Week beginning 17 March 2014
Monday 17th 1’11” and 46 degs nice clean water. Team Battersby reported for duty and after a bit of confusion sorting out fly lines and reels we got them onto the water. John had a hold of two things in the Cauld we never saw them and they were not on long enough to say Springer or Kelt so who knows but at least it was a bit of action. Steve Battersby was up to his usual tricks as he arrived back at the hut with a fly stuck through his waders and he had fallen in at the Otter stones, Steve has fallen into every pool apart from the Annay over the years some of them twice on the same trip, when ask about the fall he replied I tripped over those rocks you warned me about! The two young Otters have both been attacked and are now on their own, was it the dog Otter chasing them off so the bitch comes into season or is it the Bitch Otter herself? Either way its tough love as one of them has lost an eye and they are both well chewed up around the face. We ended the day with nothing landed and only saw one splash in the tail of the Cauld. There was a hatch of dark olives today but no trout rising to them. Tuesday 18th 1’10” and 46 degs, clean bit on the windy side again, the young Otter is still with us and there was a bigger one in the Temple which the young one was giving a wide berth which is no wonder after it had the shit kicked out of it. Gave Brian a run through the Cauld with the fly but not a touch was had and nothing seen, the rest of the team thrashed the beat from top to bottom but with the same result. Steve had us worried as he planned to fish the Bags knowing his love of falling in but he managed to stay dry all morning. The excitement of the day was getting another visit from a Seal this afternoon just as Steve was about to fish the Cauld, he had to watch the seal fish it before him and catch a nice fish about 7lb which it ripped to bits and ate something which doesn’t fill you with confidence, after seeing Steve’s glowing face it headed off downstream at speed, so let’s hope that’s the last we see of it. We did see another fish in the Glide and one in the back of the wall so here’s hoping for tomorrow. Wednesday 19th No Seals, no fish, no Otters and blew a hoolie all day that about sums it up, 1’11” 46 degs clean. It was a full gale all day no fun trying to fish in that, three of the lads gave up at lunchtime but that might of been Steve’s BBQ to blame not the gale, John carried on till 4.30 but threw in the towel. The wind is nobody’s friend; I know some rods say they like a wind it puts a ripple on the top (that’s just to hide their bad casting), give me flat calm every day, want a ripple go and fish the streams. And now its rain and wind tomorrow, want to see a grumpy Ghillie you know where to come. Thursday 20th Well its grumpy Ghillie time, it blew an absolute hoolie this morning the top end of the beat was unfishable and the middle not much better, the Bags and the Annay were fine. Kevin and Allan who had been battered to bits all morning left for home after lunch whilst George and Stuart stuck it out till 5.00pm the wind did drop and I managed to get the boat out for a run through the Cauld with the fly which helped us to increase our catch nothing, but we did see a fish which sent a ripple of excitement as far as Sprouston. The top gauges are rising tonight so I expect it to be dirty tomorrow morning. Friday 21st 3’6” and brown 42 degs with a stiff west wind blowing down the river, much colder today, two of the lads had phoned to say they wouldn’t be turning up for duty today, two did turn up had a cup of coffee a bleather then set off to Coldingham Loch to have a go at the rainbows, more rain forecast for tonight so tomorrow could be out as well, it really needs to settle down, I’m getting fed up looking for fish that are not there in brown big water with a gale blowing, that’s us heading towards the end of March and we are still only on three fish what a bugger. Saturday 22nd 3’6” or something like that, can’t be arsed to look at it, just when the river was getting down to our sort of height up it goes again, very brown as well, all the rods had wisely decided not travel. So that was a poor week! Nothing there when we could fish, gales that knocked you over and floods that’s why I’m not keen on Spring fishing unless its flat calm and sunny, mild with fish heading and tailing in the tail of the Cauld at around 1’9” and 48-50 degs, I would like to think it will be that next week but there’s a big lump of blue behind the weatherman which looks like its for us on Monday sometime. It’s enough to drive a Ghillie to drink so I’m off for a very large Laphroigh which makes Sally screw her nose up. There’s aye next week!
Photos are of Allan and Kevin trying to stay upright in the back of the wall and the other one is looking up the Temple and vey brown water.
© M Campbell 2014
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