Week beginning 29 October 2018
Monday 29th October. A very frosty foggy morning and -5 degrees. The gauge at the Lees was reading 10” and 40 degrees. Paul Holland, Andy and Craig Scott here for three days. The lads soon got spread out round the beat and about the job. I was explaining the Glide and Cornhill bend area to Andy when Paul rang to say there was a Seal in the Cauldstream, now in bigger water it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise but at 10” it must have had to walk up from Berwick. Paul had fired a rocket or two at it to no avail and I popped up before lunch and gave it a few more which did move it down to the bottom of the cauld but it wouldn’t go over the shallows to get down to Learmouth. When we left tonight it was still there. The lads fished well and covered the water but not a pull was to be had for anyone.
Tuesday 30th October. A milder morning with no frost and no wind. Sammy the Seal was up in the Temple so Andy and myself went into the Cauld first and gave it a run through but didn't see or touch a fish, we then tried the Slap and Cobble point with the same result , the rain came on so we retired to the hut for a coffee, as we were having a cuppa Sammy came past so we guided him into the Cauld and then fished the Temple where we did see a fish which turned out to be the only one of the day. Craig was down in Learmouth and had much the same result minus the seal of course and Paul Holland who'd fished the rest of the beat had nothing to report either. The catches are patchy on the river with 7 caught below us then you jump to Lower Birgham then up to Hendersyde, then its up to Dryburgh before you see a fish reported. An unusual visitor apart from the bloody seal is a Common Crane which is wandering around the fields at the Lees, twice the size of a Heron with a sort of tan coloured neck and head. It's wandered off course during migration no doubt.
Wednesday 31st October. Another slow day on the Lees with only one fish seen all day but we did see it twice. The lads covered the water just fine but there was nothing there to grab the fly. 12 fish caught below us 6 of them at Tillmouth so there are some below us. Sammy the seal is still with us today which doesn’t help prospects in the Cauld, he/she wanders up into the Temple now and again then back into the Cauld, it nearly went down to Learmouth this afternoon but seems to panic when it gets right into the shallows at the bottom of the Cauld. The Common Crane is still wandering about the fields and had a fly over Learmouth stream this morning and it has a fair wing span. There was high drama at Learmouth road end this morning as a tractor pulled out in front of the traffic causing a car to alter the angle of one of the telegraph poles and block the road for a while. So lots of excitement apart from the fishing.
Thursday 1st November. Nice day on the river today with the sun shining and no wind. Colin Hewitt with us today, last time he was here he had an 18lber but today he couldn’t match that feat. I didn’t see a fish today; Colin saw one in the tail of the Glide which is possibly the same one that was there yesterday. The seal and common crane are still with us and a few people have turned up to see the crane. Catches on the river are low but I see tonight that Tillmouth had 5 today, I haven’t heard of anything fresh being caught though. 10” and 41 degrees squeaky clean.
Friday 2nd November. Another lovely autumn day with a frosty start and no wind, the river was up 7” and the temperature had dropped down to 38 degrees. Colin Hewitt was the only rod today and he caught a fish. We were in Learmouth stream when a fly change was mooted, Colin opened his tube box and I spied a Comet which he had tied himself so on it went. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Comet fished and it used to be a backend go to fly. The fish was an 8lb hen which was quickly released to go and do her job. The lift of water has shifted the seal and we are glad to see the back of it. The Crane is still here and a couple of little Egrets are flitting about, the Dab Chicks are all over the place and are calling this year, I see them every year but this is the first time I’ve heard them calling or making a noise of any kind come to that. Gales forecast for tomorrow then heavy rain tomorrow night coming from the west.
Saturday 3rd November. Aye it was windy right enough but a lot less rain than forecast in the east anyway, there has been a fair bit on the west and the top gauges are rising, the river will be dirty tomorrow but it doesn’t matter as it’s a Sunday. It’ll be good for the fish but not so good for the anglers as it will likely take away what few fish are left down here. Michael and Jonathon Black here for the day and they were both as keen as razors. 1’2 and a toasty 44 degrees, that’s a 6 degree jump overnight. I’ll keep it short, the lads fished all day didn’t have a touch and we saw two fish in the Glide, floating line with a 10’0” sinktip teamed up with a wee tube. Highlight of the day was a huge rat from the chicken shed and some bloody good shots.
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©M Campbell 2018
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