Week beginning 22 May 2023
Monday 22nd May. A dull grey morning with an east wind blowing in a bit of drizzle from the coast. 10” and 58 degrees, the water was warmer than the air which I never like. Team Germany here for the week, Martin Tewes was up top this morning and had a pull in the cauld which didn’t stick on and a bow wave follow in the slap on a sunray, that I’m sad to say was all the action for the day, the lads are going to give it a go this evening but I fear now that the skies have cleared the temperature will drop a lot and the chances of a seatrout with it. I got a bit of spraying dome this morning on the bits of hogweed that have popped up and the grass paths are going to need to be cut again after last week’s wee bit of warmer weather. A few fish caught below us today so thats good news some might be with us tomorrow.
Tuesday 23rd May. A bright start with a wee westerly breeze, 10” and 56f. Stefan had a pull in the slap first thing and that was all the action for the day, we tried a wee tube, a dressed double, a dressed treble, a sunray and a hitch in the cauld but not a bit of interest was shown in anything. Very few fish showing today round the beat. The otter is busy munching his way through the duckling and had one this morning in front of the hut. The lads are fishing on tonight; it’s a bit warmer so they might have some success now the east wind has gone.
Wednesday 24th May. Another nice day with high cloud and a bit of sun peeking through now and again. 9” and 57 degrees with a very light westerly. The lads fished all the likely spots and a few others, Peter had the only pull of the day in the Bags. Two fresh fish were caught by the Learmouth rods, one in the stream and one in the Glide so well done them. Catches other than the Learmouth fish were one at Tillmouth and that’s all, shocking really when lots of rods will be trying and no doubt a lot of the upstream condom going on. A few smolts still moving downstream and no goosanders round here to bother them, there is a heron sat on the end of the cauld every day so he gets moved on. I couldn’t even get a follow or a boil to my trusty sunray. The evening fishing will hopefully pick up as the temps increase as its still a bit nippy by dark, there are a number of seatrout about so an evening cast should be well worth while.
Thursday 25th May. Another lovely day with the gauge reading 8” and 57f. Stefan was up top and put a selection of flies across the slap to no avail, I gave him a rod all set up with a sunray/collie dug on and as soon as it reached the lip of the slap a fresh 8lber was on the end and safely returned to continue its journey. The rest of the team covering all the rest of the beat never had so much as a pull, there are quite a few seatrout about now and I’m waiting for a warmer night and I might venture out for a cast. Catches were almost a joke on the websites with only two fish being posted for the whole river one of them being ours. On the trouty front Lees Ross local catcher of big trout was in action again today getting one from cornhill bend that would tip the scales at 4lb or more. No sign of rain for the river and my water butts at home are now empty so its tap water for the garden until it rains.
Friday 26th May. It is around 8 inch on the Lees gauge, I say around as the gauge doesn’t go down that far, the left side of the cauld is dry now. Martin Tewes was up top and made good use of his position getting a 7lb fresh fish from the slap, it took a home tied #10 cascade which was sparsely dressed. The only other action of the day was Peter nearly getting one in the cauld on a sunray, the fish came for the fly just as he was lifting to cast, nothing he could do about it as he was committed into the cast. Our fish was the only one on the whole river posted on the websites tonight, I know Sprouston had one this morning but that’s all I’ve heard of, hard times at the moment, it’ll be better tomorrow or next week maybe.
Saturday 27th May. The sun was out, the water was low and the fish were scarce, there were a few things jumping about in the slap but they were not interested in anything not even a boil at the sunray. Not a single fish reported on the websites for the day. It’s a long way from Germany for a week’s fishing but at least they had a couple which is more than a lot of beats. It’ll be better next year. #
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©M Campbell 2023
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