Week beginning 17 July 2017
Monday 17th July. A cracking summer day, no use when trying to catch a salmon but a cracking day just the same. John Okell and Graham were first to arrive and I got them signed in and did the usual talk through lines, flies etc and that’s when John discovered he’d locked his keys inside the car, or rather the car had locked itself. It’s one of those electric cars all singing and dancing type of thing and so it was. I was about to suggest a brick through a side window but John borrowed my phone phoned up the customer care people and they unlocked it from Maidenhead, that's technology for you. Tim Coupe turned up today as well, so the three of them got stuck into the fishing, Graham had a pull off the point in Learmouth and Tim had a pull in the Cauldstream on a wee bottle tube that was all the action for the day. Forecast is another scorcher tomorrow so I can’t see any big scores coming up. Got the paths cut and a bit of strimming done before it got too hot.
Tuesday 18th July. Another hot sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, this of course did nothing to help the fishing but the lads gave it a good go anyway. They covered the whole beat apart from the Bags and the Annay as Cornhill have been doing some bank reinforcement and the water is a bit muddy down there. There were some fish showing in the Slap and the Iron gate but we couldn’t tempt them with any sort of fly. Looking at the websites tonight the catches are slim to say the least. The weather is to change tomorrow back to cooler fresher with the chance of a shower or two, so that should help things, a wee lift of water would be better.
Wednesday 19th July. What a difference a day makes yesterday 26 degrees and blue skies and today it’s almost cold with grey dull skies and an east wind. Trish and John Burgon here along with Tony D. Trish was first onto the Slap and had a fish on the bank by the time I’d been down the beat with Tony showing him where to fish, it was a fresh 9lber with a bit of a red vent, it was on an intermediate tip and a wee (very wee monkey). Richard down at Learmouth stream lost a good fish when trying to beach it, that’s what keeps it exciting, it’s not your fish until you have in the net or hands on.
Thursday 20th July. A more overcast sort of day with a light westerly wind. 11” and 60 degrees. Tony reported having a couple of pulls in the back of the wall and Richard had an old 12lber from the Slap. Trish Burgon (Slap Queen) failed today as far as I know as I’ve been strimming and didn’t see the rods when they left; the catches are nothing startling just the odd ones here and there. Worrying news is that a pink salmon has been caught on the river and reports from other rivers that one or two are being caught. If you get one KILL it and report the capture to the Tweed Foundation.
Friday 21st July. Nigel Houldsworth and team here for two days so Paul was going to have his hands full. Barry Green wasted no time and had a liced 10lber from Learmouth stream before lunch, whilst Simon Blaydon who’d turned up late popped down to the Glide and landed a 14lb licer which he returned. Simon hasn’t fished the Lees since I was a laddie and that wasn’t yesterday, he obviously hasn’t lost his touch. Nigel the ever genial host zoomed around the beat trying to find a fish and failed, he almost had one in the Glide getting a pull almost straight away but was kind enough to leave it for Simon. 11” and 58 degrees today with an east wind about the place. The forecast is wet tomorrow and Sunday then wind from the north on Monday; it might just help to bring some more in as long as it doesn’t forget to stop. I got the Bags strimmed this morning so no excuses for not giving it a go at this height it has a lovely stream at the top and we do catch fish there, you have to fish it though.
Saturday 22nd July. Rain, rain and more rain, surprisingly there next to nothing showing on the gauges tonight. A blank day at the Lees as I’ve not heard of any captures. Forecast for rain from the east tomorrow. We could do with a wee lift, not too much just a foot or so would do. Latest – a 12lb fish caught in Learmouth stream in the evening.
Sunday 23rd July. I’m amazed that the river is not big and brown this morning, there is a wee bit of water coming down but nothing of any note. Rain forecast today but its coming in from the east so might not do much to the river.
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