Week beginning 24 March 2014
Monday 24th March A lovely calm frosty start to the day, in fact the hardest frost we have had this winter and we have only had about 5 or 6 at that. Water nice and clean, 2’4” and 42 degs. Team Godden turned up and after coffees, sorting out new lines, leaky waders and flies we set sail. Nigel had a couple of pulls in the Temple but that was it for the morning, in the afternoon we had 3 Sandmartins flying about the Cauldstream and the company Otter was chewing on an Eel on the Slap point, I managed to get right up to it and got some film with the mobile phone before Kelsae (dug) decided it warranted a closer inspection and off it went. A bad South east wind this afternoon which blows straight up the river didn’t help things this afternoon but Gene Godden was casting like a demon with his new line a wee breeze wasn’t going to put him off. As in the last few days we never saw a fish but South Wark had a couple this morning so there are some about, it’ll be our turn tomorrow. Tuesday 25th And it was our turn, at 2’2” and 42 degs clean Paul took Gene down to Learmouth stream and had a lovely tideliced 15lb fish on the fly. The of course had his best mate Paul Robinson thanking him through gritted teeth and wishing him all the best, but all good things come to those who wait and Paul had a 16lb licer from the Cauld with his 4th cast of the afternoon on the fly also, so pleased was he with the fish that he’s said he’ll buy all the drink tonight. For the first time this season I’ve seen fish moving, there were several fish in the Slap and Paul hooked two but managed to shake them both off, just as well as had he landed three for the day he’d of been buying the drink for the rest of the year. Nigel is first up in the Cauld tomorrow so he can’t fail.
Wednesday 26th Well how did Nigel get on? I can hear you all shouting at the screen! He failed, we never saw a fish all morning, and the Cauld looked perfect, it was perfect but just no fish in it. Gene lost one at the top of the back of the wall and that was all the action for the morning. 2’0” and 42 degs squeaky clean and a lovely sunny calm start but the weatherman was spot on today and the bitter cold north east wind and showers were upon us this afternoon. We did see fish this afternoon in the Slap, Cauld and one in Learmouth so I was getting quiet excited as I saw more fish this afternoon than I’ve seen all season but we need them to stop with us. Maybe tomorrow. Thursday 27th The most eventful thing about today is that it’s my son’s birthday 22 years where did that go? Nigel fished the Cauld again and failed again, in fact we never saw a fish all day. Paul and Gene went off down the bottom of the beat to play with their new lines but soon came scuttling back when the east wind brought the rain, which is surprising as Paul is Northamptonshire 2009 Spey casting champion and can handle a bit of inclement weather. Lunchtime was the best pool of the day, but Gene not deterred by a wee breeze set about the Temple and was rewarded with 4 trout each one getting a bit bigger than the last which was 2lbs. The Osprey hasn’t turned up yet but I see in the paper that one was over Dumfries on 10th of March; my nest boxes are all being checked over by Bluetits and Greatits, it makes you wonder what makes them choose one over the other is it security or warmth or maybe it has a nice view! I see a couple of the gauges are rising again tonight it shouldn’t be much as the rain was al in the east. One of these days I’ll have some fish to write about and tales of epic battles, maybe tomorrow. Just had a look at 2009 diary it was warm sunny using floating lines and Gene Godden fell in the Back of the wall his life jacket went off and he had to use his rod as a pole to shove himself to the bank. The week before Steve Battersby fell in so some things never change. Friday 28th A new team in today and it’s just like a Christmas song with Lords and ladies leaping about all over the place, but it doesn’t matter what rank you pull if there’s no fish you’re not going to catch them, after saying that we did see one in the Cauld and a Kelt in the Slap and a unquestionable one in the Temple as it cleared the water right off the boat. 1’11” and 43 degs with a very cold strong north east wind. The best place to be was the Temple, not because we’d catch more fish there it’s because it’s lovely and sheltered in an North east wind, so I took Liz up in the boat and we talked growing veggies all afternoon, now that’s my kind of lady! The fish are going straight through us again it’s about time they started to slow down and give us a chance. Maybe tomorrow! Saturday 29th Well I didn’t win the lotto last night which is a bugger as I was kind of relying on it to change my life so it was back on the oars this morning. And it’s another cold horrible day with the east wind blowing up the river 1’11” and 42 degs. Well the even the full weight of the Tory party couldn’t tempt a fish from the depths but I did have a good crack about politics which passed the time as we waited for a fish to bite, we really need this wind to bugger off, not that it’ll bring anymore fish in but it will be nicer to fish when its calm and mild and you can read the water. So there we are, when some fish stop on the beat we get some and when they don’t we don’t! I see the lads at Learmouth had a fish from the stream on a condom but we won’t talk about that!
© M Campbell 2014
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