Week beginning 23 July 2018
Monday 23rd July. Team Onslow here and it was warm and humid. -1” maybe -2” and 68 degrees this morning. What is there to say, the team fished their way round the beat and caught nothing, I saw one in the backwater in the Cauld and one was seen in Learmouth but that was it for the day. I went along at 8.30pm and took the water temp which was 73 degrees; I thought it would be higher. 23rd of July and just 1 fish reported off the whole river, that’s depressing to say the least, but I suppose at 70+ degrees the fish don’t want to know.
Tuesday 24th July. Team Onslow here for another day and conditions were no better. We saw an old fish in the slap and one in the cauld backwater again but they didn’t show the slightest bit of interest. Water temp was a rather toasty 68 degrees this morning but not weedy or slimy yet. Down on the glide an old fish showed a couple of times and Ally Onslow spooked a seatrout that was lying right down in the tail, as soon as his #12 cascade got within 3 yards of it it turned tail and zoomed round the pool returning back to the same spot. Second cast had the same result but this time it didn’t return. This is depressing for rods and ghillies alike, we really need a flood or a decent lift to bring in some summer fish. The cheery weathergirl is hinting at some rain coming in from the west on Friday with possible thunderstorms, I’m not holding my breath.
Wednesday 25th July. Another roasty toasty day, -2 or there about and 64 degrees this morning. James Long here for the day along with Francis Sandison and Vicky, we gave the likely spots a run through but all that was seen was an old fish in the slap and a splash was heard in Learmouth stream. I am now hearing reports that one of the north east drift nets had their best day ever last week which is quite something (if true) and there are fish down at Horncliffe but they don’t want to take in this heat and Horncliffe has no rods on which won’t help. The thunderstorms for Friday are being bigged up now and a weather warning is being issued, trouble is it’ll be up and down like a rat up a drainpipe, better than nothing though.
Thursday 26th July. Another toasty day, hotter than yesterday. Nigel Houldsworth here again but I doubt he’ll have has much success as last Saturday. I took the tractor round the beat and gave the paths a bit of a tidy up until the cutter belt snapped. There were 4 Egrets on the Cauld this morning, they have been turning up in the winter of late but this is the first time I’ve seen them in summer. I’m off to Langholm Common Riding tomorrow morning at 5.00am so was dropping of the dug at the dug minders at Howburn and I saw and nearly ran over a hedgehog, that’s the first hedgehog I’ve seen in years as the bloody badgers have eaten them all. 4 fish reported off the river today with the biggest being 4lbs so I presume they were all fresh wee grilse, well I hope they were. This could be the last report this week as tomorrow night I’ll be unable to see the keys to type and I’ll be too hung-over on Saturday.
Friday 27th July. A scorcher of a day, Langholm was packed and everyone was trying to find shade under the trees, I backed the winner of the first race then put it all on the second race and lost it all, so it was break even then so packed up with the gambling.
Saturday 28th July. On the fishing front there appears to be some grilse coming in as the biggest fish in the last three days has been 5lbs. Heavy rain last night and a couple of very heavy showers this morning has put 4 or 5 inch in the Teviot, more heavy rain tomorrow so let’s hope it’s enough to give us a decent rise.