Week beginning 22 October 2018
Monday 22nd October. A nice start to the day, 1’4” and 46 degrees with a gentle breeze from the west. A mixed team with us for first three days one of whom had fished with us before but not for a long time. The lads got themselves spread round the beat according to their draw, Mark Havelock Allen was first to score getting a 4lb cleanish grilse from the Middle stream, Bob Wigglesworth was on Learmouth and was dropping his fly onto the far bank with the greatest of ease, he hooked and landed an 8lb coloured hen almost down at the Learmouth hut point. Philip Slane was on the Glide and after a few changes to tackle which included another rod, reel and line we soon got going with some casting. By mid morning the wind was picking up and after lunch it was really blowing, the two fish we had this morning made up the bag for the day as we had no other pulls. I only saw one fish in the Cauld all afternoon but Phillip was putting out a grand line and covering any that might have been there. The water is squeaky clean and in fact I’d say the cleanest I’ve seen it since April. Catches on the river today as a whole were down on last week but there were a few fish caught below us with Ladykirk getting 5 today so there’s still some to come.
Tuesday 23rd October. It was windy today, bloody windy; I took Mark out in to the Cauld and it about 15 minutes I was blown ashore with the boat, we went down to the Annay and the wind was putting a 2 foot wave upstream, we then retired to the Back of the wall which turned out to be a good choice as Mark caught the only fish of the day off the Lees which turned out to be a fresh 20lber. Bob and Peter tried as hard as anyone could but it wasn’t to be and Richard Waite here for the day failed to connect as well. There were very few fish showing, well there might have been a few but with the waves you would have to be looking right at them to see them. 1’3” and 48 degrees, so it’s getting low and warm again. The 4 caught at Milen Graden were all old fish and out of the 8 at Ladykirk 7 were older and 1 was cleanish, I haven’t heard about the Tillmouth fish as they had 9 today but I presume they will be much the same.
Wednesday 24th October. A better day as the wind was down to a stiff breeze. 1’3” and 48 degrees still squeaky clean. Malcolm Dutchman Smith was with us for the day and was soon into a fish in the Cauldstream landing a coloured cock fish of 10lbs he also lost another, Charlie Yeoward was here as well and had a run through Learmouth stream but had to leave early before he’d had a chance to land one. Philip Slane armed with his new line was nearly getting caught on the far bank down at the Glide and was covering the fish that were there with ease, sadly the fish didn’t appreciate his casting and ignored his fly. Nigel Houldsworth also just here for the day made good use of his time and had a 10lb coloured hen from the Back of the wall. There were quite a few fish showing in Learmouth stream this afternoon one of them silver but by 3.30 it was all quiet. A seatrout Kelt which is the first one I’ve seen came out of the water like a Polaris missile shook itself and fell back in. Gavin Brown from the Junction reports seeing a salmon Kelt this morning, it all seems to be too early to be seeing kelts but there they are. The big flocks of cormorants seem to be giving the lower river a miss and concentrating on Kelso and above, I presume it because there’s bugger all left down here to eat.
Thursday 25th October. Team Newstead here for three days but the team leader was missing in action due to a over indulgence of Grappa last night. I spent the morning with Duncan Weston in the Slap and Cauldstream where the only action was a fish coming to the fly as Duncan was lifting to recast and the fly was skimming across the surface, the fish missed the fly or maybe it was never going to take it but it got an Oooh! James down in Learmouth with Paul had a 5lb old cock fish and they saw a few others. This afternoon in Learmouth we saw a number of fish and one of them fresh but couldn’t get a pull, in the Cauld Tim had two fish from the lower cauld in very thin water one would have tipped the scales at 20lbs. The lads are fishing on until dark which is around 6.00pm, I haven’t heard anything from them so I presume they haven’t increased the score. Top scorers today again were Tillmouth getting an impressive 11. The weather is in for a big change starting tomorrow with the wind veering into the north so leaves could be a problem.
Friday 26th October. It was a nice start to the day with a bit of sunshine and little wind, 1’0” and 46 degrees. Grappa man joined us today after a nights rest and looked much the better for it. Tim Springham was first off the mark getting an 18lber from Learmouth stream on a red frances, the fish wasn’t too coloured but went back just the same. Tim was also second and third off the mark getting 1@10lbs and 1@8lbs from the Iron Gate that was all the action for the day. By lunchtime the wind as forecast was into the north and we had a few showers as well, the temperature also dropped like a stone. There were very few fish showing round the beat apart from Learmouth and the Glide/Iron Gate area, catches on the river were nothing to shout about either. With the north wind to really blow tomorrow leaves in the river are going to be a real problem, the remedy being a single hook as you can usually flick them off a single but not a treble or double.
Friday 27th October. The weather wasn’t as bad as the cheery weathergirl said it was going to be but it was still a lot colder than of late. 1’0” on the gauge and a chilly 42 degrees. The lads fished right round the beat but the only success came from the Slap this afternoon when Tim Springham had two coloured fish 1@5 and 1@8lbs. Catches on the river as a whole were down possibly as rods would be heading home early or not bothering to fish due to the forecast or maybe the lack of fish. 14 for the week is not too bad in present conditions, it would of course be better if that was a day’s catch or if they were all silver but it is what it is. As ever see instagram for photos clips or tweedbeats on facebook.
©M Campbell 2018
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