Week beginning 18 April 2022
Monday 18th April. Bit cooler today with a westerly wind, 1’2” and 53 degrees. It is getting a bit on the low side now but fresh fish are still scooting past us, I think the only way to stop them would be a sheet of weldmesh in the Slap but that could cause a bit of trouble. Liz Sanderson was here with hubby Russell today and Liz was the lucky lady getting a liced 12lber from the Slap first thing, one of those Monday morning fish. Liz (who I know she won’t mind me saying is not in the first flush of youth) was delighted with her fish which she caught using a floating line with a 5’0” fast sinktip. Nigel Houldsworth was also with us today and despite casting for miles and tweaking for all he was worth couldn’t tempt a fish. We saw a nice silver fish in the Glide this morning which showed a couple of times just below the point. This afternoon the osprey gave us a fishing display in the Cauld diving down from a great height. A lovely fresh fish showed in the Cauld but just the once so it was maybe a traveller, we even unleashed a large Collie dug but nothing moved to it. I’m still waiting to see my first swallow, there are some about I’ve just not seen one.
Tuesday 19th April. Bit fresher today as wind coming from the east, water temp beck to 48 degrees and 1’2” on the gauge. David Sanderson here for a couple of days along with Sue Wood, Andrew Campbell and Anthony Hajimitas. It a good strong team for next few days which is what’s needed as the fish are not playing ball with us and are still scooting past us even at this low height, Rutherford had 5 today and we couldn’t get a pull. There is a resident in the Slap on the far corner and I was hoping it would decoy a few fresh ones to hang around with it but it hasn’t, it’s maybe not a friendly fish and the new ones coming in are told to sod off. We did see some fresh fish in the Slap as we were fishing it but not a sniff was had. Fish were showing in the Learmouth stream and we saw a decent one in the Glide but they are oblivious to the flies we throw at them at the moment. The smolt run will be starting anytime soon so I went out to count some goosanders tonight; it was flat calm and getting cold so I hung around to see if any fish were going through the shallows but didn’t see any. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Wednesday 20th April. It was a lovely day as long as you were in the sun and out of the east wind that was with us. 1’2” and 46 degrees squeaky clean water. Not much to report today, Sue Wood had a fish lunge at her wee black tube in the Bags but missed, I was on top of the bank looking down and saw the whole thing as the fish appeared out of the depths, she almost had another in the Slap this afternoon as one had a boil at a large collie dug, we tried it in the Cauld but moved nothing, that Cauldstream s disappointing so far this year, since I started back on 1st April I’ve only had a hold of the one fish. Catches across the river were down but a few were caught below us with is encouraging. The sandpiper showed up today on his return from warmer climes and immediately set about his courtship display, singing his head off flying round and round the Cauld, I didn’t see any sign of a hen bird so he’ll have to keep singing more and possibly louder. Forecast much the same for next few days.
Thursday 21st April. A colder day today with a stronger east wind, the sun was out which made all the difference if you were in the sun and out of the wind. Colin Matheson joined us for the day and he was up top. He started in the Slap as you do and there were one or two fish showing but none pulling, we saw a nice fish in the Cauld opposite the top croy left bank, just on the sweet spot so into the Cauld it was. We went down with a bottle tube first being careful not to take the boat down too far and push the fish off the lie, nothing doing, it was then the turn of a big sunray and as soon as it reached the fishy area it was grabbed, the fish stayed on for maybe 20 seconds which seems like a lifetime when you are on the other end then it through the hook. No more action to report today and catches on the river were really low with only 4 being reported. Cornhill got one out of the Duddo first thing on a fly. An oyster catcher has nested at the Duddo far enough away from the river to be safe apart from a larger flood, the trouble is there is always someone round about there so it’ll will never get the eggs incubated in this cold so I doubt if they will hatch, the carrion crow will likely have them as well, mind you there are two less carrions this week on the Lees. The wee sandpiper is looking for a mate and was busy flitting about cheeping today, I’ll keep you posted on its love life success.
Friday 22nd April. Weather the same as yesterday with cloudy skies until lunchtime then out pops the sun but that east wind is always with us. 1’0” on the gauge and 50 degrees today. Jonathon Reddin joined us today as well as Michael Black with pal James and Billy Brundon also here. This morning Michael shook off the only fish of the morning which was on a sunray in Cornhill bend (more about Michael and sunrays later). There was a fish or tow going through the Slap but not stopping to give us a pull. This afternoon after his usual snooze down at the Glide Jonathon Reddin got to work with his wee black n yellow tube and in no time had a fish landed which would be over 20lbs but was happy to call it 20lb for the book, it was a belter, there is a photo on instagram but it doesn’t do it justice, just before the trophy photo was taken the fish slipped out of the net and was away. Back to Michael and that sunray, he was on the Slap croy and pulling a large sunray across when he stopped to look down at his reel/line and of course that’s when the fish came but as the fly had stopped it turned away, me shouting strip strip and Michael left to look at the boil on the surface where the fish once was. No more action for the day apart from our little friend the sandpiper who has now attracted a female but also another male so the Cauld was busy with little birds chasing each other which the odd stop for a fight.
Saturday 22nd April. Grey skies and a very cold east wind today, 1’0” and 50 degrees. It was Kelso versus Cumbria today with Jonathon Reddin and Graeme Hogg representing Kelso and brothers Willie and Barry Williamson casting for Cumbria, by close of play honours were even on fish landed but Cumbria took the cup with a fish lost. Willie lost a fish up at the top of the Bags on a Dee monkey fly which was the only pull of the day. This morning on the Slap and Cauld there were a few fish showing we even saw one in the Cauld, well I didn’t see the fish but rather saw the splash as it went back in, it looked like someone had thrown in a paving stone going by the size of the splash. The middle part of the beat was very unpleasant due to the wind with a wave at the top of the back of the wall and trying to cover the Glide was hard work. 8 fish reported minus any that Junction and Sprouston might have had and they were well spread from Ladykirk to Bemersyde. I have at last seen a swallow but not on the river it was flying in and out of a neighbour’s garage on my street. Forecast for next week is more winds but it is to turn into the north brrrrr!
As ever follow tweedbeats on instagram for latest pics and clips
©M Campbell 2022
our twitter feed