Week beginning 24 May 2021
Monday 24th May. An overcast day with the odd light shower, a west wind for a change. The river was rising after last night’s heavy rain, on my weather app radar it looked like it was going to slide away north east but it didn’t, good job the RAF weren’t using that app in the Battle of Britain. 3’1” and rising at 8.30am, the swans that have their nest on the middle croy in the Cauld and have been sitting for weeks were finally washed off despite her best efforts to build up the nest. I have just popped along for a look and it has dropped back from 3’6” mid morning to 3’1” again but the colour is terrible, like milky coffee. Can’t see it being much use tomorrow.
Tuesday 25th May. 2’5” and a very dark beery colour, no rods turned up today, two were on the Tyne which was a better option and the others had other things to be doing rather than fishing in very beery water. There was a good rise of trout this morning and I was tempted to go home and get my trout rod but some strimming was needing done and there was hogweed needing sprayed down the beat so the trout will have to wait. I popped along this evening for the trout but a cold north wind was blowing and the trout were scarce, I did manage two on a wee Greenwell’s glory in front of the hut. Full team on tomorrow and conditions should be better, I get my second vaccine tomorrow lunchtime and I hope I feel better than last time.
Wednesday 26th May. 2’4” and 50 f this morning but still very beery. Robin Williams and pals Simon and Mathew here for three days. We got the tackle sorted out and got them onto the river, Simon was the lucky one getting a brand new 8lber from the top of the Temple on a cascade tube that was the only pull of the day, I never saw a fish all day but Paul down in Learmouth this afternoon saw three which always gives a bit of hope. Colin Bell at Upper Floors text at lunchtime to say they had 2 this morning carrying long tailed lice so the fish are still on the move. Frustratingly there is another wee rise coming down tonight which will hold the height and colour when I’d like it to drop about 6 inch and lose the colour. Vaccine went well and no side effects so far, have to say the nurse wasn’t hanging about, I hardly got time to sit down and she said right off you go.
Thursday 27th May. 2’0” and 50f still a bit beery but clearing. Got the team spread out a bit wider round the beat now that the height is suiting the lower pools a bit more. Jonathon went down to Learmouth and gave it his best but not a touch was had he did see a fish though. Robin and Simon fished from the Iron Gate to the Middle stream missing out the bags as its a bit lumpy for wading at this height when you can’t see the bottom, neither of them saw a fish. Mathew on the other hand went into the Lower Cauld while I showed the others the bottom of the beat, now, Mathew wasn’t too keen on doing it as he’d fished it yesterday and seen nothing but that was yesterday I told him, on my return some 45 minutes later he was all smiles and the Lower cauld was his favourite pool as he’d landed a fresh 9lber. It was quiet on the beat today; I saw a fish in the Slap, Back of the wall, Glide and Upper Temple, I was expecting to see a few more as conditions improved, maybe tomorrow. The vaccine took its toll on me today, not as bad as the first jab but I didn’t feel great today, also getting a wet right foot due to leaky waders didn’t help my mood; the waders are not old, bought last September, not worn in November, December, January, February and half of March, started wearing them every day in April and had to fix leaks every two weeks or so, one or two were little thorn holes perhaps but two times its been the stocking foot and today, it’s bloody annoying when they cost £300 and are not fit for purpose, think these need to go back to manufacturer.
Friday 28th May. A lovely day and in fact it was warm for the first time this year. 1’10” and 51 degrees with a slight ginger tinge. The lads set about the job in hand but not a thing was seen until after lunch when 4 fish showed in the Slap, Jonathon Reddin was perfectly placed to have a chuck at them which he did with his favourite wee black and yellow tube. After several casts nothing was looking at it so a large sunray was chucked across and it was almost immediately attacked by a silver fish but it didn’t stick, another one had a go later on but same result. It seems that the fish are still belting straight through us with the nearest fish caught to us was at Lower Birgham with a number of fresh liced fish being caught round Kelso. The forecast is good with warm sunshine over the weekend so surely a fish is going to stop with us; either that or I pop a sheet of weldmesh across the Slap. I am still feeling rough after my second vaccine, lead legs and feeling sick and tired all day, but it’s all for the good.
Saturday 29th May. Summer has arrived at last. 1’8” and 54 degrees with just the slightest gingery tinge. Four new rods on who were as keen as mustard. Andy Brittan who was back on the Lees for the first time in 6 years drew the Slap and Cauld and it wasn’t long before he had a fresh 10lber on a wee green and yellow bottle tube he also lost another and had one trying to grab a large sunray. A fish was seen in Learmouth and one in the Glide but they were thin on the ground again today. 22 fish reported on the websites but only the 1 below us. A lucky trout angler had a great catch on Learmouth stream in the evening landing a 10lb seatrout on a pheasant tail nymph, I’m sure he’ll remember that for a long time. This evening I was sat in a park which overlooks the river in Coldstream and I saw more fish than I’ve seen in a long time, not hundreds but let’s say about a dozen or so over a period of an hour or so, hope for Monday.
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©M Campbell 2021
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