Week beginning 20 May 2013
Monday 20th 2’3” and 52 degrees a bit on the beery side but looking ok. Gave the Temple a go as it had enough flow but nothing was interested, mind you we didn’t see anything either. Into the Cauld with the fly on an intermediate line, failed. Right Andrews no looking get the spinner out, failed again but we did see some fish moving. Stefan was downstream fishing the Glide and managed to shake two off the hook before he got them ashore, bad news when they are scarce. The river was dropping all morning and the temperature was climbing it was starting to look like it should in May, a few Seatrout seen in Learmouth stream and four fresh fish seen in the Glide but still no pulls. 5.00pm had come and gone Stefan had thrashed the Slap to foam, I thought it looked too good not to try, intermediate line #6 Cascade on gold hooks first proper cast and you’ve guest it, fish on! A few minutes later a 7lb fish on the bank, not fresh in fact had been in for a while with healed up fungi on its face, my first of the year. Being the restrained chap that I am I said that’s the last time I’m showing you. Rods are going to have a cast for the Seatrout tonight but as I write this it pissing down with rain which is a shame as it’s a perfect night otherwise. Tuesday 21st Last nights downpour left its mark as it was 3’8” this morning and very red brown, the very top gauges were fine but the middle down had caught it. The lads opted not to fish last night, a wise decision as they would have been soaked but it ruined what could of been a good night as it was warm and a touch of colour in the water, thats the way it goes sometimes. No fishing today with the colour so they took themselves off round the tackle shops and a visit to Abbotsford house. I tackled the last of the Hogweed and set a few mole traps, hogweed will need done again as you always miss a few and it really annoys me in about mid July when you see a big white seed head nodding at you from the far bank, and the undergrowth round about it is 6 or 7 feet high so you have to hack your way in to get it, flies buzzing round, sweating and then you tread on a Wasp nest! Wednesday 22nd 2’1” and 54 degs still with a fair bit of colour in the water, it looks clean enough at the edge but when you get into some deeper water its still fairly murky. Lots of fish showing in the Glide was the lunchtime report, why won’t they take? There might of been a good few in the Glide but the Cauld was strangely quiet as was the Slap, as long as there’s no more rain if they hang about we should get them tomorrow, not that we didn’t try today we chucked everything at them from X Raps to #6 Cascades. I saw the first clutch of Ducklings this morning, that’s very late, just shows the kind of spring it’s been. Two of the rods have booked some stalking so are out at 4.00am every morning looking for a roe buck but so far have only seen doe’s within shot, now thats burning the candle at both ends when your fishing until 10.30pm. Friday 23rd Some success today Martin got his Roe Buck this morning, but that’s as far as his “Macnab” went as we just could not get a fish to pull anything. The weather has turned wintery again with snow on the hill tops and a really cold wind from the north; we did see a mix of fresh and old fish and covered them with fly and spinner, not all the pools have fish in them but enough to keep the rods interested, some liced fish being caught above us so at least someone is having some action. The water temp this morning was 52 degs and the air 46 degs at mid day add on the wind chill as Peter and Carston will testify with red faces after fishing all afternoon and it was more like 36 degs. Of course it will all change tomorrow and all these fish will come on the take and what a bag full we’ll have. Friday 24th North wind, cloud and cold really cold, it’s like taking a step back a month. Stefan was the golden boy this afternoon getting a 10lb fish from the Glide, but blotted his copy book when he stepped back to admire the fish he stood on his rod turning it into a 5 piece rather than a 4 piece. We saw quite a few fish today but only had one other pull and we fished it hard despite the weather. Saturday 25th The nicest day of the year by a distance warm sunny wind gone. There were a couple of fish showing in most pools but the only action was to Peter in Learmouth stream on a Toby who landed a liced 10lber. So a quiet week with the weather spoiling the fun along with diseased fish that won’t take. More rain for tonight and tomorrow so we’ll see what it brings, some Seatrout would be good.