reel fixed as a TV celebrity was using it when being filmed and when getting out of the boat tripped fell and bashed the reel on a rock bending the cage in so it wouldn’t move, Going to tell him it cost £100’s to repair, actually Hardys fixed it for free so well done them, they have a sale on at the moment selling off ex demo stuff so I couldn’t help it and had a look round ended up with a new rod and reel for a fraction of normal price so a braw afternoon. What made the day even better was trying out said rod and reel tonight I got a cracking 15lber from Learmouth stream on a full floater and a #8 cascade. Kevin from Milen Graden tells me he saw a lot of fish moving this morning and I see Tillmouth had 7 today so it’s looking a lot better than last year already. Latest- Club rods had 3 and a seatrout from Glide and Iron Gate 11lb, 12lb and 14lbs.
Friday 15th July. 1’22 and 60 degs with a bit of a stiff breeze this morning, Rodger was on the Slap and cauld first thing and had a pull in the Slap and had a hold of one briefly in the Cauld, it’s getting low for the Cauld again and the backwater on the other side is no fun. Chris went through Learmouth stream a couple of times and saw a couple of seatrout but no action. This afternoon they both went off to the Glide area and Rodger was the lucky boy getting a fresh 7lber on a floater with a wee inter tip and a lovely looking cascady sort of thing, don’t know who tied it but he made a great job of it. The fish sadly didn’t make it back as try as he might it just turned over and wouldn’t recover; it’s sometimes a problem in this warm water. Heavy showers this afternoon but the only gauge that is rising is the Whiteadder. Neil Wilson back again tomorrow so hopefully he’ll score.
Saturday 16th July. An overcast sort of day 1’2” and 60 degrees but much cleaner. Neil here with Chalky. Neil fished the Slap and Cauld thing but apart from a fish in the Slap we never saw a thing, He then went down to the Glide and had a nice fresh 4lb seatrout on a wee black pennel or something like that. This afternoon the wind had picked up quite a bit making casting a tad difficult and although they tried their best nothing was doing. The Osprey was with us today and had a couple of unsuccessful dives, my hens are laying well and the forecast for next week is to start to warm up so that’ll be nice for my tomatoes.
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