Week beginning 17 April 2023
Monday 17th April I have a new computer, well bits of it are new as the last one started making some very strange noises followed by a sort of growling then plink! Hopefully this one will continue to work but it sounds a bit like a jet liner taking off. Today it was 1’8” and 50f with overcast skies and a light east air/breeze, these conditions should have produced a fish for us but all we could manage was a pull in Learmouth stream, I didn’t see a fish all day and that was the case for other beats round about us. Some beats above us have had a good day with Upper Floors getting 4, Birgham Dub getting a 25lber, Makerstoun getting 3, it was a case of right place right time, the beats round Coldstream and Wark blanked but the good news is there were fish caught at Ladykirk and Horncliffe so some to come. I got a good look into the Cauld today and that gravel that was causing the problems has gone so happy days. The Glide has more gravel in the tail and has sort of flattened and spread out the stream more, it might be for the better time will tell. No hatch to speak of today, it looks like the Olives might have peaked last Friday. The Osprey was fishing the Cauld this afternoon and had the same luck as we did and it soon buggered off elsewhere, the Otter is a too frequent visitor at the moment and is up and down the Slap several times a day. It’ll be our turn for the fish tomorrow.
Tuesday 18th April. A nice sunny day once the haar cleared but an east breeze kept the temperature down. Sue wood was on the Slap and Cauld and had a lovely fresh 7lber on an eternal optimist tube; she also had a pull in the Slap which didn’t stick. The rest of the team didn’t fare so well and all blanked, Andy saw a fish in the Iron Gate and David Sanderson saw something splash in the Middle stream. This afternoon Ian Ashmore on his first trip to the Lees got to grips with his right hand snap T cast and covered a couple of fish that were showing in the Slap and one that was in the Cauld but they weren’t interested, or maybe they had moved on. The Osprey gave us a bit of a display this afternoon along with the ever present Otter, there was also a Kingfisher below the hut so Ian had a sort of Tweedy nature grand slam seeing all three in one afternoon. No hatch to speak of today and just the odd trout rising. 1’7” and 48 degrees nice and clean. We have been using 10’0” sinktips of the 4” a second sink rate. Catches on the river were down today with Upper Floors to dogs with 3 landed, Colin Bell will be having an extra glass of red to celebrate tonight no doubt.
Wednesday 19th April. A lovely sunny morning but a cold east wind blowing up the river, it did not help the casting or rowing in the Cauld, low water and an upstream wind is never a good combo. Rebecca Campbell was here for the day and despite covering several fish showing in the Slap none would pull the fly, they were jumping over the line at times, nice silver fish as well but it was good to see them, Paul saw a couple well up in the Learmouth stream this morning as well but no action. This afternoon Andrew Campbell covering the same fish in the Slap changed to a wee Red Frances tube and got one third cast, it was a silver fish of around 8lbs. Down the beat on the Back of the wall and the Glide the casting was difficult with the wind blowing the fly back over the line and up the river. I don’t as most of you know like any wind but an east is the worst. Catches were low again today with only one fish reported upstream of us but four reported from the bottom of the river which is good news as they might be with us tomorrow. 1’7” and 48f squeaky clean. There is still a lack of swallows round the beat but I did see my first sandpiper of the year on the croys in the Cauld this morning. Forecast not great for the rest of the week with strong east winds turning to the north on Sunday and getting colder.
Thursday 20th April. A lovely sunny morning but still that cold east wind, 1’6” and 48f on the Lees gauge. Tony Hajimitis was on the Slap/Cauld and hooked a fish in the Slap, sadly it wasn’t on for long as it went back down into the Cauld and pulled the hook. Down on the rest of the beat it was quiet with casting down the Back of the wall/Glide proving to be a challenge in the wind, not that it was anything like a gale just a stiff breeze but out of the east, I’d rather have a gale from the west. I saw a nice fish in the Duddo as we fished it but it either ran on or it wasn’t interested. This afternoon Patience was on the top and covering the Slap well and as a couple of fish went through but again no pulls, in the Cauld a nice fresh fish cleared the water at the bottom croy we fished down to it but never saw it again. Just when I thought the day was going to be a blank Sue Wood arrived back from the bottom end with great news of a fish she had landed in the Bags, it was on her now favourite fly the eternal optimist, she took it on a sinktip right at the top of the pool. Catches very low again, Tillmouth had two so some are creeping in. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Friday 21st April. Another cold day with a strong east wind blowing, if you could find a spot out of the wind and in the sun it wasn’t too bad but sadly it clouded over by lunchtime. 1’6” and 48 degrees today on the Lees gauge. Alan Mowat was on the Slap and cauld and we did see 3 fish in the Slap as we were fishing it, we gave them several flies but no pulls, we had the same result in the Cauldstream. Michael Black here for the day with Crumble his lovely lurcher who’s fur is perfect for tying tan bonefish flies which work was down in Learmouth but couldn’t find a fish either, Jonathon Reddin using his foolproof black and yellow amazingly also failed. Catches were poor to say the least but West Learmouth opposite us managed to find one this afternoon. No hatch to speak of today and no trout to be seen. On the garden front my Kelsae onions are looking good in the polytunnel and my first early spuds are through and have been covered over, I grow them in tubs and buckets so get a very early crop. I need it to warm up so I can get going with a Collie dug and the skimmer.
Saturday 22nd April. What a stinker of a day, cold east wind, rain, dull, a perfect example of dreich. 1’5” and 46 degrees. The wee sandmartins and swallows were struggling to find anything coming down the river to eat today as nothing was hatching. On the fishy front a fish or two showed in the Slap this morning but Graeme Hogg couldn’t tempt them with any of his flies. Barry and Willie here for the day were not keen at all having enjoyed the delights of Kelso’s hostelries into the wee small hours, young Louis had bounced back much quicker and fished hard all day saw one or two fish but again like the rest couldn’t get a pull. This was the story up and down the river with only 4 fish reported for the day on the websites although Junction had one I heard making it 5. So we wait to see if any are going to turn up this spring and the wait next week will not be pleasant as the weather is from the north all week and the midday high is to peak at 7f some days so look out your winter woollies if you are coming to fish. I need to go back to warmer climes.
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©M Campbell 2023
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