Week beginning 17 November 2014
Monday 17th November Another damp start with some very heavy showers, we got caught out a bit this morning as the gauges showed the river steady but it was rising at the Lees by lunchtime they showed most of the gauges rising so it was one of those days when the rise started after the gauges had recorded their heights. Team Baker here and traditionally it floods this week apart from last year. After a wee bit of confusion this morning getting kit sorted, people getting lost, wrong boots/coats and the likes we set sail onto the river promptly got soaked and caught nothing. After lunch which was the best part of the day apart from going home we had another look at the river but the colour had worsened and you could actually smell the mud/clay so enough is enough and we packed in, the rods might need the casting practice but I don’t need the rowing practice. It’s to be much drier this week so we should get at something later on. Score for the day 1 rat.
Tuesday 18th November 3’5” and not any cleaner than yesterday afternoon, the team had a lazy morning doing crosswords and snoozing in the hut saving their energies until this afternoon. After lunch we set sail and by 4.00pm a 7lb coloured hen had been caught and returned from the Temple. In the Cauld this afternoon with Barry Morgan we sorted out the world and all its problems, it’s always funny how the conversation comes round to the same things, but we did see a fish and it looked like a springer, right out of the water and big and fit a real bar of silver with a black back, if it wasn’t a Springer I’ll bare my arse in the butchers window next week! But we didn’t touch it, 3’3” is still big water for the Cauld too big really but it was a lovely afternoon. By the back of 4.00pm all the rods had arrived back at the hut. We are using wet 2/3/4 lines with inch and a half tubes anything with a good contrast will do.
Wednesday 19th November A dull colder morning with the odd shower, the team was a tad reluctant to leave the warmth of the hut and the crossword but I shooed them out with a fixed bayonet. By lunchtime we had seen the odd black fish and Kelts but not a pull was had. In the afternoon the rain had stopped and in the Temple with Rodger Baker it was quite nice out of the east wind, Rodger had just said is that far enough with the cast? That’ll do said I, one tweak and a fish was on, not the biggest at 6lbs but fresh as paint and a very welcome sight, we had another pull a few casts later and only caught one leaf. Mike Firth on Upper Temple also got into a fish but managed to shake it off long before the net causing the air to turn blue and I can blame anyone for the odd wee swear. 2’10” this morning much cleaner but the height means we are still stuck on the two top pools of the beat which is becoming a real bore although it means a coffee break is never far away and a chance to warm up the fingers. The rats round the chicken run have taken enough poison to kill a tiger so they must be storing it, I’m now feeding the hens well away from the run and it seems to have done the trick as there’s lots of empty poison bags about, meaning the wee buggers have scoffed it. No rain tonight so the river should be about 2’7” tomorrow the leader is rising but that should run through us tonight but it might leave a wee bit of colour. Big rain is still forecast for Friday night so Saturday is looking doubtful.
Thursday 20th November Well the Leader colour was with us this morning turning the river a mucky grey colour and doing nothing to improve my mood, the 30th November cannot come quick enough, sitting there every day in water thats too big for the Lees and too dirty is not funny anymore, it never is but on top of a shit season its too much, I can hear the cry close the lower river in mid November. You by now have guessed I’m in a bad mood! Just back from Berwick train station and there are a few stars showing so it should/better be a dry night. 2’10” and shity grey colour, we fished all morning and never had so much as a pull there were some Kelts and the odd old salmon jumping, lunch was soon on us and it was the best part of the day as its a Thursday and its pasty day! This afternoon the sun peeked out for a wee while and in the Cauld both Barry and Steven thought they had hooked into a monster fish but had actually hooked each other’s line across the stream, so after much shouting about big fish pulling and Stewart and myself telling one of them to stop winding in I rowed across the stream to get things untangled as Steven seemed to be winning the winding battle. Meanwhile upstream in the Temple the other Stuart fishing with Paul was whooping for joy as he had landed a 10lb fresh fish, whilst on Lower Temple Mike couldn’t believe he couldn’t catch one. It all happens on the Lees! Rodger was the wise old Owl and was having a snooze in the hut, its another day tomorrow.
Friday 21st November A fogy start with a east south east wind blowing 2’6” and 44 degs but much cleaner, so it was onto the Cauld this morning keeping the rods out of casting rage of each other so no more tangles like yesterday. Its been a long time since I had a fish from the Cauld in fact I can’t remember the last time I had one and this morning didn’t threaten the score, so it was soon back to the hut and a nice cup of coffee. The rest of the team faired the same apart from Mike who had been sent on an exploration down to the Back of the wall and Glide, he arrived back at lunchtime with tales of dering do but no fish although he had lost one in the Glide. The fleet set sail again at 14.10 hrs and thrashed away until failing light halted play and again mike was the only one to connect with a fish, two fish in fact, the first coming off after 10 seconds but the next one stayed on and we netted a 14lb clean’ish hen in the Temple. On the wildlife front the Kingfishers have been zipping back and forwards on the Temple, there was a big flock of Golden plover this afternoon and the Canada Geese have flocked off they don’t like the big water as they have to paddle too much, it’s a congregation of Plover by the way. There’s bugger all else to tell you about really, I could make something up about a huge shoal of fish just off the coast or there’s been a Russian/Japanese/Martian trawler working off the coast at Eyemouth (that actually wouldn’t surprise me) but there’s not been any. Rain tonight so will it fish tomorrow? I’ll tell you tomorrow.
Saturday 22nd November The nicest weather of the week so far but we had a rising river yet again, 2’5” and 44 degs. In the Cauld this morning with Steven Morgan it was almost shirt sleeve order which took our minds off the fishing as the Cauld was up to its recent high standard and we never had so much as a pull. On the temple Rodger Baker landed his first Kelt of the year 4lb soaking wet and Mike firth blanked, Stuart arrived back from the Back of the wall and told tales of an epic struggle with a 5lb clean’ish hen, that was it for the morning. Over lunch the lads took stock of the morning and the prospects for the afternoon and decided to head for home, some of them having a long drive home, Stuart having to motor as far as Kent! So 5 for the week, not the best week the lads have had but just wait until next year when there will be 1000’s of fish grabbing every fly that goes by.
No Photos this week as I didn’t take any.
© M Campbell 2014
our twitter feed