Week beginning 18 May 2015
Monday 18th May The other two German international team members turned up today and immediately got stuck into the fishing, Martin Tewes drew the Slap and Cauld so the others congratulated him through gritted teeth but it was not to be as Martin had a blank, we did see fish in the Slap, a mix of old and new but no takers, we also saw a fish in the Cauld along with a small Seatrout. The rest of the team spread out round the beat but despite their efforts nothing was caught or seen for that matter. 1’7” and 50 degs with the odd heavy shower, so perfect conditions really. This afternoon Martin was on Learmouth stream had a pull then a few casts later another one which stuck on this time and turned into a lovely liced 8lber, a few casts later and a 10lber followed that, along with seeing a couple of other fish showing in the stream. The river was up 2” by 5.00pm nothing to worry about and the websites tonight are showing fish caught below us which I always like to see.
Tuesday 19th May 1’9” and rising up to 1’11” so nothing to worry about but it affected the fish as we only saw one fish in the Cauld and one in the Slap. Stefan connected with something bigger in the Back of the wall but it didn’t stay on long enough to say what it was. This afternoon a thunder storm hung over us all afternoon with heavy showers, which complemented the hail storm that fell on Martin this morning when he was fishing Cornhill bend leaving an inch of hail on the ground and yet we never had a drop at the hut, now thats what you call localised. There were some cracking Trout rising in the Glide this afternoon but nobody had a Trout rod to take advantage of them. The weatherman is now saying sunshine tomorrow and less wind so I’m looking forward to it. Martin Tewes was the cat that got the cream yet again as tonight he had one cast in the Slap and hooked a liced 8lber, the Slap is that sort of place 100 casts, nothing, then someone comes along and one cast gets one.
Wednesday 20th May A nicer day today a bit warmer and a bit less wind. 1’9” and 50 degs with a beery tinge. Carsten was on the Slap and Cauld first thing and despite his best efforts we never had a pull, we did see one in the Slap and a big splash way down the Cauld but no action. There was a clutch of about 8 wee ducklings on the Cauld this morning but no sign of the mother which is very strange, if mum doesn’t turn up there’s not much hope for them as the cold at night will get them if not that then the Heron or Crows. Martin (Lucky boy Tewes) on the Back of the Wall this morning landed a liced 8lber on the same fly he’s been using all week, a sort of deconstructed Willie Gunn affair, but it works for him, he also had a pull in the glide. As it was dry and sunny i got some grass cut and mole traps out along with spraying more Hogweed. The beat round Kelso are having a beano again as the fish don’t seem to know that they can stop at the Lees if they want. No trout rising today maybe too bright.
Thursday 21st May The top end of the beat is a bit of a letdown with the Slap and Cauld being very quiet today as it’s in perfect condition apart from the bloody wind. The bottom of the beat however today was the place to be, Carsten fishing Cornhill bend had a fish come twice to the Sunray giving both of us a fright each time when there was a big splashy rise. In the afternoon Stefan armed with this information and not liking the wind on the top half fished Cornhill bend and landed a nice 7lber and lost another, Martin who likes the wind was on the Back of the Wall and managed to shake off a fish in the same weight class after it had tried it’s hardest to get hooked giving him a pull for three consecutive casts, bit careless really. There’s more fish about now than I’ve seen all spring and its about bloody time. 1’6” and 50 degs with just the slightest tinge of colour and that F##%#@g wind!
Friday 22nd May Another windy day but warmer, 1’6” and 52 degs clean. Very quiet at the top end with only one fish seen in the Slap, strange how things go as the Cauld has been the top pool all spring but this week we have had 6 fish and not a pull in the Cauld. There were a couple in the Bags and Martin Tewes had a nice liced 5lber from Cornhill bend and saw a better fish. One splash at a Sunray in the Glide made up the action for the day apart from two moles and a Squirrel. As I write this the wind has dropped and the lads are going to see if there are any Seatrout about, it’s the most promising night this season so far being warmer and cloudy.
Saturday 23rd May It’s the sort of day I like being a Ghillie, warm sunny and no bloody wind, 1’5” 54 degs clean. Carsten had to leave at lunchtime so he fished the top end without any success sadly; Martin and Stefan fished down the rest of the beat with Stefan off like a Ferret down a Rabbit hole when he realised he had Cornhill Bend to himself, we saw fish in the Bags, Duddo a Seatrout in Cornhill Bend another salmon in the Glide so fish all over the place (only 3 really). Flipper(west Learmouth Ghillie) sent me a text saying Martin was into a fish in the stream, by the time we got there he had it landed and had been assisted by a local trout angler, which it turns out was the worst thing that could of happened as despite Martins protests about being more than capable of landing it himself the trout angler helped out and grabbed the fish so hard by the head/gills that his thumb went inside the gills and split them, result, the fish bled to death! I then thanked the trout angler and gave him some advice on fish handling and care; I also gave him some advice as to where he should go. So a good week just a shame we had to wait until the end of the spring season before we started to see fish in numbers and managed to catch some, others would say it was the quality of the rods this week. The score for the day is 1 salmon @16lbs, 1 Carrion Crow, 2 Moles, none liced but all dead. The last week of spring lets is upon us and I can’t say I’m sad to see the back of this spring, to sum it up in three words, it was shit! It’ll be netter next week.
© M Campbell 2015
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