Week beginning 1st July 2013
Monday 1st July Well that’s June out of the way, it’s a pity that February and March didn’t pass as quickly, I was saying last week that we had no Seatrout but one was caught on Saturday night in the Glide, a huge 3lb soaking wet that’s the first and last for June. Anyway today Paul Copson got a nice liced 10lb fish from the Cornhill Bend on a #10 cascade sort of fly, while his fishing companion Stuart ( I’ve forgotten his surname) Had a big splash at a Skimmer in the Cauld after trying it with a normal fly first, at least he had a splash! Sunny spells, water 7” and 56 degs still clean, bit of a west wind blowing again. Sorted out a few Jackdaws this afternoon as they have been raiding the grain from my chickens, so that might deter them for a day or two, if not they’ll get sorted out again, it’s £10 a sack now for mixed grain too expensive for Jackdaws. Tuesday 2nd July Well big day today, attended royal garden party at Holyrood, it poured with rain all afternoon and apparently the queen was there! A nice sandwich though, didn’t really want to go but wife and son were keen so I was bullied into it, so this nationalist, republican, atheist just had to shut up and put up. On the fishing front nothing to report today. I went along tonight for a look but there was nothing moving, not even a trout. The weather forecast is for a large high pressure to move in from tomorrow and the temperatures to rise into the mid to high 20s, so unless this rain puts some water in which is unlikely that will kill off what fishing there is I suspect. Wednesday 3rdOvercast day until 5.00pm then a lovely sunny evening, 1 at 6lbs from the Slap first cast with a spinner and one lost in the Cauld back water on spinner, then 1@7lb from the Cauld and one from Cornhill bend@8lbs but there were very few fish showing and still a bit of a stiff breeze from the west, but 3 is a good day for early July. I was down the beat chopping down the last of the Hogweed I’d missed when spraying, you always miss some then in July you have to hack your way in through the undergrowth to get at them. The Jackdaws and some Carrion Crows were back for some more grain so had to be deterred again. Thursday 4th July Bit on the windy side today and the river up 2” but no big run of fish at the Lees with the extra water, Tried the Temple up with a Toby spoon but no takers, in fact no takers anywhere. Spent the morning strimming down to the back of the wall from Learmouth Stream which had me sweating a bit by the time I’d finished, then off to the opticians at Kelso this afternoon, we’re using flies that are so small now I need new contact lenses to tie them on. Friday 5th River back down to 6” again but up to 1’0” at 9.00pm. Where did that come from? Anyway 60degs this morning and bugger all caught I did see a couple in the Slap tonight but couldn’t move them. Saw my first Grey Squirrel tonight of the year, they have been trapping them over the road at the Hirsel and what a difference it has made; there’s one less in the Lees tonight as well! Well with this riseits all to play for tomorrow, just think there could be hundreds of Seatrout here tomorrow but I hae ma doots! Saturday 5th Much the same as yesterday, hot sunny and windy, no pulls of any kind and the river dropping fast. 63 degs this morning but still clean. The jackdaws seem to have got the message and cleared off. Onions loving the sun as I’m I (sorry lads if you’re trying to catch salmon) there are reports of a lot of Seatrout further down but there’s nothing to encourage them to move up, the forecast is for it to get hotter so things are not going to improve. It’s a proper summer for a change.
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