Week beginning 19 September 2022
Monday 19th September. A quiet sort of day with not a breath of wind and an overcast sky, 9” and 52 degrees. Team Gould here for the week, Joanna Green was on the Slap and cauld this morning and after trying the Slap with a normal fly we popped on a large sunray on a floater with a inter sinktip, first cast she had a 10lber on the end which took very aggressively, she soon had it to the bank and away again, thats one thing about fishing with a single it makes release so much easier. Jeremy Gould was down on Learmouth stream and couldn’t manage the dizzy scores of last week but did get one around 8lbs. Tim was top dog getting two fish out of the Bags both at 5lbs one of them was a clean fish. Catches over the river were down apart from Ladykirk, a few fish must have pushed upstream a bit as there was a bigger spread of reports, not many but at least the beats upstream had a wee bit of action. Also I think a lot of beats had either not fished or had fished up until mid day then gone to see the Queens funeral.
Tuesday 20th September. A warmer day today and calm with the water temp up to 54 which is going the wrong way to keep the fish chasing the fly. We blanked this morning and didn’t see all that many fish, this afternoon Jeremy Gould had a 3lb coloured grilse from the Slap which when I netted it I thought the hook was out in the net so I just tipped it back in without handling it, the hook wasn’t out so I had to land it again poor beast, I didn’t credit Jeremy with landing two fish though. Angus had an 8lb hen from Learmouth and that was it for the day. I saw a photo of a brand new fish caught at Boathouse by Crispen Rodwell, thats the first decent fresh fish I’ve seen in months, we had one last Monday but it only weighed a pound soaking wet so hardly counts. Ladykirk led the charge again today reporting 13 a bit down on last week’s daily totals but still decent. Upstream of us some fish are now being caught, just one or two on a few beats but it shows where our fish have gone, trouble is none have moved up to replace them. Maybe tomorrow.
Wednesday 21st September. The gauge was reading 6” this morning and the temp was 54f which is both going the wrong way. There is a lack of fish on the beat now and it’s noticeable that beats upstream that were catching nothing are now getting a fish or two, sadly the water dropping and temps rising have encouraged nothing to move up from the Ladykirk area. Jeremy had an old 8lb hen in Learmouth this morning and Tim lost a fish in the Slap this afternoon that was all the action today. No reports of any run of fresh or clean fish anywhere on the river. A bit of rain about tomorrow but I doubt it’ll do much for us as most of it is very far west and breaking up as it comes across, that was the last forecast I looked at hopefully it’ll change as the night goes on.
Thursday 22nd September. Light rain until 4.00pm but it had been heavier in the west and the top gauge of the Tweed was rising by lunchtime. 4” and 56f on the Lees gauge. Tim Lawson had the only fish of the day which came from Learmouth; he did lose another after it got a bit snagged up above the Slap croy. The rest of the beat was very quiet with few fish showing. Today’s new rod “The Vole” gave us a bit of a laugh when he pulled up and Andrew and Jane’s house and enquired if that was the fishing hut! He must see some grand fishing huts wherever he goes.
Friday 23rd September. 7” this morning and rising 52f. Hugo Straker arrived today to join the team and a good job he did as he caught the only two fish, the first in the Cauld just before the rise got to us, a floater with a 10’0” slow sinktip and a weighted gold conehead was the fly, the fish was a 7lb coloured hen, second fish was an8lb hen from the Glide late afternoon as the river had settled at 1’3” and the weed had dropped out. Hopefully this rise will get to Ladykirk tonight and encourage those fish up the river.
Saturday 24th September. 11” and 52 f at the Lees this morning the sun was shining and all was right apart from the fact the fish downstream haven’t arrived up here after the wee lift of water. Hugo had a wee 3lb grilse from the Duddo but that was all this morning’s action, this afternoon Jeremy lost a fish in the Glide and Angus on his last cast of the day lost a fish in the Slap on a red frances, not to be one to be beaten he persevered and eventually hooked and landed an 8lber. The kingfishers were flitting about the lower sunshine lit up the banks and a flock of golden plover came across the Cauld whistling as they went, I’ve not seen a swallow or a martin this week and only the one sighting of the osprey so autumn is upon us. Ladykirk still have the fish as they landed 18 so the wee lift did nothing to move them on. A colder week forecast ahead with some showers and perhaps some heavy rain on Friday.
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@M Campbell 2022  
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