Week beginning 11 June 2018
Monday 11th June. An overcast start but warm and humid, the Lees gauge showing 1’3” and a bit beery but thanks to social media we knew it was going to colour up as the day went on. Team Harper here for the week and Graeme Whitty who was on Learmouth had the only action of the day, hooking and losing a fresh fish which would have been in the teens of pounds on a silver hooked Editor fly, but it wasn’t to be as one of the hooks on his double straightened and it was obviously the one that had a hold of the fish. By mid afternoon the river was a mucky grey colour and the team decided to pack in.
Tuesday 12th June. Another lovely day but the river is still carrying a fair bit of colour, looks fine in the margins but out in the middle it’s still a murky grey colour. 1’0” and 58 degrees on the Lees gauge. There were a few old fish showing in the back of the wall and the glide but no takers so the score at lunchtime was zero. A lot of strimming done this morning and new oar pins fitted. After lunch Graham Scott full of optimism and beef rolls set off for learmouth and wasn’t disappointed getting a fresh 7lber off the point. There is now a weather warning for Wednesday afternoon through to Thursday afternoon with heavy rain and gale force winds, they could do some damage at this time of year as all the trees are in full leaf.
Wednesday 13th June. An overcast day with the wind picking up as the day went on. 11” on the Lees gauge and 58 degrees. The team fished their way round the beat but not a pull was had this morning. A hearty BBQ was had all cooked by Terry’s daughter Stephanie. The cauld was looking decent as the wind was from the south west so we could get a cast in from the right bank. I set up my 13’6” rod and took Graham Scott across with a skimmer tied on the business end, it drew a blank so I tied on a large sunray and backed it up, opposite the top croy there was a splash and the fish was on, it turned out to be a 9lb fresh cock fish which was very welcome. That was the only fish landed on the Lees today but others were seen this afternoon. I’ve got all my hanging baskets in my garage and polytunnel as the wind is forecast to be 50-60mph which would destroy them, no doubt it will stir all the crap up from the river bed and colour the water, we’ll see tomorrow.
Thursday 14th June. Well the cheery weather girl got it right today as it blew a hoolie right enough. The only bit of the beat that was fishable to any degree of satisfaction was the Iron Gate/Glide area. There were branches and trees down all over the place round the borders, one of the big beech trees beside the hut came down and went straight through the chicken run behind the hut, had it fallen to the right it would have gone straight through the hut. The river didn’t colour up too badly with the wind but I fear it’ll be dirty tomorrow as there is a foot and a half in both the Ettrick and Teviot. Today’s fish another 9lber came from the Glide this morning caught again by Graham Scott who seems to be getting the hang of this fishing malarkey (at last), he also had another pull this afternoon at the IGP. We did see some fish in the slap and cauld but there was no way I was going/could take a boat out in this wind. Still no sign of any seatrout around the Lees, if they are there their keeping it a bit secret. The wind has also played havoc in the garden my Dahlias have been battered to bits and my fixed baskets have been shredded, just as well I put the hanging ones inside. Don’t worry though Clancy the onions seem to be ok, just the odd snapped stalk.
Friday 15th June. 1’6” and 56 degrees with a bit of colour about it. This didn’t stop Graeme Whitty getting into action; he was just letting Graham Scott get a bit of a lead on the scoreboard to sort of encourage him but today was catch up time. He had 1 at 10lbs from the Iron Gate which much have been an old springer as it was well coloured and had a kype like a rugby boot, the second came from the glide and was around 6lbs, both fish took a wee brass bottle tube. Graham Scott now realises why I don’t like the wind as it was making the casting a bit tricky in Learmouth stream this morning. By lunchtime the colour was getting worse, it’s a funny thing with the wee rises that the colour comes later, I popped along at 9.00pm tonight and it’s a real manky colour. The rest of this evening has been spent staking up all my plants that have been blown down.
Saturday 16th June. A nice enough morning with the Lees gauge sitting at 1’1” and 58 degrees but very beery water. Graeme Whitty drew level with Graham Scott this morning getting a liced 6lber from the Glide, that was the only pull of the day unless anyone ventures out tonight for a cast the score for the week will be 6 landed. There has been a thunder storm or two about this afternoon and I see the Ettrick is rising late afternoon, the river could do with a proper flood now to wash the bottom and hopefully bring a few in.
©M Campbell 2018
our twitter feed