Week beginning 18 August 2013
Monday 19th Team Taylor reported for duty this morning and young Will 13 years was soon into his first ever Salmon on the fly which he promptly lost, but honour was soon restored as he had an 11lber 10 mins later from the Cauld on a wee Cascade. The river was at 1’4” and 56 degs so at last the pools looked like they were worth fishing. Mum (Kai) soon followed suit with a nice fresh 7lber from the Slap and all was looking good until dad (Kevin) returned from Learmouth having scored a blank, we put him into the Cauld for the afternoon thinking he couldn’t fail, but he did! Meanwhile young Will hauled out a brace from Cornhill Bend on fly and Kai had another one from the Back of the wall and lost two, so they all went home happy apart from Kevin who will no doubt have to listen to the fish being caught again over dinner, there’s always tomorrow! Tuesday 20th Another good day considering the water conditions with 7 landed the best being 13lbs which Kai Taylor hooked in Duddo but being a good Mum let son will land it which was good practice in beaching a fish. Wednesday 21st Down to 11” and up to 58 degs still clean, Didn’t expect too many today but managed to land 9 all on fly with Chris Scorer getting 3 and losing one by 11.00am in the Cauld, there were a few showing in the Glide and we lost one there on a wee Toby, then round to the Cornhill Bend where he got one about 7lb. Thursday 22nd A very humid start to the day and the water temp up to 60 degs and it was like throwing a switch, the fish did not want to play today. The Cauld had emptied its self and all the fish seemed to be in the Slap and Temple. Chris got on from the Duddo first thing a nice fresh 6lber and Kevin managed to get on from the Slap just before lunch, mind you there were so many fish in the Slap I think the fish just happened to breathe the fly in by mistake. Kai and will have out fished Kevin yet again its becoming a yearly occurrence. Have just read the entry form for the veg show and now realise that most of my onions are going to be too big as it no more than 12” circumference, silly boy! But there is a section for size and quality trouble there is, too many split, it’s a stressful life in the country. I could have entered the Pumpkin I cut off but Sally (wife) has cut it in half to make chutney! Good news is the Pumpkin that is left is growing in a biblical fashion and bound to win the Pumpkin show in October unless my nemesis from Leitholm has one bigger, carrots are the best ever grown by me, straight and big. Slight problem in the polytunnel a cat is now using it as a toilet! What a fright it’s going to get one of these days. Not much fishing news but there wasn’t much fishing.
Oh aye, John Burgon I know you read this, I got the key this morning after I had to go to the post office to pick it up and pay a fee of £1.19 as a second class stamp won’t do! That’s the last fish out of the Slap for you! Friday 23rd Very muggy humid day the family fishing over the bank holiday (not mine, Andrews) water temp at 60 degs and 11” on the gauge, Andrew got a 3lb Grilse from Learmouth and Alex a 10lb fresh cock from Duddo, spent the rest of the day getting the fleet ready for sail on Tuesday when the Autumn fishing proper starts if we get any water which does not look likely, then home to fuss over onions and admire my pumpkin. The old cockerel met his end today as his cape feathers are required and I have a new one coming tomorrow, an Old English Game just to show I’m not anti English. Guinea fowl eggs due to hatch on Tuesday I have some under a broody bantam and 9 in the incubator at home (sally not too pleased about that). Young Bryan the new Ghillie has found out today that an upstream wind in the Cauld in low water is no fun on the oars. Saturday 24th Another quiet day on the river, one half hearted pull in the ledges was all we had to show for our efforts, fairly heavy rain this afternoon but it’s all in the east so unlikely to affect the river. There was very heavy rain over Coldstream last night but it didn’t move the river either, Temple is full of fish mostly old but they don’t want to play a drop in temperature would bring them on but sorry to say that also looks unlikely, so next week will be wee flees and floating lines again.
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