Week beginning 23 September 2013
Monday 23rd Team Williamson reported for duty and after a scuffle with the car parking attendant we did the draw and got everyone sorted. I sort of knew what kind of day it was going to be with the water temp up to 54 degs and at 1’2” on the gauge also a bit humid which is never good for fishing. Rob Jameson was top banana with a liced 5lb cock from Learmouth and also lost another 3, nothing in the stream though, they were all below the point in the deeper water, and that was it for the morning. The lads thrashed away all day but to no avail, at 5.00pm they all waved the white flag apart from Peter and Rob who stoically fished on into the evening and Peter was rewarded with a huge Grilse at 2lbs soaked wet. Some pools full of fish and others very quiet. We are on full floaters with wee sink tips and #8 or#10 flies. Tuesday 24th The fish were still switched off today 1’0” on the gauge and 56 degs and a dull flat calm day. David Thomas was the lucky boy this morning getting one from the Cauld pinching birthday boy robs thunder, Chris thrashed the back of the wall to foam and lost one early on but that was it for the day as far as fishy things were concerned. Peter was on the Temple this morning and set off with some degree of enthusiasm but I soon knocked that out of him, it was like a mill pond, not a ripple to be seen and although we did see fish and tried several flies not so much as a bow wave was seen. David Carter new to the beat has taken over Steve Battersby’s liking for falling in and took a wee tumble in the Glide setting off his life jacket. Luckily there was not enough water to float him away. By 5.00pm Peter was still at it and flogging away at the bottom of the Cauld while Rob and David (Taffy) had their own whisky tasting session in the hut. There’s always tomorrow. Wednesday 25th Another quiet day on the river, and it was like late November, dull light rain from the east and cold. Rob Jameson was top dog again getting the only two fish of the day one from the Cauld and one from the Slap at either end of the day. Peter managed a couple of pulls in Learmouth this morning and Taffy lost one in the Bags this afternoon. There have been fish jumping all over the place mostly older ones but Bryan and Taffy came back up from the Bags saying that they had seen plenty fish running and silver ones at that. This was met with how much have you pair been drinking down there? Chris and the other David are leaving after three days fishing having only one pull and a wet arse to show for the three days between them in late September on the Lees!!!!!! I had a look at the 2003 records, it was 1’0” lower, (off the gauge) warmer but we had over 60 for the week and no floods to encourage fish in but in they came that year, so what’s going on? It’s to be brighter and fresher tomorrow so a change at least.
Thursday 26th Was Rob Jameson the first to notice the hatch of Cascades that was taking place in Cornhill Bend? He must have been as he popped on a Cascade and immediately took a 14lb fresh Salmon! You see it’s worth watching what’s coming down the river; Peter Williamson also noticed some Willie Gunns hatching in the Duddo so he tied on his best copy and was into a fish straight away but managed to shake it off after 10 mins or so. 11” on the gauge and down to 52 degs a much fresher day but it did nothing to improve the catches, 2 for the day. Peter took the second fish while wading the Ledges, after reading Andrews article in this month’s Trout and Salmon there was no stopping him, taking his trusty wading stick he ran up to the Ledges and turning down all offers of a boat and with complete disregard for his own saftey promptly pulled out a 12lb cock fish, it had been a while since it had seen a tide louse but a fish just the same. Again there are plenty fish showing round the beat and the odd fresh one but as the rest of the week they will not pull, we did get a pull in the Slap but that was it for the day. Friday 27th I should always write this before I go to the pub not after. Anyway 4 for the day, so a big day, warm, calm lots of fish showing, almost all old. Rob noticed a hatch of Cascades in the Cauld this afternoon and pulled out a 4lb old cock fish on a Cascade funnily enough. Arywn fished the Learmouth stream this morning with a degree of skill not often seen but failed to catch, but we did manage to do the Trout and Salmon crossword between runs down the pool so it wasn’t as wasted morning. Norman Livings wore one down in the Slap on his 100th cast an 8 lb hen. 4 for the day was about as much as we could have hoped for, well we hoped for more but it was never going to happen. I spoke to a couple of lads in the Besom Inn tonight who are fishing lower down and they tell me the place is full of fish but they will not look at the fly, Harry’s mate did get his first ever Salmon so well done him, sorry I can’t remember your name or where you were fishing for that matter, but well done. I’m off to bed! Saturday 28th A lovely warm calm sunny day, not much use for fishing but a nice day to be on the river. The team flogged away all day but not so much as a pull was had. So 11 for the week, and to think it was 84 last week(sorry to bring that up lads) just shows a wee bit of water and cooler temps make all the difference, It looks like next week is going to be a bit of a challenge as no rain for next few days.
Photos are of a wee bat which lives behind the shutters of the hut and Peter Williamson trying to winkle one out of a very low Middle stream
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