Week beginning 15 April 2019
Monday 15th April.It was very windy from the east and it was really, really cold. Waves were blowing up the Cauld and Learmouth, but it takes more than a bit of wind-chill to deter Jonathon Reddin who had a fish off the Slap croy within 6 casts, he also had a couple of pulls in the Slap. It was Jonathon Reddin’s lucky day as he also got two fish from the Cauld and lost another. There were only eight fish reported off the river today but they came from just three beats luckily one of them being the Lees, Upper Makerstoun and Ladykirk being the other two. The wind really did blow and made fishing a real challenge not to mention bloody cold. The cheery weathergirl tells me that its going to be warm and calm by Friday, she better be right this time or I’ll be sending her a very strong letter of complaint. 1’5” and 42 degrees today. Floating lines with fast’ish sinktips and your favourite fly on the end will do as finding the fish is more important than the bug you have on the end. Weather is the same for tomorrow but if we get another three fish it’ll lessen the pain.
Tuesday 16th April. Another grey cold day with an east wind blowing all day, not as strong as yesterday but still an east wind. 1’3” and 44 degrees. Sue Wood was on the Slap and Cauld and had a pull from something straight away, we left the Slap to let it settle down and had a float around the Cauld which at this height is not easy with the wind. We returned to the Slap and changed to a black and yellow tube which was promptly taken by a fish which after cruising round the Slap decided to run through it and down into the Cauld. The fish turned out to be a12lb licer and very welcome. That was all the action for the team this morning. This afternoon Sue had a pull in Learmouth stream and saw another fish, Andy walker saw a couple of fish down at the Iron Gate and Glide but no more pulls were had. There was a hatch on March Browns this afternoon and I saw a trout in Learmouth stream taking them. The weathergirl keeps saying it’s going to warm up it can’t come soon enough.
Wednesday 17th April. It was a better day as there was much less wind and by lunchtime the sun was trying to peek out from behind the clouds. It was a much better day for Andrew Campbell as he landed a 12lb licer from Learmouth stream on a wee bottle tube fished on a sinktip line, it was a sort of black and yellow affair not that it mattered that much when you are dealing with fish straight off the tide. 1’3” and 44 degrees today. There was a hatch of March Browns again this afternoon and the odd trout taking them but nothing compared to a few years ago before the avian black death arrived. Sue Wood the lucky lady yesterday saw a fish in the Iron Gate which looked like it was on the move and a couple were seen in the Slap. The swans are knocking lumps out of each other as they sort out nesting territories with the Cauld being a demarcation line. We were joined today by Bill and Robert Dawson who failed to catch but I’m sure they will catch up with them tomorrow.
Thursday 18th April. A much better day again and almost calm first thing but the east wind did pick up as the sun warmed things up. John Laybourn joined us for the day and we covered the Temple, Slap and Cauld this morning seeing a fish in the Temple, 3 in the Slap and getting a pull in the Cauld, Robert and Bill Dawson fishing further down saw a seatrout in the Glide but that was all the fishy things seen. It was much the same this afternoon with some fish showing in the Slap but the rest of the beat quiet. Looking at the scores on the doors tonight there were only 3 beats that had fish today, Ladykirk 4, Milne Graden 1 and Lower Floors 2. No rain for the next few days so it’ll be down to summer level by the weekend as a warm sunny weekend is forecast. As much as I love the sun and warmth we could do with a bit of rain for the river and the garden.
Friday 19th April. I t was a lovely day once it got going, wall to wall sunshine and warm, hot even. 1’3”and 46 degrees on the Lees gauge. Bill and Robert Dawson were on the top half and gave it a good go but despite seeing a few fish in the Slap and Cauld and one in Learmouth no pulls were to be had. Michael Black and Sandy Laing had the bottom half this morning and failed to hook up with anything. The reports this evening are Junction 5 two of which were liced and upper Floors 2, all the rest of the fish were caught below us as far down as Tweedhill which is good news as they could be with us tomorrow. For my gardening followers I got my Kelsae onions in tonight and my broccoli, beetroot tomorrow night, so at last things are starting to take shape. This has been the first night since last September that I’ve not had the fire on and its lovely, it maybe doesn’t help the fishing but its been so cold for the last few weeks that a bit of nice weather is very welcome.
Saturday 20th April. Another scorcher of a day, maybe too hot and bright for salmon fishing in low water but its better than that bloody east wind we’ve had for last three weeks or so. Graeme Hogg here for the day and he was soon into action in the Slap, the fish ran down through the Slap towards the Cauld then stopped and thrashed about a bit, Grahams line was in danger of being pulled under the Cauld so I ran along and used the net shaft to lift it, it was all too late as the fish had already got the line under something and although the fish was almost in touching distance I couldn’t help, the inevitable happened and the line snapped and away went the fish, it was around 12lb and had lice all down its back, shit happens. The rest of the day was hot sunny and fishless like most of the river looking at the scores on the websites. Got loads done in the garden tonight and will get a whole day at it tomorrow, but now its dram time.
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