Week beginning 27 April 2015
Monday 27th April Team Harper were here yesterday afternoon for the April whisky drinking competition, it’s a good job they have a designated driver, much colder than last week and hail/snow about with -4 degs overnight so it was cover all the plants with bubble wrap. 1’2” and 46 degs, that’s an 8 degs drop on Saturday. It was bloody cold this morning and several coffees were required to get everyone motivated, but even Team Harper in full motivation mode couldn’t catch a fish this morning. Richard (the Toby) Harrison went through the Glide, CHB and Duddo without a pull, Frank (the steamer) Smith did the bottom end with the same result whilst Terry and Graham on Learmouth and the Cauld never saw a fish. Following a braw lunch Frank was on the Cauld and Graham down the bottom, the rest of the team sorted out the world inside the hut, whilst they were world sorting Graham was sorting out a Salmon, an 8lber form Cornhill bend on a sunray, dripping with lice as they say. So not only does Graham plough the straightest furrow this side of Watford Gap he casts a mean line. The fish were as scarce as pork chops in a synagogue with only 9 reported off the whole river but as soon as it warms up again I’m sure there’ll be loads. I was up at Gala tonight and there was more snow than I’ve seen all winter so that’s all the early blossom had it.
Tuesday 28th April Another cold windy day and I have as many clothes on as I do in February. 1’1” and 46 degs still squeaky clean. Frank Smith was on the Cauld and we gave it a selection of flies which doesn’t take long at this height nothing was seen so a few casts at the Slap on the way back to the hut, as the wind was blowing straight at us I took the boat out to fish it from the south side, on about the 12th cast Frank had just said “well there’s nobody in there” and of course the line tightened, a liced 6lber with another showing right behind it as we played it. It was on a floating line with an inter tip and a special fly which comes out of my box when required. That was the only action of the day. A lot more Swallows about today and I bet they are thinking about going back to Africa. Another windy day from the North West tomorrow then it’s to go round to the north so that’ll be nice! We had a visit from the Tweed forum lads’ today delivering round up to tackle the Hogweed, now I hope that everyone upstream is doing the same as that’s what’ll make this whole operation work everyone getting stuck into it. Colin Bell (one of the finest Ghillies above Kelso Cauld) tells me they had an 18lb tide licer this morning, it goes to show that its not low water we need it’s resident fish that holds them up. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Wednesday 29th April Well it’s almost back to winter with strong North West winds and heavy showers to contend with. 1’2” and 46 degs, I fished Learmouth stream this morning with Terry and we never saw a thing, it was the same story for the rest of the lads down the beat. This afternoon with Frank in the Cauld we had a pull from something big enough to be a Salmon followed by a Smolt, a Trout, another pull then a Trout again; all on a Sunray. By 4.00 pm the lads waved the white flag and headed back to the hotel. Forecast tomorrow is still for strong north winds along with showers. There was a hatch of fly this morning a brown sort of March Brown looking fly which the Trout were wolfing down along with the swallows, and gulls.
Thursday 30th April A strong north wind heavy showers this morning and fish showing in the Slap, in fact a number of fish showing in the Slap but not a pull from any of them. Interestingly enough we never saw a scale in the Cauld even though the Slap was busy. The Temple was flat calm the Cauld from the left bank was easy but anywhere Glide down was almost unfishable with waves rolling upstream. Frank Smith headed home at lunchtime as his new painting by numbers has arrived. The gauge was showing 1’6” this morning and the temperature was up 2 degs to 48. We are still fishing floating lines but with a slightly faster tip on the end. I saw Bob Jewels (South Wark Head Ghillie) this afternoon as we were fishing the Temple so I rowed across to console him as he’s not had a fish for over two weeks but he could still manage a smile. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Friday 1st MayA nice sunny day but still bloody cold in the wind, too cold for the first of May. That’s April out of the way now and with 6 for the month it wasn’t one of our best months, better than 2010 when we never had a fish for the whole month. There are still some fish showing in the Slap and the odd one in the Cauld but we still can’t get any interest out of them, we hurled everything at them today (it’s fly only mind) from 8” sunrays to #10 Willie Gunns but they won’t have it. Mick from Middle Pavilion text to say he’d had a couple of fresh fish this morning one still had lice on it, that pair have had a rocket put up their arses to get up there in this height so quickly, but good luck to the fisher that got them it’s time they had a bit of luck up there. There is a pair of Swans nesting on the middle Croy in the Cauld and the Cob is getting a bit aggressive, Graham Whitty was wading the tail of the Cauld this afternoon and the Cob was straight across the river and going to have a go at him, the rain that’s coming might put paid to the nest though as even a wee lift will got over the top of the Croy. Still no sign of any Ducklings yet but all the other birds in the area seem to be feeding young almost everyone you see has a beak full of flies or worms. I got the Pumpkin seeds in to the propagator last night and they are all the way from the USA from huge Pumpkins, things like 1000lbs so look out for another record year.
Saturday 2nd May It was a nice enough morning apart from the south east wind blowing up the river, the sort of wind that makes it almost impossible to fish the Sla as the line gets blown 45 degs upstream and to keep off the bottom you have to strip in that much that you’ve pulled in too much and missed the target area, if you’ve been here and done it you’ll know what I mean. The Cauld from the boat was a nightmare as well, what with the wind and the umpteen different currents, rowing downstream just to stay still, pushed sideways by the boils and the line drowned and under the boat, what a lovely morning. Terry and Richard waved the white flag mid morning and headed home, Graham who’d fished the rest of the beat with the same degree of success lasted until lunch then did the same, and you didn’t miss anything this afternoon Graham. I’ve just seen the forecast and it’s to rain all day tomorrow then heavy rain again on Tuesday so that is bound to put the river up a fair bit with a lot of colour which is a shame as we have a new team on Monday for their first look at the Lees, it’ll also be a shame for all the ducks that are sitting on nests beside the river as they must be on the point of hatching and are going to be washed away along with the Swan on the middle Croy. This season has done one thing though, It’s proved it’s friends that the fish want not low water, same as last year what’s there going straight through without stopping, Example being Junction 180 odd and beats down here just into double figures! Our turn will come, wait until first flood in late July/ August .
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