Week beginning 24 June 2013

Monday 24th Overcast start to the daybut the river up to 1’3” and 58 degs, nothing doing in Slap first thing but Harry Stollard got a 12lb river fish from the Cauld on fly, he also got 1@13lb from the Slap this afternoon, Later in the morning I chucked my Sunray into the Slap and on the first cast hooked and lost a fish also had a boil second cast, this has prompted me to correct a design flaw in the original fly which I’ve now deemed to be a bit too sporting on the side of the fish. As I write this I’m waiting for the varnish to dry on the new Sunrays fitted with a Treble hook to try and get the odds back in my favour. There are reports over the weekend of more Seatrout below us so hopefully some will come forward on the rise we have had. Tuesday 25th well it would seem that no Seatrout have come forward as even the club lads can’t catch anything. Nothing doing today and not much seen, the Cauld is very quiet I would of thought it would produce the goods. Jimmy nae mate’s was released back onto the river today and seems to be doing fine, lucky he’s not agoraphobic!! There was a report of some big Brown trout at the Cobble point so I had a look at 8.30 and sure enough some big Trout, I fluffed the first two got one about 1 3/4lbs and had the biggest trout I’ve seen in years take the fly and promptly pulled the hook out of its mouth, but there’s always other nights, it has to be lucky every night I’ve only got to be lucky once. Wednesday 26th Water has dropped back to 10” and 56 degs still nice and clean, but no action today yet again, still plenty showing in the Slap but they are getting used to seeing all sorts chucked at them and there’s not been a rise for two days at a fly. Jimmy the Duck is still with us and was swimming about in front of the hut, there are plenty flies for him to scoff so he should be ok as long as he stays clear of Otters and the likes.
Thursday 27th Overcast start, river down to about 7” on The Lees gauge, Neil Campbell lost one in the Cauld not his fault in any way as it took when he was lifting to recast, a boil in the Slap for Edward Dodds and he managed to shake one off in Cornhill Bend this afternoon, so it ends up a blank day but could of been two, that’s fishing. There were some fish showing in Learmouth Stream but no takers, we covered all the likely spots using Floating line and #8 flies it’ll soon be #10 the way the water is dropping back. Jimmy nae mate is still with us and looking quite chipper for a Duck. Some light rain this afternoon and more tomorrow but not enough to move the river I doubt.
Friday 28th Rain, dull and west a wind but humid. George Duncan and his wife Carole here today but only George fishing, we set about the Cauld but not so much as a sniff of a fish, then turned our attention to the Slap and George soon had a 10lb fish in the net, not liced but a clean fish, He was using a full floater and a #8 Ally Shrimp. Strangely enough this is the first day that we’ve hardly seen a fish move, we did see one in Duddo and I had a big silver flash under my Sunray in Cornhill Bend but it never pulled it. Andrew also had one wading the Temple at the top end on fly, the rain stopped by lunchtime but I doubt it’s done anything for the river maybe an inch or two, good for the garden though. Saturday 29th Today’s rod didn’t make it as not feeling to great so Colin Nichol came and gave it a thrash and he was a lucky boy getting one at 10lbs from the Slap on a wee Silver Stoat. I was at Galashiels Common riding, another early start, 360 horses today which is quite a sight as they ford the Tweed, One lass came off her horse mid river giving the hundreds watching a giggle, and one spectator was rushed to hospital after a horse reared up and fell on top of her, it’s a dangerous game this horse riding and to cap the day off they gallop up the street in Gala. Still no sign of any Seatrout with us. The country file forecast is for a wet start to the week until Wednesday then warming up again. It’s been very windy here today so with a bit of a wave on the river you never know, its sometimes as good as a lift of water and might just move something about.