Week beginning 19 May 2014
Monday 19th May A lovely calm start and warm maybe too warm, 1’4” and 59 degs. Team Germany reported for duty and were soon on the water, Peter drew the Slap and the Cauld and had a fish up at the fly in the Slap after a few casts but it just hung in the current short of the fly and never pulled it and that was it, there were fish showing in the Slap all day and we saw some fish in the Cauld which is the first time this year thats happened but we couldn’t touch them no matter what we tried. There were also some good Seatrout splashing about but no pulls from them either an east wind was blowing as the heat built and casting was becoming a problem, so the lads are going to give it a go tonight when conditions should be better, I took the water temp at 4.00pm and it read 64 degs so a bit on the toasty side.
Tuesday 20th May A much different day, dull with a north east wind, Stefan first on to the Slap and up came a fish on his third cast looked at the fly and went down again, Martin had a splash at a skimmer in Cornhill bend then later a boil at a wee fly in the Slap. In the afternoon Carsten came back from Learmouth and I asked if he had seen any fish “nine” was the reply, and you didn’t touch any? I’d of thought he’d of at least had a pull seeing “nine” fish. Mark had a 2lb Seatrout in the tail o the Cauld last night and Martin a good pull in the Ledges so they are going to fish the same tonight as its out of that cold wind at least. Upper floors popped out a text to one person that they’d had five fish this afternoon it was round the river quicker than a dose of the shits in a dodgy curry house, so I popped one out saying we’d had a 35lb Seatrout same result! Wait till you see it on the websites before you believe it! I had a cast in the Cauld at 9.00pm with the skimmer but gave up as the flies were so thick in the air I could hardly open my eyes or breathe so gave up.
Wednesday 21st May A hot sunny day and very bright with a strong wind this morning from the south west, Carsten on the Slap and was struggling against the wind so I took the boat across and fished it from far side, not that it made any difference, we tried everything legal from #12 to 6” Sunrays but nothing, the Cauldstream was the same. The afternoon was spent popping off Carrion crows that were eating a rotten Salmon on the other bank. Rain forecast for tomorrow and it looks heavy below us but not so much up here.
Thursday 22nd May A very wet morning and cold north wind as well but that didn’t deter our lads they are made of stronger stuff than let a wee bit of rain put them off. 1’3” and 56 degs wee tinge of colour, Martin Tewes first onto the Slap and had a fish rise to the fly on his third cast so a quick switch to a sink tip and the fish was soon on and away down through the Slap after a bit of a tussle and myself moaning about getting wet we soon had it in the net, a nice 9lb clean fish. That was the only pull for the day. The rain stopped in the afternoon and we had a lovely BBQ in the evening which lasted till about 11.00pm then off to bed as Martin and Mark have been up every morning at 4.00am to go stalking.
Friday 23rd May A dry start but a really cold north wind blowing, 1’5” and 54 degs and much darker. A couple of boils at the fly in the Slap for Stefan and a very quick pull in the Cauld for Carsten which was a bit Trouty, or maybe Seatrout. Peter came back from Duddo this afternoon quiet excited as he’d had a hold of a fish on a Sunray at the top end. It’s very very quiet in fact we are racing towards it being our worst spring ever, I for one will be very pleased when it’s over. Saturday24th May Another cold day with a strong north wind blowing and showers making it feel more like February, Carsten was on the Slap and a few casts with a slow sink tip, nothing, then on to a fast sink tip and a fish was on, a nice fish about 9-10lbs which fought hard shaking its head a lot, then disaster the line snapped!!!! It’s that bloody fluorocarbon, 16lb breaking strain and I will not be using it again, there’s no way it should break like that, maxima never breaks! When fish are so scarce that’s the last thing you want to happen so all my fluorocarbon went into the back of the fire. The same thing happened a year or two back but I was told it was a back batch; we lost several fish one autumn with it breaking and not under a lot of pressure. Anyway the rest of the day was fairly quiet, Peter had a pull in Duddo again I’m told in the afternoon, I was at Hawick common riding Mosspaul rideout which is a big ride 31 miles over the hills and it pissed down, I’m surprised the river is not up as the roads were awash round Hawick last night. So only one fish for the week but the lads are back for three days in late September, so they’ll catch up then. There must of been a few fresh fish went through Friday night/Saturday morning as there were a few caught round about.
The photos this week are the lads getting out of the sun on Wednesday and planning their evening attack. The flies on Tuesday night and a few horses.
©M Campbell 2014
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