Week beginning 22 September 2014
Monday 22nd September A bright calm warm start to the week and team Germany is here still celebrating their world cup win, these lads have fished the beat in May for years and I was hoping that their first Autumn trip to the Lees would be memorable and it looks like it will be with this being the driest September for 50 years and no fish about. Carsten drew the Cauld which includes first dibs at the Slap and he wasted no time getting an old cock about the 10lb mark on a #8 double black and yellow, he followed that with a 4lber from the Cauld and a 3lb Seatrout on a fast stripped Sunray. Detlev had a hold of a Grilse in the Bags and Peter a wee pull in the Temple, so quite a busy morning given the conditions. This afternoon Stephan had an 11lb hen from the Glide which is the first fish from there for weeks; it’s a good holding pool normally but its been poor of late. We are using full floaters with slow sink tips on the end and any fly you care to try really.
Tuesday 23rd September 10” and 54 degs clean. A calm start and slightly overcast, Detlev first on to the Slap and get s a nice 8lb fish which was keepable but he decided to pop it back so brownie points for him. This fish merits a mention as it was the first Salmon that Detlev has ever caught, he went on to get one at 12lbs from The Back of the wall and lose another so quiet a day. Martin had a wee old 4lber from the Temple which is a feat in itself, whilst Peter sneaked a 10lber from Learmouth, not to be out done on weight Martin had another from the Slap at 12lbs, a keepable cock fish but this was also returned. Kelsae the dug had a grand day as she thought she was at the Waterloo cup and chased a Hare right round the lees whilst ignoring my whistle, that what happens when you use a young dug for picking up shot rabbits, so more training required. The rat population round the hut chicken run has been decimated as the log shed has a fair old pong and the poison boxes are not being used any more. The young Swans are having flying lessons up and down the Cauldstream with 4 of them getting airborne this afternoon but only about 6” off the water, I wonder if some birds are afraid of heights. Anyway 6 fish for the day, thats a big day at the moment.
Wednesday 24th September. Well that’s team Germanys three day trip over. 12 fish in three days is bloody good going in these conditions two of them clean, there were some fresh fish seen today, well at least two. Stefan pauliy was the dug that got the Sauerkraut today landing two and having another two on. Martin Tewes won the trophy for the biggest which was a 16lber from the Back of the wall, I’m sure the lads will be back next year when hopefully we can show them what the Lees can really do. The big flock of Canada geese that have been living at the bottom of the Cauldstream has “flocked”, off so Learmouth stream is a nicer place to fish without weed on the fly every other cast. The forecast is for a wee bit of rain tomorrow but not enough to help a bit of a breeze is forecast as well so that might help. I phoned Ginge down at Tweedhill this morning and he tells me that they are catching fresh fish but they are not there in the numbers that he would expect at this time of year.
Thursday 25th September It’s pasty Thursday so that was something to look forward to,. New team on this morning, well they are not new to the beat as they’ve fished the Lees for years, anyway they were keen to get at them and the beat was well thrashed, top dug was Rob Jameson who had one from lower Iron gate in no time a massive 3lb with lice, he followed that up with a clean 9lber from Cornhill bend, that apart from Norman losing a fish in Cornhill bend this afternoon was it for the day. I thought the wind might stir them up a bit but I was wrong, there’s just not much there to stir up. The Geese arrived back today with much squawking and honking and settled back into the Cauldstream. Birgham Dub were the top dogs with four fish one of them being a liced 18lber and another being a 27lb old cock, the 18lber must have taken the bus up! Its to be windy tomorrow so that will test the arms as its been an easy back end on the oars so far.
Friday 26th September A nice sunny morning and warm if you like that sort of weather, not that many fishermen do unless there’s 2’0” of water running, there was a strong north west wind blowing as well, anyway the team thrashed their way round the beat but to no avail, lunch came and went with a wee splash of red then it was back to the river. I took the wooden Temple boat up to the Ledges whilst Norman waded them and started to pruned back a few branches, the boat being pulled up onto the rock shelf, unnoticed by myself the waves had increased and washed the boat off the ledge, turning round to get Norman into the boat “where’s the f### boat” half way down the Temple! So it’s a long time since I’ve sprinted that far but I overtook it and thought it’ll be ok the wind will blow it onto our bank, it didn’t, sprinting again down to the Slap boat, rowing to intercept wooden boat throwing, anchor into wooden boat and fixing it as a tow rope, not having time or space to row before going over the Slap! Luckily we got washed onto the Cauld about a yard from the Slap much to the amusement of Rob and Paul who were watching the whole show from the Cauld boat, had I gone through with both boats I quickly reckoned a standing salute would have been the correct etiquette. It livened up what would have been a quiet afternoon. Order was soon restored and Norman had a cast or two at the Slap but no pulls. Lower North Wark had 5 today 2 of them fresh and Learmouth had 3 so we were playing piggy in the middle, it happens that way now and again.
Saturday 27th September A sunny morning with less wind but that did nothing to improve the catches, I saw very few fish round the beat and even fewer clean/fresh ones in fact I didn’t see a clean fish all day, the forecast seems to be for another dry week ahead so I can’t see much changing.
Photos this week are Peter Williamson wading a shrunken Duddo stream, a large freshwater mussel which shows how clean the river is and a bonnie wee flower growing at the back of the wall I’ve no Idea what it is.
©M Campbell 2014
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