Week beginning 20 November 2017
Monday 20th November, conditions were as good as you could bet for a Monday in late November apart from the bloody rain. 1’42 and 39 degrees but squeaky clean. Stuart Andrew and team here for the week and once we got lines, flies, etc sorted out we spread out round the beat, the only pull of the day was to Phillip Morgan in the Slap after lunch. The river was rising at lunchtime and I doubt if we’ll fish tomorrow, it won’t be the height but the colour I fear.
Tuesday 21st November. 2’6” and 40 degrees but rather murky, the team had nothing better to do so they had a go and caught what was expected. It was just too murky and with a serious lack of fish and certainly any fresh ones on the beat it was casting practice. The forecast is for heavy rain coming in tomorrow along with gales so its going to be a lovely day out. Only two fish reported off the river today and they were both west of Galashiels.
Wednesday 22nd November. It rained and rained some more and at 9.00pm its still raining. 2’8” and rising this morning and carrying a fair bit of colour. Steven Morgan headed for home, he was leaving tonight anyway so missed nothing. Stewart and Brian stuck it out and had a relaxing day by the river having the odd cast off the bank and popping in for coffee and a dram in between the heavier bursts of rain. I took the opportunity to get to the bank as they’ve closed the bank in Coldstream now so you have to go to the mobile one when its there, also got my opticians appointment sorted and a new chain for chainsaw among other things. It certainly will not fish tomorrow and maybe not this week, when we do get back on I should imagine any sport will be with Kelts.
Thursday 23rd November. A much better day today with sunshine and no wind, but the river height was over eight feet and coffee coloured with a lot of debris coming down. The lads went for a walk round the beat but at this height its all a bit the same. It will likely be down to around the 4’0” mark but still dirty, it’s to get down to -3 tonight so that will help things. There might be some fish about but they will be kelts and the old cliché “this will bring them in” is not going to do it for me anymore this season. Bailed out the boats and set a few mole traps. The mole along the drive continues to evade capture.
Friday 24th November. 3’8” and still murky, Stewart and Brian turned up for duty again this morning but it was a lost cause before they began, to fill the day in they had a go down the edge of the cauld but caught nothing apart from weed and leafs. There is another hard frost tonight so that will help to pull it in a bit for tomorrow. For me it needs to lose about a foot and a half and thats not going to happen but we’ll give it a go. Still no mole. 2 fish reported today off the river from Holylee and Lower Pavilion.
Saturday 25th November. 2’11” and bloody cold, it was one of those winds that cuts right through you. Stewart and Brian fished all day but not a pull was had and in fact I never saw a fish all day apart from a few dead ones down at the Glide, most were kelts but there were a few hens full of eggs that had been washed up on the bank, just too worn out to fight the flood I suppose. This afternoon I tackled the Temple with Brian whilst Stewart and Paul tried the Cauld, the company was good and we sorted the world out along with Brian’s casting, sad thing was missing the Scotland v Australia game but that’s the last Saturday I’ll be working this year, so every cloud and all that. There’s nothing else to say about the day really just pleased it’s over. Prospects for next week are water heights that will be improving but fish?
©M Campbell 2017
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