Week beginning 12 September 2016
Monday 12th September. A very warm day with a south wind, 1’9” and 56 degs with a light beery tinge. Expectations were high but we were soon knocked back into our place as by lunchtime we’d only had one old hen fish from the Back of the wall. There were plenty fish showing in most of the pools but very reluctant to take the fly. 1’9” following a 5’-6’ flood in mid September should have fresh fish all over the beat but not yet. I have heard that out of the 7 fish from Milne Graden today 5 were fresh so maybe we are hoping a day early. Tomorrow should/could be the best fishing day of the week as it’s to be hot again tomorrow so the water temp will rocket by Wed. One thing I’ve noticed today is the lack of Pied wagtails, plenty Grey ones but I’ve just sort of noticed that Pied ones have been scarce in the last couple of years and why do they wag? Most other birds would keep still rather than bobbing up and down as it’s going to attract the attention of predators, just a thought. On the bright side though John had 3 from the Otter stones this afternoon the best being a 10lb hen which had she been a cock would have been keep able. Tomorrow will be the big test day.
Tuesday 13th September. It was a very warm humid sort of day but the river was a bit cleaner, I was in the cauld first thing with Donald Milne and fairly optimistic but we ended the session there with one landed @5lb and two others lost which I’d say were about the same size, Ian Jardine had a 9lber from the Back of the wall and John Wallace managed a 8lber from the Ledges, fish of the day came from the cauld this afternoon and was unlucky to be landed as the shank on the net snapped during netting and it was only 12lbs. The top gauges were rising this morning but this time nothing was coming down the Teviot so it might be a little bit cleaner, that is of course that tonight’s rain when and if it comes doesn’t put it in flood again, we’ll know by tomorrow morning. There were good numbers of fish showing this morning in most of the pools but by afternoon the rise was with us and put them down a bit. 1’9” and 60 degs this morning so it really needs to cool down.
Wednesday 14th September. What a contrast in two days, yesterday was hot, humid not a puff of wind and today is dull overcast wet from the north east a real dreich day which matched my mood really. There are fish showing in all the pools and of all colours except silver, silver ones have been seen I’m told but not where I’ve been looking. To relieve the boredom this morning I took John Wallace out in the Duddo boat and fished it right down to the bottom of the Bags, it was quiet a nice row/fish down but we didn’t have a pull even though fish were jumping round about us and I had to pull the boat all the way back up but it filled in the morning. This afternoon Dave Ecclestone and myself tackled Learmouth stream and gave it a selection of flies same result as this morning I’m afraid to say. Donald Milne or maybe it was John Carmichael had a hold of a fish in the Otter stones for a minute or two that was the action for the day. 1’9” and 60 degs slight tinge, you can see trough the water column no problem so that’s not the problem, the problem is the waters too warm and a lack of fresh fish at the moment . It’ll be better tomorrow.
Thursday 15th September. A dull damp start with grey skies, fish jumping all over the place. 1’6” and 56 degs and just the slightest tinge. Chris major was up the top end on the Slap and cauld and was into a fish in no time in the Slap in was almost in the net when the hook pinged out he was using a #5 salar double sort of editor style dressing. We then moved into the Cauld and had a couple of boils at the Skimmer, nothing on the double, back to the slap and a couple of pulls, I was starting to think the fish were coming on to the take but that was it for the day. Paul and Craig came back from Learmouth saying that you would think it would be impossible not to catch one there were so many fish showing. Bruce and Stewart looking after Paul Colinson and Phil also reported seeing loads of fish further down the beat but couldn’t get a pull. The sun came out at lunchtime and the temperature took off again which seemed to put the fish down, either that or they’ve all buggered off. The catches on the river were poor again today most worrying are the poor catches at the bottom end of the river, still its early days and I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow.
Friday 16th September. Well it was better today for Paul Collinson at least as he had both the fish that were caught at the Lees today, 1@8lbs from the Slap this morning and 1@12lbs from the Duddo this afternoon, both were old hens and safely returned. Lots of fish showing this morning but quieter this afternoon, they’ll still be there just gone to ground or having a snooze after jumping about all over the place this morning. Its show day tomorrow in Coldstream and the town is buzzing with talk of leeks and carrots and all things veggie along with the baking section where sally (wife) is hoping to win the cup again this year and retain the Gingerbread queen status, she’s entered three times and won it three times so life might be a bit frosty in Nesby place should she fail. I’m expecting failure with most of my veg apart from my Blanched Leeks which are the best I’ve grown as they are usually like bent twigs. My Kelsae onions are good, not as good as last year but thanks to Clancy I’ve a chance. See instagram for leek and fishy photos, put instagram on your Smartphone and follow tweedbeats its up dated daily sometimes several times a day just depends what’s happening. In Learmouth this afternoon we tied on a fly that last time it was used it caught 7 one afternoon in 2011 when the fish would look at nothing else in early November, I dug it out of the bottom of my bag Chris major flung it across the stream with great enthusiasm but we never had a touch, so its back to the bottom of the bag, what’s it called I can hear you shouting, “the candy runt “its name, say it carefully but its true.
Saturday 17th September. Deviating from the fishing for a while, its show day and it went rather well for the occupants of Nesby place, I won the cup for most points in the veggie section with the Judge saying my onions were the best he’d seen in show this year so thanks Clancy and keep bringing the seedlings. Sally (wife) on the other hand lost her position as gingerbread queen and is now known as the pie queen, she also won the cup for most points in the baking section so not as frosty as it could be. The fishing today was a tad challenging to say the least with bright sunshine and warm with the gauge showing 1’4” at the Lees and 56 degs. There were very few fish showing today compared to the rest of the week and not many takers, Chris Major managed to winkle a 4lb old grilse out of the Slap assisted by two Ghillies as we were down to three rods, by lunchtime we were down to 2 rods who decided to have a snooze this afternoon and wet a line once the sun was off the water, I haven’t heard anything from them so I presume they are still snoozing or have caught nothing. So what’s going to help us? A flood to hopefully bring some fresh fish in, or a big drop in temperature no one knows at the moment so we keep hoping, I’d go for the flood option as it gives you more water to fish in and the fish are happier. It’ll be better next week.
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©M Campbell 2016
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