Week beginning 13 July 2015
Monday 13th July Unlucky for some they say but not for Mark Redhead as he landed a 11lb liced cock from the Cauld this morning on his first ever trip to the Lees, he took the fish on a #8 sort of “wille Gunn affair “tied by Chris Tunmore who says it’s a “sly fly” must be a Norfolk thing, anyway it did the business. We also tried it in the Slap but nothing doing there until we put the Sunray over it which produced some really splashy boils and fast follows but no takes, we must have had 6 boils follows, by 11.00am the rain started and the weatherman said it would stop by 2.00pm but it’s rained all day which put paid to strimming activity. A look at the river levels shows all the top gauges rising now so there could be a bit of weed and a tad of colour again tomorrow. 1’3” and 60 degs this morning, floating lines with short sink tips about 7’0” will do and flies in the #8-#12 range are fine or a bloody big Sunray.
Tuesday 14th July The club lads had an 8lb salmon from the Glide last night, I lost a fish in Cornhill Bend then a thick mist crept in and that was the end of the action, the river went dead and still there wasn’t a ripple of any kind just flat calm. This morning Mark Redhead took himself off to the ledges and was soon back with a cock Seatrout at 10lbs, you don’t see many cock Seatrout and one at 10lb was a big one. The secretary of the angling club arrived mid morning and was talking about a fish following a fly so I said watch this, went onto Slap Croy, one cast and promptly had a 6lb Salmon on to the Sunray, landed returned and said that’s how you do it! You need a bit of luck now and again. Not sure how the lads have done this afternoon as been to Kelso at the opticians’, The river went up 1” after all that rain so it must have been mostly in the east, today has been mostly overcast with a north air but looking brighter now so I might try a sunray up the Temple if I can persuade my son to row the boat.
Wednesday 15th July He did row the boat but nothing landed last night but loads of bow waves and follows in the Temple about 18 I lost count in fact, only 2 pulls out of the lot though but it was exciting seeing them chasing the Sunray, mostly Seatrout I should think. Today Chris Tunmore went down to Learmouth Stream and had 2 Seatrout one of them 11lbs and lost another 2 all on a #12 Sly Fly a sort of Gold bodied Stoat tail. Mark redhead not to be outdone managed a 4lb Seatrout from the Tail of the Cauld. We had ITV here today filming a article about the fisheries review so myself and Flipper gave them a few pearls of wisdom and managed not to swear. This afternoon I got on with strimming the bottom end of the beat which is now up round my lugs! So if you are looking for me just keep an eye out for the cloud of green mist and I’ll be in there somewhere, back out tonight to see if I can get Grant a Seatrout.
Thursday 16th July A quiet affair last night with just the one pull for Grant, it seemed like the Seatrout had pushed off as very few were showing in fact we only saw one. Today the gauge is showing 1’1” and 60 degs Chris Ladley and Rodger Oxtiby fishing, I was strimming all day until 2.00pm so I don’t know what happened but there’s no reports of fish so I presume nothing. I got the Middle stream area strimmed and sprayed then tackled the Bags and bits of the Annay and I reckon I lost about ½ stone or more in sweat and the bloody flies!!!!!!!! Anyway it’s all looking nice which is just as well as the forecast is not good with heavy rain along with gales.
Friday 17
th July Last night not a touch and didn’t see anything either, the water was considerably warmer than the air which is never a good thing. Today I awoke to thunder and lightning and very heavy rain, we went along to the river once the rain had cleared and I took Grant down to Cornhill bend and the Glide, we saw a fish in the Glide but in Cornhill bend the Duddo burn was running in coffee coloured which didn’t help things. Paul fishing with Rodger Oxtiby had seen a fresh Grilse in the Slap which is the first this year. The wind was really picking up by 2.00pm so we packed up and looking at the river levels it’s all rising above us, more rain forecast tonight and gales tomorrow so it’s going to be challenging fishing tomorrow. Kelso Yetholm rideout tomorrow so the report for Saturday might be a bot vague.
Saturday 18th JulyRivers up and carrying colour, I’m at kelso Yetholm rideout. Neil Wilson and chalky fishing today, Paul tells me that they had 5 Seatrout all 4lbs and a 8lb Salmon from the Tail of the Cauld. Today Sunday the gauges are rising again so a bit more water to come which is all good news for next week.
©M Campbell 2015
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