Week beginning 23 August 2021
Monday 23 August A misty start and it was a slow burn sort of day as it took until mid afternoon before the sun burnt off the cloud.1’3” and 60 degrees and a wee bit murky. The Holland brothers Paul and Carl along with wives Veronica and Louise are with us, also Mike Kemeny and Graeme Hogg. Graeme was up top this morning and after trying the slap with a few flies and getting a follow at an Usk Grub and a boil at the sunray it was into the Cauld, Graeme popped on a wee Junction shrimp tube and it wasn’t long before he had an 11lb old cock stripping line off the reel, it led him a merry dance on his 12’6” rod but Graeme gave it some stick and we soon had it in tagged and away, he also had another pull shortly after, this was followed by a boil at the Collie dug and as he was lifting to recast his skimmer a fish lunged and missed it as it was out of the water. Mike had a pull in Learmouth and the Hollands sadly failed to connect. I expected to see a lot more fish this morning and to catch more if I’m honest but it is what it is. Cornhill had two out of the top of the Annay one which was fresh as they were carrying it back to the hut. Learmouth had a wee grilse from Cornhill bend and a 22lber from the stream this afternoon; it was an old fish though. Catches across the websites are nothing to write home about with Junction leading the pack with 7, only 9 fish reported caught below us.
Tuesday 24th August. A misty start and Graeme Hogg and Andrew made full use of the cooler conditions with Andrew getting two from the top of the Annay and Graeme getting two as well, one from the Duddo and one from Cornhill bend these were the only two fish of the day unless Graeme gets one this evening. By 11.00am the sun had burnt off the mist and it was hot and still, that and 11” on the gauge combined with 60f water temps does not make good fishing conditions. Mike had a wee run round the Cauld whilst Paul and Veronica went to sit on the bench down at the Duddo. 9 fish reported caught below us and a few more above us but we are still waiting for the “big” summer run to start, no rain in the weeks forecast so it’ll not be anytime soon. &.30pm so I’m away oot to look for a troot.
Wednesday 25th August. No troots last night there wasn’t a rise just the odd one here and there, there were a few seatrout in the tail of the glide which either chased the fly or ran away from it. Today it was a slow burner again, mostly cloudy until this afternoon when the sun burnt through the cloud and the temp went up. We never had so much as a pull today and the fish were keeping it all a bit secret, there were a good few showing in the Glide but I reckon I’ve seen them all several times already and they have seen almost every fly ever made. Still no rain in the foreseeable future so the long wait goes on. Catches today were about as depressed as me, still you never know its another day tomorrow.
Thursday 26th August. An overcast day with a chilly north wind, 10” and 60 degrees. Chris Scott and James joined us today to make up the team. Chris was in the Cauld and Slap with Paul and amazingly caught only the third fish this month from there, the Cauld does not fish in very low water, it looks good but it doesn’t deliver. Mike Kemeny got a fish out of Duddo as did Sally Roe under the tuition of Kevin Paterson. James (and I’ve forgotten your surname and called you Brian this morning) got a 8lb angry cock out of Duddo this afternoon which tried to pull the rod out of his hand when it took. Making up the bag for today was Mike with a 5lber from Learmouth. 5 for the day is not too shabby in these conditions. The family are fishing over the bank holiday so we’ll see what happens.
Friday 27th August. An overcast cloudy start to the day with a north wind again keeping the temps down. 6 inch or thereabouts on the gauge as both sides of the Cauld are bone dry and 58 degrees. It was a quiet morning the action was two fish having a go at a wee skimmer in Cornhill bend and one in Duddo, I tried the same fly up at Iron gate and a fish came off the shallow riffle below the point and chased it for a couple of yards but no pull, This afternoon Nick D Home in the Cauld and we had a 3lb grilse on the wee hitch which was silver and nice to see, just a pity it hadn’t been 15lbs, he also had a couple of fish boil at the sunray in the Slap. Down at Cornhill bend had a 4lber. Top beat today will be Sprouston getting 6 this morning on a full floater and a wee stoats tail. Catches again across the websites are poor with only 8 fish reported caught below us. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Saturday 28th August. It was a glorious late summer day with not a cloud in the sky also flat calm. 4” or thereabouts on the gauge. The family fishing today, well this morning as by lunchtime it was a lost cause, weed/slime was starting to lift from the margins with the warmth which of course finds its way to the hook. We went through the best bits which are few and small and never had a pull. Catches were low across the websites as to be expected. Sadly the forecast for the week ahead is dry but cloudy so no heat which is something on the right side. Floating lines with a wee sinktip if you like and flies #10-#12 maybe a wee skimmer.
©M Campbell 2021
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