Week beginning 22 March 2021
Monday 22nd March. A year ago today we went into lockdown and fishing was stopped, how time flies! Anyway today 1’7” and 46 f squeaky clean with a stiff west wind. Steve Robins here along with Mike Gregory, Steve had a pull off something this morning in the Lower cauld and saw a couple of fish in the Slap, Mike who fished down from the Back of the wall to the Glide without missing a beat deserved a fish but not a thing was seen or touched. There was a good hatch of March Browns at midday and a few trout were ready for them today, no sign of any sandmartins yet. This afternoon the wind stiffened making the top end of the beat to difficult for Mike to get a fly into it so he said he’s back on Saturday so will keep his powder dry until then. Steve battled on until 5.00pm but sadly didn’t find that fish. The catches on the river were poor to say the least as there was only 1 reported across the websites although I did hear of a couple being lost this morning. A windy week forecast which has cheered me up no end as you all know how much I like the wind.
Tuesday 23rd March. A cold blustery wind today which did not make me smile, Ian and Ross Jones here for the day and they battled casting into the wind all morning in the Slap, lower cauld and Learmouth but had nothing but cold hands for their efforts, this afternoon we went to the bottom half of the beat where the wind at least was in our favour. Ross fished the Bags and just as he was getting out to go up to the Glide we saw the only fish of the day jump. 1’7” and 46 f which is a good spring height for us but the fish have to be there. Upper Floors had two one which was a 9lb licer and Junction also had a brace. Bob Jewels text to say he’d stayed in the house as it was too cold for fishing today had seen the first sandmartin of the year, must have been from his kitchen window as he was sooking a hot coffee. I didn’t see any March Browns or trout rising today. Forecast wind all week and getting much colder by Thursday/Friday so that’s something to look forward to.
Wednesday 24th March. Another very windy day which is going to be the pattern for the next 4 or 5 days. Graeme Hogg from Kelso with us for the day, Graeme is no stranger to the Tweed, Teviot or the Lees but even with all his skill and new lockdown purchase tackle he couldn’t tempt a fish to have a nibble, we could blame the wind but really there are not that many fish about at the moment, we seem to be between runs and just how long the between bit is going to be is anyone’s guess, I’m going into April and the place will be stuffed with them, there are one or two about as Lower north wark had one today and Hendersyde, they just take a bit of finding especially in that bloody wind. 1’6” and 44 degrees squeaky clean, we are still on12’/15’ sink 4/sink 5 tips fished off a floater or hover line, just need the fish to be there, and this relentless wind to bugger off.
Thursday 25th March. Another very windy day it’s relentless and it gets you down but at least I’m not having to pull my guts out on the oars, but on the other hand if we were using boats we might have caught a few more fish. We saw a couple of fish today in the Slap and the Babyhouse of all places. Colin Tait and Joe were here for the day and at the Hut this morning Colin was showing me a new prototype rod he had in his possession, “you can have a try with it later” he said (all disinfected of course), it looked very smart in its nice blue resin finish with a wee Scottish flag on it, it was flexing beautifully as Colin wiggled it about to show how deep the action was and he was soon puting it through its paces off the Slap croy where it covered the Slap with ease (the wind hadn’t picked up yet ), 10 minutes later wading the Lower Cauld the nice shiny rod went bang and the 6 pieces became 7, Oh Dear! 1’6” and 44 degrees still squeaky clean just that bloody wind, the bottom of the beat is fine as its behind you but the Temple, Slap, Cauld and Learmouth are awful. We never had so much as a pull today but fish were caught upriver and today fish were caught below us, as far down as Tweedhill, just none around the Lees/Wark, it was Birgham Dub before one was caught. Michael Black phoned this afternoon to say he is coming on Monday to fish, I said I thought it must be you coming as the forecast is terrible and you always seem to have some sort of extreme weather when you’re here, he’s had the lot gales, storms, floods of biblical proportion, one day it’ll be perfect just not Monday coming. Paul saw another half dozen sandmartins and there were a few more trout up on the fin as they start to catch onto the hatch that’s going on. No rods on tomorrow and I don’t think I’ll be bothering to fish having seen tomorrows forecast with more gales and rain plus a big drop in temp.
Friday 26th March. Just watched the cheery weathergirl on BBC Scotland talking about having 4 seasons in one day and a bit of a brisk wind! Well she wasn’t standing trying to cast a fly at the Slap this morning with rain and hail trying to remove my eyes, brisk indeed. No rods on today which is just as well, Paul took himself off to the bottom of the beat where at least the wind was in his favour for casting, I’ve not heard any reports of fish being caught on the Lees. I busied myself with a trip to Kelso to get new wellies and more eye drops as it seems I misheard the instructions last time and instead of puting in a drop 4 times a day I was using a whole phial and using 4 a day, I thought it was running down my cheeks right enough. 3 fish reported by 7.00pm one at Sprouston one at Dryburgh Lower and one at Horncliffe. Lots of gauges rising tonight not by much but enough by the time they all join forces by the time they get here. Scotland playing the French in half an hour so its settle down with a dram to watch the game.
Saturday 27th March. Well what a game that was, I was on edge of my seat, French put in their place. Anyway today no rods on and although the river was up 7 inch on yesterday it was perfectly fishable except that bloody wind was still blowing, I would have had a cast but I think that after a week or more of wind/gales I’d rather stick rusty needles in my eyes than fish today. SEPA have issued a flood warning tonight and looking at the forecast its going to be a wild weekend, it always was going to be a flood as Michael Black is coming to fish on Monday (see Thursday). Two fish reported on the websites tonight, one from Lower North Wark and one from somewhere else upstream can’t remember where. I’ve got the fire roaring up the lum, curtains shut dram poured so that’s me for the night.
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©M Campbell 2021
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