Week beginning 26 August 2013
Monday 26th Misty start but the sun was never far away, 10” and 62 degs still clean with no blanket weed floating about yet. Nick had a couple of bow waves and boils in the Slap first few casts, then into the Cauld and a wee 5lb Grilse not fresh but a fish just the same, Andrew had a 7lber from the Temple wading on a full floater and a#8 treble plus a pull and a boil at the fly. By 11.33 the sun was out of the cloud cover and getting hot in fact very hot and that was the end of the action for the day. The Guinea fowl have hatched in the incubator 5 of them and the broody at the Lees has hatched one then left the rest of the eggs so I rushed them back to the incubator and another two have hatched and maybe more to come, trouble is I will not be able to add them to the broody so they will have to live in the shed till they are big enough to make it on their own. Tuesday 27th Misty start but the sun was soon out and the heat building, plenty fish showing in the Temple and Slap and we managed one on a Toby from the Temple after we had thrashed it with a fly that was the only pull for the day. Wednesday 28th 1@12lb from the Back of the wall and 1@3lb from Learmouth stream bot on fly and both returned, Andy Britton had one splash at a skimmer in the Cauld first cast but no connection. Phil Hinton even tried one of his flies made from his own body hair (a grizzly grey sort of thing) but even that couldn’t tempt any more fish, so it’s not getting any easier and the catches downstream are not inspiring with the odd one being caught, so it’s a flood we need or at least a big drop in temperature, I would prefer the flood as a frost would bugger my Pumpkin. Thursday 29th Bit overcast today water down to 6” on Lees gauge and 60 degs, bit of a south west wind but still warm, too warm. The rods thrashed away all day but the only action was one lost in Duddo stream. There was a pair of Ospreys over the Temple today on their way south I should think, the Sandmartins have now joined the Swifts and pushed off for the winter just a few Swallows left which have been joined on the river by the first flock of Golden Plover today so autumn is on its way, getting the odd report of fungi fish, we had one in the Slap on Tuesday and one was seen at Norham bridge this morning and some sightings round the Birgham area I’m told, I’ve never seen fungi fish at this time of year or in this water temp so popped a text off to Tweed foundation. Friday 30th Bit on the windy side today, river was up 2” or so with the freshet release on Wednesday from the top of Tweed that shows just how long it takes to get here in low conditions. Anyway Paul Holland managed to get a fish today, an old 10lb hen from the Slap on a red Francis/ schelder sort of thing, a fish is a fish so no complaints, there were a few showing in Duddo and Cornhill bend also Slap and Temple but I’m getting to know these fish by name. There were a few more caught below us and round Kelso but nothing around Coldstream. Guinea fowl chicks are doing fine in the garage and pecking away at the food they’ll soon be along the Lees squawking their heads off and letting us know if anyone is about. I can’t see any rain on the forecast so next week is looking like it’s going to be a challenge. Saturday 31st Windy from the north west and a good bit cooler water temp down to 56 degs, big surprise of the day was Veronica Holland getting 2 from Learmouth stream one of them a 20lber which boosted the score to 6 for the day, we also had 2 from the Temple whilst wading it and 1 from the Slap which struggled to 1.5lbs and it was the only clean/fresh one and 1 from the Annay. There were far fewer fish showing today and I have no idea where they have gone, the bottom end of the beat was very quiet today. So thats August over and done with and a score of 70 fish for the month which is good considering the conditions, well I think its 70 I haven’t looked at the book. Photos are of Cornhill bend at 6” on the gauge and a muckle Pumpkin. Clancy the veg/flower show is next Saturday so watch this space next week to see how I get on, runner beans are as long as I’ve seen, onions are good enough but the skins are not brown/golden anyway it’s too late now to make any difference. Oh aye 12 for the week for people that read this for the fishing.
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