Week beginning 21 September 2015
Monday 21st September. Now then I’m writing this on Tuesday night as I forgot last night and I’ve forgotten what happened yesterday! Just had a look and we had two fish but I can’t remember where we caught them, anyway it was about 9” on the gauge and we didn’t see any fresh fish. The German international fly fishing team are here for three days one of them being Manfred who is a young 90 years old and the fittest 90 year old I’ve ever seen.
Tuesday 22nd September. River rising slowly all day but that didn’t deter Martin Tewes who had two fish from the Glide 1@14lb an old one and 1@8lbs which was a fresh hen both were returned, after lunch I was down in Learmouth and about 4.00pm some fresh grilse were showing in the stream and Peter Lohse had a wee fresh 3lber on a #12 Gold Willie Gunn double, there were also fresh fish showing down in Duddo and Cornhill bend but the lads couldn’t get a pull from them. The river went up to 1’3” on the Lees gauge and had a fair bit of weed floating down so lets hope it settles down for tomorrow. Anyone downstream from the Lees reading this please keep a lookout for a line wallet containing a selection of heads for a multi tip as it must have fallen out of my pocket this morning, it’s the same one that the running line disappeared from a few weeks ago so I’m losing it bit by bit. Just been along to river 7.30pm and the Temple is alive with fish and some big ones jumping all over the place so it’s going to get a pasting tomorrow. Peter Lohse arrived back up from Learmouth with another fresh Grilse at 3lbs and Detlev had lost another fish in the Back of the wall so its looking good for tomorrow, I hope.
Wednesday 23rd September 1’0” and 54 degs and the fish that were in the Temple are not there this morning, Martin Tewes did manage to get one wading the Ledges but that was the only touch. Stephan had a fish from Learmouth up in the stream and we had one from the Iron Gate, this afternoon Martin had an 11lb old hen from the Cauld and Stephan had another from the back of the wall or was it Detlev I can’t remember now. Down in the Cornhill Bend we had a couple of boils at a hitched Sunray then put on a big Sunray 7” and hooked and lost an old fish, tied on a single with the bend cut off with the hook secured with braid right at the last ½ inch of the hair with a bit of foam to keep it up. We are still on floating lines with inter tips unless you’re hitching. There were some silver fish about but not keen to take. Manfred has failed to land a fish but says he’s not too bothered as he reckons if he wakes up each morning its a bonus at 90 years old. Lees latest, Peter Lohse managed another fish from Duddo this evening a 4lb fresh cock and reports seeing a few more. Thats the German international team finished for the week with 12 salmon and a Seatrout, the same as last year funnily enough. So well done lads and safe journey home I won’t say it in German as its something like have a good fart, which is a strange thing to wish someone.
Thursday 24th September. Another difficult day on the river, a new team on today but the fish didn’t care and were as indifferent to the offerings as before. 10” and 51 degs with a stiff west wind blowing. The same old fish were showing in the same old places with just the odd new ones giving themselves away now and again but we couldn’t tempt them. Peter Williamson hook a fish in the Slap on a wee Black Francis but it was off again in a couple of shakes, Norman Livings had a bit of a pull in the Bags and new team member Andy Brittan landed a 5lb old cock fish from the Iron Gate, that was the total excitement for the morning. I spoke on the phone to Eion Fairgrieve who was down at Ladykirk this afternoon and he told me there were fish about and some new ones all on the small side but they just wouldn’t look at a fly, its been the same on the Lees any new fish we see are small, really small and they will not pull the fly. The forecast is for the odd shower but after that a high pressure is coming in and its to get warmer and dry into next week.
Friday 25th September A nice sunny day with a strong westerly wind blowing, Peter Williamson was top dog with 3 fish this morning from the Glide and Iron gate the best being an 11lb fresh hen, but the cat that got the cream for me was Rob Jameson who had a 12lb fish from the cauld on a “skimmer” which is simply the best way to catch a fish. This afternoon things were slow to say the least but Andy Brittan (Lama Breeder of note) stuck it out and had an old fish from the Duddo or maybe it was the Glide I’ve deleted the message and will have to ask him tomorrow. We were seeing wee silver Grilse again today but as of late they will not take. Looking at the websites it would seem that the fish at Tweedhill have moved up to Tillmouth, let’s hope they are on the Lees tomorrow.
Saturday 26th September. Well the fresh fish didn’t appear. Rob Jameson was top dog with a cracking 2lber from Duddo along with a couple of Brown trout and a splash at a hitched sunray. Chris Hill managed to shake one off the hook in Learmouth stream this afternoon and that was the action for the day unless Andy Brittan gets one tonight. The gauge is showing about 9” tonight and a dry week forecast. It’s now getting beyond a joke the paper says it’s going to be one of the wettest years, well not round here it isn’t, the ground is bone dry. I really feel for the rods they look forward to the backend fishing all year, time off work all the costs that go with it and there’s no water and very few fish. As Ghillies because we can’t be boatmen at the moment as we’re rarely in a boat its getting harder each week to keep a smile on your face and say “you never know” or “I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow” There’s been a rumour going about that there was a run of big silver fish went through on Thursday night! What a lot of bollocks, if they did where they are now? Who’s catching them? No one because they didn’t run through, and if they did they have ran right up to the top of the Tweed over the hill and into the Clyde. Anyway next week the biggest tides for 18 years are taking place so that’ll help and there’s to be a red moon tonight at 3.00am, I might miss that. On the lighter side of things the hens have now started to lay eggs in our hut so that saves having to go looking for them. On the garden front the only thing left competition wise is the pumpkin show, it’s not going to be a record year but it’s coming on just fine. One day it’ll rain and the fish will come and it’ll be smiles all round, just hope it’s before the end of the season. Latest 1@12lb from the Cauld this evening.
Sunday 27th September. A warm sunny day in fact as good a day as we have had all summer, having just seen the forecast for the week ahead its not good news for salmon anglers, warm and sunny all week with not a drop of rain. Wee flies and maybe hitched sunrays and skimmers will be the order of the day and not much need for a 15’0” rod just keep it easy with a 13’0” or 14’0”. The catches were slightly better yesterday mostly down to Tillmouth getting 14.
©M Campbell 2015
our twitter feed