Week beginning 17 September 2018
Monday 17th September. 1’9” and 54 degrees but carrying a mucky colour, not brown but that grey murky colour. Team Gould here for the week and once we got rods and lines sorted out it was off round the beat placing the rods in their respective draw. We blanked this morning and didn’t see many fish apart from in the Glide and the Iron Gate area. This afternoon was much the same until around 4.30pm when fish started to show in the Lower Cauld, Malcolm who was wading at the time hooked and lost a fish had a pull then landed a small Grilse, so hopefully the river will have cleared for tomorrow and the fish will be more in a mood to play. Some bad news from across the river, Bob Harrison the Head Ghillie from West Learmouth suffered a stroke at lunchtime, an ambulance was called immediately and he has been taken to the Borders General Hospital, at the moment that's all the information I have, we all wish him a full recovery and a good outcome.
Tuesday 18th September. 1’3” and 56 degrees and beery. I thought we’d get a fish or two from the Cauld and Slap this morning, we did have a brief hold of one on a Collie dug and another boil at it but that was all the action for the top end Jeremy Gould had a pull in Learmouth but the cat that got the cream was Johanna Green getting a 9lber from the Iron Gate. I didn’t see many fish today perhaps 5 or 6 in the Cauld but a few more were seen this afternoon down at the Glide. The wind really picked up this afternoon for a couple of hours and is a hint of things to come as the met office are forecasting severe gales up to 70mph for tomorrow, that will make rowing and casting a tad awkward.
Wednesday 19th September. As forecast by the cheery weathergirl the wind arrived right on the forecast time. We got an hour in before it blew but once it arrived it was not a good idea to be standing outside in it. I started off in Learmouth with Angus but the two rods on the other side had decided they had more right to the stream than I did so we boated the lower half, I advised them that I’d be back to fish the stream later but sadly the wind put paid to that. Down at the Glide whilst changing the fly for Angus a gust of wind blew me flat on my face, it was about then I decided that the inside of the hut was safer than the outside. 1’3” and 56 degrees with a beery tinge which rapidly turned brown due to the waves slapping on the shore. Lunch was had then we made a run through the estate to the main road hoping that a tree or a large limb wouldn’t fall on any of us. The top gauges are rising tonight and it could be the biggest rise since early spring, there’s more rain tomorrow so it finally looks like the big flood will be here at last.
Thursday 20th September. Well it was still windy this morning but nothing like the near hurricane that was blowing yesterday, it has left the place in some mess with branches and limbs all over the place. The river was in flood but not a big one it had left a tide mark on the gauge at 3’6” and was sitting at 3’0” this morning and 50 degrees. The colour was so bad that not even the most optimistic rod would have a cast. There is more rain forecast for late tonight so it could well rise again. It has been the year from hell so far so hopefully once this week is over and all these storms are past we can get on with some proper fishing.
Friday 21st September. 1’11” and 48 degrees and very beery but fishable. Angus was on the Cauld with Paul this morning and had two fish 12lbs and 15lbs so he was a happy boy. I took Jeremy and Rupert down the Back of the wall and Glide and gave Rupert a crash course in spey casting as it was his first time; we did see a few fish but didn’t get a pull. The river was creeping up this morning and checking the gauges at lunchtime there was 4’0” at Roxburgh on the Teviot and the Lees gauge was showing 2’6” and starting to colour. I’m hoping it’ll fish tomorrow but it’ll depend on the colour. It’s been a frustrating week weather wise.
Saturday 22nd September. A settled day at last, the water was very beery/murky first thing this morning, 2’2” and 48 degrees. Rupert Gould was in the boat in the Cauld and soon got to grips with a double spey but no matter how well he cast he had to sit there watching Jeremy Gould getting into fish after fish this morning wading the lower cauld. Jeremy only managed to land two but had others on and many pulls. The rest of the beat was bank but Paul with the other rods down on the glide and back of the wall saw enough fish to keep it interesting, it was the same in the lower cauld where plenty fish were showing. This afternoon Angus was the wading rod and had another two plus pulls whilst Mungo had a brief hold of one in the cauld from the boat. This evening the same Mungo wading the lower cauld hooked and lost 4 fish one which had a bit of weight to it. We could have been into double figures if they’d all stuck on but that’s grilse for you on big rods. It looks settled over the weekend with a bit of a high pressure coming in so Monday could be a good day to be on the river.
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©M Campbell 2018
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