Week beginning 13 July 2020
Monday 13th July. 1’0” and 56 degrees nice and clean. Harry H Allan and pal Hugh here for a couple of days and they were both into action in Learmouth stream getting a fish each down by the gate. New rod on the beat Tom Plumley started his Lees adventures getting a fish from the Duddo this morning and another this afternoon from the Bags on a sunray which was a 13lb licer. Hugh also scored this afternoon getting an 11lber from the Cornhill bend, there was also a fish from the Temple this morning making it 6 for the day unless one of the young lads gets one tonight. The Cauldstream failed to yield anything but its getting low for it. We did see a few fish today but they all seemed to have a purpose in them and looked like they weren’t going to be hanging about the Lees for long. Charles Cook enjoyed his day but failed to hook up but he’ll be in the pound seat tomorrow so that’ll put a smile on his face.
Tuesday 14th July. A much quieter morning, not so many showing but Richard Summers still managed to get a hold of one briefly and have a couple of other pulls in the Back of the wall. This afternoon things changed a bit as up at the Slap Charles Cook was covering a lot of fish as they went through the Slap but couldn’t tempt any of them, Young Harry H Allan did a bit better getting a 3lb grilse from Learmouth which was covered in lice, we saw fish down in the Bags and the Glide and Cornhill were carrying a fish back from the Duddo to their hut so a few more are pushing in. Two of the rods are going back out tonight so scores might increase. Some sad news depending on your views, the light tan otter is lying dead at Learmouth with an eel hanging out of its mouth, now it would be very strange for an otter to die chocking on an eel, when I saw it a couple of days ago it had a large scar on the back of its head and it’s tail looked broken so it’s maybe been clipped by a car, Jock the ginger dug will be upset as he’s was determined to play with it. 1’0” and 56 degrees nice and clean. Nearly forgot Harry’s fish takes us to the 100 mark with 99 of them on the fly.
Wednesday 15th July. 10” and 60 degrees nice and clean. Tony Darby and pals here for a couple of days, I’ll keep this brief, we caught nothing and saw very few today, it’s amazing how they manage to disappear, beats upriver saying there are no fish showing or taking but we know they are there. It was a perfect fishing day apart from the wind that always seemed to be blowing from the wrong direction. A few more were showing this afternoon in the Slap but again no pulls, it’ll be better tomorrow. Well, the good lady was watching some crap on the telly there was nothing to do in the garden I saw that Tillmouth had had 9 for the day so I took my sunray for a swim. Got to Cornhill bend at 9.00pm at 5 past the fish was on and soon landed, it was a 10lb licer, another had a boil at it in the tail of the pool, a quick run through Duddo and I had a 6lber which chased the sunray across the pool before diving onto it, home at 10.00pm for a dram.
Thursday 16th July. 11" and 60 degrees and very humid not the kind of weather that salmon like. They were very scarce this morning and the only excitement was Tony Darby hooking himself in the top lip with a #8 treble resulting in a trip to the Borders General Hospital as with all this Covid stuff going on Coldstream health centre wouldn’t deal with it. (See instagram for photo) There were a few fish showing in Learmouth late afternoon and a few showed in the Slap so there must have been a wee posse coming through, no pulls off them though. Score for the day was 1@8lb from the Annay on a #10 Cascade, I might take my sunray for a walk again as its a nice night.
Friday 17th July. Well I did take my sunray for a walk last night and went to Cornhill bend and Duddo only to find on my arrival that 4 kids their dad and two Labradors one of which was called Fergus were having a grand time swimming up and down the pool, “come on mister there’s three fish in here I’ve seen them jumping” was the shout from one of the bairns, I went to the Glide and caught nothing. Today things were very quiet 10” and 60 degrees still humid and cloudy all day. Charles Cook lost a grilse in Learmouth stream which was the total action this morning. This afternoon Bob Wigglesworth was on the slap and to our pleasant surprise and his no doubt we had two fish, (I say we but I was down at the Glide at the time), anyway it saved the blank, 1@16lb and 1@8lb both tagged and released neither fresh but still fish. The catches were low on the river according to the websites with Tillmouth leading the pack with 4.
Saturday 18th July. A wet start to the day, 9” and 61 degrees. Nothing seen until around 4.00pm when a few went through the Slap but wouldn’t take a fly. There are fish showing in the Glide and Duddo but again no pulls. I was speaking to a couple of lads who were fishing lower down the river and there are saying it is stuffed with fish but they won’t take, one lad was just above Berwick and there are good numbers of grilse and a lot of seatrout. A wee lift of water is badly needed or a cold front but neither looks likely this coming week.
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©M Campbell 2020
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