Week beginning 18 April 2016
Monday 18th April. Well it was warmer today than of late and the sun was out for a change, but and theres always a but it was blowing a bloody hoolie down the river. 20 and 44 degs. 3 new rods on the Lees today and 1 regular in the shape of Jonathon Pearce, the new team led by Rob Park had a wee grumble about it being cold (should have tried it last week)but were soon into the swing of things. With a North West wind the only easy places are the south bank of the Cauld and the Glide area, its blowing downstream at the top and upstream at the bottom so a bit of a challenge. Ill keep the fishy bit short; we never saw a fish or had a pull all day. There were 20 or so fish reported off the river today all above us the nearest being at South wark, itll be our turn tomorrow. The Osprey was over the Glide being mobbed by Crows, no hatch today and no trout rising. Forecast much calmer tomorrow (bloody well better be) and calm until Friday then into the north again and much colder. Thats us struggled to 3 so far this month and the April average is 21 so the next two weeks are going to be good.
Tuesday 19th April. Well we started to attack the April average today, as it was over 210 (spinning permitted) I took Jonathon Pearce up the Temple with a 20g Toby and we had two, yes two tide liced springers, both at the top end and well across the pool, you wouldnt have covered them with a fly, well some might but its a long way over and it was flat calm and bright sunshine for a change, we did see another couple but no more pulls. Full of bravado and cant fail now its a numbers game we then tackled the Cauld but were soon brought back to ground as we never saw a fish or touched one despite showing them the sunray. The other lads fishing round the beat didnt see a thing either; there was a wee hatch and the very odd trout rising but nothing to get excited about. Two otters in the Temple this morning and a few pairs of sandpipers courting like mad round the beat , the sandmartins are busy excavating nests at Cornhill bend so its all go on the river. 16 fish across the web sites. First early potatoes are in the ground at last and the new log store is almost complete so all is well. Another sunny calm day forecast tomorrow which is great.
Wednesday 20th April. Another lovely day, some of the rods might be moaning that its now too bright but after the spring thats been so far the sun for me is very welcome. As far as the fishing goes today we never had a touch but a fish was seen in the Slap and one in Learmouth. There was a very brief hatch and a even briefer rise, I had my trout rod at the ready with a dry March Brown on the end and had a couple of casts at the back of the wall but the trout were mega spooky and I never had a rise. 16 fish or so reported on the websites, top beat being Sprouston with 5 all caught this morning from one pool so well done the lucky lad who was fishing there. 19 and 46 degs squeaky clean. I even tried the skimmer in the Cauld this afternoon but if theres nothing there then nothing is going to rise to it. We have a pair of tree sparrows nesting in one of the boxes on the drive (a rare event Im told) mind you Ive never looked for them but Carol (fishers wife) tells me they are becoming a very rare sight.
Thursday 21st April. Another lovely day out on the river although some might not agree. Jonathon Pearce was up the top end this morning and a fish had been seen in the Slap so we set about it with a fair degree of vigour, first a dressed treble, nothing, then a wee copper tube, nothing, only one thing left a muckle sunray and first cast a boil then a pull and it was off but at least it was a bit of action albeit brief. The Cauld has been a bit disappointing we gave it the lot even a skimmer but never had a touch or saw anything. 17 and 48 degs and as clear as gin. Andrew was casting like a demon today with his circle c cast and was threatening to hook the far bank; Mike seeing that he couldnt compete settled for a dram and a very large cigar and just enjoyed the day. We were joined today by David walker who lives in the hills where the hares are still white till July but even David with all his year flogging the Tweed couldnt get a pull. There was just the odd March Brown coming down around 11.30am and very few trout taking them, the otter was having fun in the Temple and this afternoon the osprey was successful in the cauld. By 2.00pm a bit of a stiff east/north east wind got up and the middle of the beat was proving to be a challenge even to Andrew and his circle c. 15 fish reported across the web sites so not really a big day but enough to keep up the interest. I popped up to Kelso this morning first thing and saw a dead Hedgehog on the road by the graveyard which is appropriate I suppose but thats the first Hedgehog Ive seen in ages, years ago they were lying squashed all over the place about 5 or 6 to the mile, now none, the bloody Badgers have eaten them all they never seem to mention that on springwatch. Theres supposed to be a green moon tonight so Im off for a look. Itll be better tomorrow.
Friday 22nd April. Well the moon wasnt green it was a full moon but not a green moon. 17 and 48 degrees squeaky clean you couldnt get it better in April on the Lees but the fish didnt care as is the case of late they all went zooming past us to Kelso and Lower Floors in particular who had 8 before lunch and ended with 9 for the day lucky boys. We did see a couple in the Slap and at lunchtime when some March Browns were coming down there were several Seatrout rising in the Slap taking the flies, I sneaked along the cauld with trout rod at the ready but long before I got there they had gone. The lads fished their way round the beat with due care casting to the far bank all day and not a wind knot between them, Jonathon had a wee pull from something in the Ledges but that was it for the day. The Osprey was with us most of the day and certainly caught more than us. There was a walker out bird spotting who spent an age looking at a heron on the cauld with me in the boat trying to tell him to look behind him as the Osprey was diving down and took a fish right behind him, it was a bit like that advert for Kit kats with the pandas, if youve seen it youll know what I mean. So well keep trying and hope that something stops with us if they dont well keep trying anyway.
Saturday 23rd April. A bright day with the odd shower but the wind from the north had us all puting on extra layers. There were fish in the Slap this morning at least two of them so Sandy Lang had a few chucks at them but we couldnt tempt them, the other lads led by Michael Black fished their way round the beat with the same success us sandy. This afternoon Michael was on the Cauld and landed his first fish of the 2016 season a fresh 6lber with a wee bit of seal damage, Doug down on Learmouth also had a fish on but it wasnt to be as after a couple of minutes it was off again it took a 1 black and yellow copper tube. Just before 5.00 Sandy was on the Slap croy casting at the fish that were still showing to we changed to a sunray and had a big boil and a bow wave first cast but no pull. The river is in cracking order at the moment and if some fish stop with us we will be playing a numbers game next week (I hope). Photo showing the gravel at Learmouth.
M Campbell 2016
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