Week beginning 28 May 2018
Monday 28th May. Another cracker of a day depending on what you are doing, hill walking, golfing, gardening, day on the beach for the bank holiday all great but not if you are fishing for salmon. Around 72 on the gauge and the water temp has jumped to 62 degrees this morning. Phil Fisher, Colin Chisholm and Paul Copson here for three days, Paul was up the top end this morning and had a pull on a #10 cascade in the Slap, that was all the action for the day, the lads covered all the likely spots but nothing was doing, I watched the opposition from South Wark drift their way up the Temple a couple of time pushing the ducklings on to our bank and causing a ripple on the mirror like surface, but they also failed. The catches were very low across the websites which was to be expected. I did hear about a large seatrout from Hendersyde this morning, a 10lber with a Lamprey attached to its side; you’d have thought it had enough to worry about with the Lamprey sucking away at it to bother with taking a fly, nice seatrout though. It might be better tomorrow.
Tuesday 29th May. A much cloudier day with the sun not getting out until 5.00pm. Colin Chisholm was on the Slap and despite seeing a good number of fish he failed to tempt any to his flies. His sparring partner Phil Fisher down in Learmouth stream fared much better getting a liced 20lber on a #10 double cascade, it fought like a tiger and ran a good bit of backing off Phil’s reel. That is our biggest fish of the spring so far, Colin Hewitt had an 18lber from the Cauld a couple of weeks ago which was a cracking fish but a 20lber takes the biscuit. Paul Copson had a hold of a fish all too briefly in the Duddo stream also on a #10 cascade. It was lovely to see a fresh 20lber when the river is down at summer level with the water temp at 62 degrees, it gives me more hope for the summer months but we could do with a wee bit of water just to wash out some of the weed that is starting to roll down. The Osprey was here most of the afternoon but I only saw it having one fishless dive.
Wednesday 30th May. Much cooler today and the sun never made an appearance that along with a cold East/North East wind didn’t make it feel like a fishy sort of day. Still around 72 on the Lees gauge and 56 degrees. There were plenty fish showing in the Slap this morning but not one wanted to look at a fly, the other lads down the beat did no better and the only fish seen was at the Iron Gate point. This afternoon Phil fishing with Paul in the Cauld saw a nice clean fish right below them and were waiting for the pull but it never happened, a wee while later Paul casting a fly across the Slap had a big bow wave/boil at his fly but no connection. The lads are away home now to be replaced with a new team tomorrow, I hope they have packed their sun cream as forecast is back to hot and sunny. I received a text today to say a freshet is on its way tomorrow, they usually reach us by Friday and put the river up 4” or so which helps the fish but not the fishing as it tends to lift all the weed.
Thursday 31st May. A very humid sort of day, the east wind has finally buggered off and with no air moving it was a sticky day. Still around the 72 mark on the gauge, well actually its not on the gauge so its guess work really. Stephen Burley and team here for three days and Stephen set the bar by falling in at the Iron gate this morning, his reel had fallen off and he was reaching into the water to get it when bang the life jacket went off causing him to fall in, nice warm morning so he would hardly feel the water running into his waders. Later in the morning he almost redeemed himself as he hooked a fish in the Duddo stream but it was a long range release. The lads are fishing on this evening so they might yet add one to the score board.
Friday 1st June. Well that’s spring out of the way, and it wasn’t our worst spring believe it or not, it was worst equal with one a couple of years or so ago. It’s a good job the German team were here or things might have been different, you can’t beat that German efficiency. Anyway, today was a very warm humid day with the water temp back up to 60 degrees, the river was up an inch due to the freshet, there will be a bit more tomorrow as there is a wee rise going on at the top of Tweed. Norman was the only one to catch anything and that was a wee trout. Mark broke his rod; he says it just fell off. It usually needs a bit of help to just fall off. I hope all these thunder storms put something into the river as it needs it now. As from next week we are onto summer lets so the reports might not be as detailed as they could be, not that they have been bursting with fish as it is. I could give you real time gardening updates but maybe not. Its Common Riding season now and the garden keeps me busy, a wee flood would have me back to the river of an evening looking for a seatrout but until then it’s a waiting game.
Saturday 2nd June. I’m off to Dumfries for a charity doo. River is brown.
See instagram for photos (Tweedbeats)
©M Campbell 2018
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