Week beginning 25 April 2016
Monday 25th April. There was high drama at the Lees today as team Harper started their week, not only did Graham Whitty catch a fish from Learmouth Stream and Paul lose one as it ran through the Slap into the Cauld and eventually get stuck in the rocks that the floods have thrown up from the front face of the Cauld. The real drama was Frank Smith coming back to the hut with blood streaming down his face, we thought at first that he’d been attacked by a particularly aggressive duck after maybe standing on it’s nest, or he’d been caught using an upstream condom, sadly as the story unfolded it appeared it was nothing more than Frank looking at the river while walking and falling flat on his face, anyway no harm done and we soon had him looking his best again. 1’5” 46 degs with a wicked north wind and hail showers between sunny spells, if you were out of the wind it was a nice day out but in the wind it was bitter. Graham’s fish was just below the point at Learmouth and took a wee bottle tube on an intermediate tip, weight around 8lbs and liced. There were some fish showing in the Slap or it was maybe the same one several times, there was also a lovely Seatrout around the 6-7lbs mark in the tail of the cauld.
Tuesday 26th April. What’s going on its bloody well snowing and it’s nearly May, just not good enough. It was a bloody cold day today with snow/hail and rain off and on all day along with a bitter north east wind; this did nothing to help tease the rods out of the hut and a nice warm fire. Frank had a good morning though he managed to walk back up from the Glide without any injuries. There were a couple of fish showing in the Slap along with a Seatrout but we couldn’t get a pull from them, Graham did see a fish off the point in Learmouth but again no pulls. The only action today was with Richard Harrison in the Cauld this afternoon who had a hold of what looked like a Seatrout at the bottom end of the pool. There were 14 fish reported across the websites tonight which is poor as the height is now good for lots of the lower beats. 1’4” and 44 degs and as I mentioned bloody cold. The forecast is for more of the same and rain on Friday so that’ll be nice.
Wednesday 27th April. Much less wind today and fewer showers and to make it better we had fish, yes fish as we had two and another pull. Frank started the day off getting a pull in the Slap which woke him up, Graham Whitty pulled out an 8lber from Learmouth stream on an intermediate sink tip and a black and yellow bottle tube and capping the day off was Richard Harrison getting a 10lb licer from the Cauld right down the tail in the shallow water. There were some fish showing in the Slap one of them a good 15-16lbs. The trout were rising well for 30mins this afternoon to a iron blue sort of thing, all in all a better day until I saw the forecast tonight which tells me a big change is on the way from tomorrow afternoon with some serious snow mostly above us but might get down this way along with rain and strong winds. I really don’t want any more water down the river, it’s low but thats the way I like it at this time of year in fact thats the way I like it all spring.
Thursday 28th April. It was colder and the wind changed into the south east this afternoon but no rain as yet apart from a wee shower. 1’4” and down to 42 degrees, I took Frank into the Cauld this morning and we saw two fish in the stream both looked to have a purpose about them the way they showed and we never saw them again, Frank saw another splash away down on the right bank but it never appeared again. The rest of the team fished their way round the beat but saw nothing. We had our first clutch of ducklings today two weeks later than last year 9 of them, they’re going to have a rough night as the temperature is dropping fast and there’s not a lot of fly life for them to eat. The Osprey was fishing the glide this afternoon and it didn’t catch anything either. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Friday 29th April. I have to say I’ve had warmer days in January or February, it snowed rained and sleeted all day and that along with a stiff north easterly made it a foul day out on the river, this did nothing to deter Tony Bosomworth who had a lovely 11lber from the Slap on a black and yellow conehead with a 10’ intermediate tip. We saw another fish in the Slap and one in the Cauld but to be honest no one was really looking that hard as the wind and rain was keeping our heads down. 1’4” and 40 degs, there was a hatch of fly this afternoon and a few trout were up for them, the flies were just in time to save the wee ducklings as I don’t think they would of lasted long without a belly full of food in theses temperatures, we also had the osprey and the otter with us today right outside the hut. The rain thankfully has mostly been in the east and it looks like its just the Leader that is going to affect us tomorrow so hopefully it will be diluted by the time it gets to the Lees. Sunny tomorrow then back to rain for Sunday so Monday could be out of sorts.
Saturday 30 April. A much nicer day, in fact in felt like we have had two seasons in two days but and there’s always a but the river was up 10” and a bit murky. The lads gave it a go this morning but nothing was to be had, terry and Richard left at lunchtime whilst Graham and Tony gave it an hour after lunch but the score sheet remained the same. There was a good but brief hatch of March browns around 2.30 but very few trout taking them. The ducklings are getting on fine and I saw a clutch of Panny hen chicks today which are the first I’ve seen in years. So thats April over with 10 fish on the scoreboard, not great but could be worse. Temple 2, Slap 1, Cauld 4, Learmouth 2 and 1 from the Glide the best being 13lbs. It’ll be better next month.
Photos are Frank with a bloody nose and the Otter.
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