Week beginning 19 February 2018
Monday 19th February. A damp start combined with a rising river doesn’t make for a good start to the new week. 2’11” at 9.00am and 4’4” late afternoon. Richard Harrison and Clancy chucked a Toby off the cauld bank for a while until Clancy fell in which ended play for the day. There is another band of rain going through tonight/tomorrow morning which will not help then dry for the rest of the week after that. No fish reported off the river today.
Tuesday 20th February. It was a lovely day today apart from the river being too big and carrying a fair bit of colour. Clancy and Richard had a few casts off the cauld bank and on the plus side Clancy didn’t fall in. The sun shone and had a wee bit of heat in it, the river was dropping slowly, one mole in the traps and two rats, I gathered 6 eggs from the hens so it’s not all bad. 1 fish reported off the river today from Upper Floors (being above the Teviot helps).
Wednesday 21st February. A lovely day out on the river with no wind and clear blue skies. 2’9” and 36 degrees. Clancy had a Seatrout Kelt from the Ledges quite a fat one at that but man of the moment was Graeme Whitty who landed our first springer of the season, the fish was a 7lb licer from the Temple and took a black and yellow tube fished on a sinking line, there were 3 other fish reported across the websites and a seatrout from Upper North Wark. The weathergirl is still telling me that the beast from the east is coming this weekend and all next week along with some very cold temperatures.
Thursday 22nd February. It was cold, very cold this morning with a thick freezing fog. We were joined today by George and Oliver Farr who were on the Lees for the first time and were keen to see the beat, they couldn’t see much of the beat this morning because of the fog but young Oliver soon had a salmon kelt which was the total catch for the day. The sun peeked out at lunchtime which lifted the temp a couple of degrees.2’7” this morning and 36 degrees. 5 fish reported off the river the closest being at Birgham Dub. Going to be a hard frost tonight again which will help to drop the river a bit more.
Friday 23rd February. 6 fish reported off the river today, sadly none from the Lees but they are getting closer as the levels keep dropping, South Wark getting two today and Lower North getting one, all three came from the willows pool. The remnants of Team Harper left this morning after a quick run through the Cauld by Graeme but no pulls were had, they’ll be back in April when things should be much improved. Young Ollie Farr held the fort until the cold forced him out the water this afternoon. A Cormorant decided to dry it’s wings on the Slap croy this afternoon and it’s now away to get it’s stomach contents analysed (all done under licence before anyone starts complaining). Cold weather looks like it’s to be here until the end of May by the way the weather girl is talking, next weeks rods had better pack their winter woollies.
Saturday 24th February. Never mind the fishing, what a game of rugby that was. If we only had one team to beat that was the one. Anyway the fishing, 2’1” and 36 degrees and sunny, it was bloody cold though with a south east wind blowing straight up the river. Richie Gallagher was with us today along with Ian Jones and his two sons Scott and Ross, Ian had a wee well mended kelt from the Cauld and Ross had a couple of Kelts from the Learmouth stream. Still no sign of any fish stopping on the beat but with the forecast the river will keep dropping so maybe next week if we’re not snowed in. The skylarks were singing down the back of the wall this morning, what a fright they are in for next week.
©M Campbell 2018
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