Week beginning 21 October 2013
Monday 21st October A calm mild start to the day but the river was rising and already murky before we got going, I took Paul Robinson (Northampton’s finest stone mason) up to the Ledges and quicker than you could chase a cat out of your garden he had managed to shake two fish off the hook. Colin Sandison had a 7lber from the Cauld along with a leaf every other cast and needs to buy some treble hooks. There were a few fish showing in the morning but after lunch it was very quiet and the river became even murkier, with rain falling steadily all afternoon and having just seen the forecast today might be the only day we fish this week. Tuesday 22nd A wet morning with the river rising fast, no chance of fishing, well if you were a nutter you might of had a cast off the bank as it disappeared into the murk, by afternoon it was 6’0” on the gauge and look like milky coffee. I went up to Kelso to pick up a new multi tip line one of the Ian Fairgrieve ones which are all singing and dancing then to St Boswells and the rain was monsoon style, it’s to rain all night and most of tomorrow morning in the west so no fishing for a day or two. With the whole fleet at anchor and likely to remain that way the rods that were here till Wednesday waved the white flag and headed home. Wednesday 23rd A nice dry sunny day but the fleet is still at anchor, 4’6” on the gauge and milky coffee colour, no chance of fishing today. We filled the potholes on the drive but by Saturday and the rain that is forecast and with all the big 4x4 that go up and down the drive it’ll all be washed out again. The river is dropping and should be about 3’2”ish tomorrow so fishable (just). Trouble with getting a day off is my lovely wife Sally always something for me to do, today was changing all the sealant round the bath and what a bugger it is to get off, then get the new stuff squirted back on in an even manner and it doesn’t want to go round the taps so I try and spread it with my fingers which makes a bigger mess, and so on until it all comes off again with much wiping of fingers which have stuck to everything, meanwhile Kelsae the dug is thinking I need a hand! So fishing tomorrow will be easier than fitting new curtain poles. Thursday 24th A lovely calm sunny morning, gauge showing 3’3” and 48 degs, very murky so had all 5 rods at top end, Phil Hinton had 1@4lb from the lower Cauld which got us off the mark followed by Mark Newstead who had a 16lb hen from the Ledges. The river was very slow to clear but we had another two, 1@20lbs from the Ledges for Jim Reid the same man who caught the Tweed monster last year at Bemyerside last year and another 6lber for Mark again. The day slightly marred by some idiot with a load of terriers who let them attack my chickens, now I have to say this did nothing for my blood pressure, so I gave him the benefit of my wisdom and the threat of blood being spilt seemed to get through. Should be good fishing tomorrow as it drops and clears, but Saturday looking grim with heavy rain coming. Friday 25th Off to a funeral this morning and it’s wet and windy. Got back to river at 2.30pm only 3 fish landed!!!!!!!! I was hoping for double figures, 2’7” clean and 50 degs which is too warm but even so I expected more, didn’t see many fish today either, so what’s going on? No fish or too warm? Managed 7 by the end of play. Saturday 26th Nice sunny start but the gauge is showing 4’1” and the colour of milky coffee yet again, still 50 degs so the rods reluctantly waved the white flag and packed up. So only 12 for the week and in prime time at that, more rain tonight and the weather man still issuing storm warnings, at the moment it looks to be below us but it only has to move a few inches on the map and its right over us so Monday is looking a bit dodgy. 4.30 just been back along to check river 3’6” and still dirty see attached photo.
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