Week beginning 27 June 2016
Monday 27th June. Paul and Linda Grewcock here for three days and Paul was into action straight away in Learmouth stream landing one and losing two others, one being lost in a branch that had come down the river and got hung up, it happens but its annoying. 9” and 58 degrees with a north west wind coming down the Temple and Cauld saying that it would be a strange day if a North West wind was blowing upstream. Rain forecast tomorrow but the heaviest looks to be below us. More strimming today and cut the paths right round the beat, this time of year its like the Forth rail bridge you just keep cutting and it keeps growing.
Tuesday 28th June. Paul Grewcock’s name will be heard all over Tweedside tonight getting 5 to his rod today and all on a wee gold bodied willie gunn, two of them at around the 15lb mark, one @13lbs, one @9lbs and one @ 7lbs all were fresh, not to be out done Pauls wife Linda had a 10lb licer from the Cauld, so quiet a day for June, June in fact has turned out to be the best month of the season for us so far and it was always known to be the quietest month unless the seatrout came in and this year the seatrout are missing so far, there’s time for them yet and there’s a bit of rain about for the next few days. 9” and 56 degs, it makes you wonder last back end we had a bit more water than this and it was a wee bit colder but the fish wouldn’t come forward, at the moment its low summer level and there’s no stopping them, at least they are stopping with us instead of belting straight through to Kelso (sorry Kelso but you’ve had plenty). Got the second Temple boat on today, new chain fitted, bit of strimming done. Tempted to have a cast tonight but will see what rain is doing first. The club rods had a 9lber from Cornhill bend tonight so 7 for the day.
Wednesday 29th June. A different sort of day today, one we didn’t catch any fish and two it’s pissing it down with rain. 7” and 58 degs. Paul gave the hot spots from yesterday a run through this morning and had a splashy boil in Learmouth stream at a sunray, Linda had a couple of boils at a sunray in the Slap, by lunchtime that was all the action and there was that long drive back to deepest Norfolk so off they went with some happy memories of a great day yesterday. The rain has stopped all strimming activity today and I see the top of the Teviot is rising; a wee lift of water might bring in some seatrout if there’s any waiting to come. We’ll see tomorrow. Latest – rain stopped this evening and the club had a couple of rods out on the bottom end, Cameron Bruce was the lucky lad getting an 18lb river fish from the Duddo and a 13lb licer from the Glide.
Thursday 30th June. A stiff westerly wind blowing this morning and we were joined by Lees first timers Jeff and Rod. Rod found the wind a bit of a challenge on the Slap and after sticking the fly into me a couple of times I decided a different approach was required so I took Jeff into the cauld where he had a fish in about 10 casts, a liced 6lber on a wee yellow and black cone head tube. Mid morning we had the grand tour of the beat and a talk through the pools after which the lads tackled the Back of the wall down to the Glide. This afternoon they elected to try the Cornhill bend down to the Bags which is out of the wind and a lot easier to fish, no reports of any fish to date. 8” and 58 degrees. Just back from beat locking up hens and the river is up 6” still clean with a wee bit of weed moving so that’ll give the lads a bit more pull on some of the pools tomorrow. Latest – another 3 yesterday from Learmouth, Iron gate and the Glide.
Friday 1st July. That’s another month away and it wasn’t flaming June a dull grey cool June, one or two hot sunny days but on the whole a poor month. Not a poor month for catches though as we ended up with 37 salmon with only one casualty and all on fly not a condom in sight. Slap 5, Cauld 4, Learmouth 13, BOW 5, Glide 6 CHB 1 and Duddo 3 best 18lbs from Duddo. Another two Lees first timers with us today in the shape of Nick West and Paul Dixon, Nick lost a fish early on in the Slap another 4 yards and it would of been in the net, Paul was down in Learmouth and saw a good few but no pulls, Nick had another one boil at a sunray in lower Learmouth and to press that’s all I know about, they are having a cast this evening so it might increase. We had some very heavy showers this afternoon and at 7.00pm the top of the Tweed is rising by about a foot but by the time it gets to us it will be a couple of inches maybe four with a bit of help from Teviot. Still no seatrout and they are not being caught below us. We had an Osprey with us for a hour or so this morning and three young Otters playing round the Cauld. Latest – A 9lb Seatrout from the Back of the wall.
Saturday 2nd July. Andy and Bruce here for the day, we gave the Cauld and Slap a run through but no action, Andy did have a wee tug in the Slap but it didn’t stick on, mid morning the lads fished Back of the Wall down to Duddo and reported that they’d had a couple of sharp tugs in the Glide which to me sounds like seatrout, the lads fishing at Learmouth had a 8lb seatrout this morning so maybe they are at last turning up. 1’3” and 56 degrees this morning and a very strong west wind. I debated having a cast myself today but the bloody wind along with torrential showers put paid to that, I’ve got some micro skimmers that I want to try but it needs to be just right. On the garden front I know some of you will be wondering why it’s all gone quiet, well it’s not good news. The potatoes are huge, not big potatoes but very tall Shaws as they are reaching for the light as it’s been a very dull summer with no sun to speak of, my beetroot and carrots are a disaster with only about a quarter of them surviving the spring again just cold and damp. Clancy your onions are the only thing that are doing ok. Inside in the polytunnel and greenhouse things are better but well behind, no raspberries yet. River rising here and there and enough to stop the Gala common riding fording the Tweed at Gala this morning, it’s not big but all this health and safety guff stops all the fun as the crowds are only there to see someone falling in.