Week beginning 29 February 2016
Monday 29th February. That’s the last of February thankfully, not a month I’m keen on I have to say, 4 for the month for us which is what we caught last year. 1’10” and 36 degs and squeaky clean. Ray Anderson returned today having negotiated his way round the grid lock that seems to be Newcastle at the moment and set off to the Glide when I caught up with him he was half way across the river and only up to his groin so there is a pickle more gravel in there. Harry Birbeck was in the pound seat in the Cauld but despite his best efforts he failed to connect, Quentin McLaren fished Learmouth to an inch of its life but also failed, I’ll cut to the chase we all failed even though the river is in great order. I heard through the grapevine that Cornhill had two below us but fish of the day came from Dryburgh Lower with a 24lber, they must have weighed it as I’d of been tempted to call it 25lbs. There’s rain in the west tonight so it’s bound to lift it a bit tomorrow sometime so that’ll bring them in! The farmer was in the fields today ploughing and he had it done in a matter of hours with a 14 furrow reversible plough and a tractor the size of a small house! 50 years ago it would have taken him days and 100 years ago weeks even a couple of months, it quite hypnotic watching all the soil getting turned over at once.
Tuesday 1st March. A much milder day with cloud and wind from the west south west, 1’10” and 40 degs still nice and clean. That’s the first of March and I’ve yet to see a Springer apart from the one I landed for Dave Dekers in the lower Cauld, I would normally have seen one show in the Lower cauld but not this year so far and the chances today were slim as all the top gauges were rising and it reached us by lunchtime making 2’5” by 4.00pm and still rising so tomorrow it’s going to be dirty. Calum left at lunchtime but Ray who breeds the fastest pigeons this side of Scotch Corner and local Spey casting champion Rodger Oxtoby stuck it, out Rodger only giving up when he lost his only 20gram Toby and Ray when he was getting weed etc every cast. The clocks change at the end of the month and the Sandmartins will be here so that’s something to look forward to. I don’t know why they wait until the end of March to change the clocks as they go back in the end of October with two months till the shortest day but it takes them three months to put them forward again. 6 fish reported off the river today all above us again and tomorrows water will not help our case.
Wednesday 2nd March. Murky brown water and the gauge showing 3’0” and 40 degs. Ray Anderson along with John Okell and Graham fished all day as it was better than prowling round kelso or visiting the tackle shops buying stuff they don’t really need. It was a nice enough day until late afternoon when we had a wee shower and it turned much colder. I took a trip up to St Boswells to the tardis that is known as Borders gunroom to get some tying material and try and change some cartridges for some that have more pellets in them as the ones at the moment would bring down an elephant and are a bit large for the job in hand. On the way up and back I never saw single rod fishing. The gauges are falling at the moment and it should be around 2’3” tomorrow and cleaner so we’ll get a crack at it.
Thursday 3rd March. Not a bad day out, no fish for us but still a no bad day. 2’4” and 38 degs clean. The team set about their task with great expectations but by lunchtime all we had to show for it was two wee Trout and a Mole. It all looks very fishy but there was nothing to be seen. 12 fish reported on the websites the closest to us being one 6lber from lower north wark this afternoon. The forecast is for wintery conditions for the next week with the wind going into the east followed by the north so its time to stoke up the fires in the huts and hunt out the thermal undies. I’m sure we’ll find a fish tomorrow somewhere.
Friday 4th March. Well! That was a better day and not just for us, there were fish caught from Cornhill to Bemersyde, not loads but a good spread. On the Lees we had one at 10lbs from the bottom of the Back of the Wall; Ian Jardine was the lucky lad but he had to work for it as there was a bit of an icy blast going upstream with hail/rain/snow showers to add to the unpleasantness. The Teviot looks like it has caught the worst of the showers as all the gauges are rising tonight so even if it’s a fishable height it’s bound to be carrying some colour. We were just getting down to a better height again and there it’s away again. I’ve yet to see a fish apart from the ones we’ve landed so they’re keeping their heads down as they go past. Forecast is for north winds and wintery showers for the next 4-5 days so that’ll be nice.
Saturday 5th March. Flooded off again, well not really flooded off as coloured off, 2’10” and 38 degs but a very murky brown colour. The lads decided not to bother which was the right decision as there was a fair north wind blowing along with heavy sleet/rain. So that makes it one for the week which is better than none I suppose. Ian Farr Ghillie at Bemersyde text me this morning to let me know he’d had a 13lber 3rd cast with a red rap so guid for him if it’s true as a fair bit of wind up goes on in these conditions. We of course have the Teviot effect down here and the Leet which runs in at the bottom of the beat is running orange which will make it worse for anyone below us. It’s to be drier tomorrow so we should be back on Monday.
©M Campbell 2016
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