Week beginning 22 April 2013

Monday 22nd What a great start to the week 6 fish by lunchtime and a couple lost, but that was a far as our luck went; as by 2.00pm it was blowing a full gale with a big wave blowing down the Temple we couldn’t even get a Toby across the pool. Now it’s not that I’m complaining at 6 fish for a day but we could have made double figures as we didn’t get a boat into the Cauld all day and there was plenty fish showing in there and I’ve never had 10 or more Springers in a day caught as long as I’ve been at the Lees. They were all caught on 20 gram Tobys as you just couldn’t cast a fly. The March Browns hatched this afternoon with a vengeance, there was carpets of them stuck into mats/rafts with the wind and all blown onto the left bank, not a Trout to be seen feeding on them mind you maybe the Trout thought nobody would hatch on a day like this. Tuesday 23rd Well I want to swear, I’ve had enough of this F##ng wind it just ruins the day waves all down the Temple again, we managed 2 fish from the Temple this morning before the wind picked up and nothing from the Cauld, spinning was the order of the day although we did fish the fly from the right bank of the Cauld and in the Glide where the behind was behind us. Another fish at 10lbs from the back of the wall this afternoon gave us the hat trick for the day. The Otter was in the Cauld for most of the day forcing Nick Revell to stop casting for a few minutes for fear of hooking it. The real drama of the day was Paul setting a lime tree on fire and the leaf dump near it with a few sparks that blew from his fire (Or was it Jane sneaking an old duvet onto the fire when no one was looking) resulting in a visit from the fine lads of Coldstream fire brigade who soon had things under control. Wednesday 24th Less wind at last although still enough this morning to make things hard on the oars, 1 from the Temple on a spinner and our first on a skimmer for the year from the tail of the Cauld, full floater and short leader, Nick Revell didn’t believe it would work but soon had his eyes opened as a nice 8lb fish took the fly off the surface, you have to ring the changes and it’s a great way to fish after all the sunk line and spinning. Brian Johnston went home a happy boy after three days and 7 fish to his rod, almost as good as the autumn (not quite). I just hope the wind goes and stays gone as it has been a killer on the oars and for the rods trying to cast, I certainly don’t need to go to the gym of late. Thursday 25th Much better day as far less wind thankfully, 2’0” on the gauge so it had been up and down an inch or two overnight which I presumed was the reason the fish were a bit quiet, keeping their heads down perhaps? No they had buggered off as there were plenty caught elsewhere so the wee lift in water didn’t put them off there. What do I know anyway! We had a nice 12lb fish from the Cauld in the morning, a 3lb Seatrout in the afternoon from the back of the wall and a good boil at the skimmer in the Cauld, it was one of those ones that were never going to take it just splashing at it. Friday 26thA blank day! What’s going on? 1’11” clean and 44 degs not so many fish showing today but we can’t even get a hold of the ones that are. We lost one in Learmouth stream this afternoon but that was all. Thunder and lightning this afternoon as well that makes you think twice about waving a 15’ carbon rod about, nice hatch of March browns but no troots taking them, I’m sure things will pick up tomorrow. Saturday 27th Well I was wrong it didn’t pick up, nice enough day, bit of an annoying north wind in the morning that made the bottom of the beat a bit tricky for the fly but there just didn’t seem to be any fresh fish on the beat and very few residents. So, it was a week of two half’s great start and slow end but if it keeps dropping slowly I’m sure that we will build up a stock of fish and decoy the tide licers in. Some nice hatches of fly but very few trout seen this week. ”El Gordo” fishing next week so anything could happen, (see week beginning February 11th)