Week beginning 2 April 2018
Monday 2nd April. Another shocker of a day weatherwise with east winds rain and snow all day. The Lees gauge was sitting at 2’0” this morning and nice and clean. We gave the Temple and Cauld a quick run through and ran for home before lunch. 6 fish reported off the river today the nearest being Birgham Dub with one. Anyone sticking it out all day deserved to catch a 30lber or get a medal at least. This day last year I was sowing my carrots, this year I might consider sowing rice as the ground is wet enough. The Teviot has a wee rise in it tonight but all the Tweed gauges are steady as all the crappy weather has been in the east. One day it’ll warm up, please.
Tuesday 3rd April. Well it was another wet crappy shity day down at the Lees with a brown rising river running past. Robert Skelly and Howard Smith turned up and set up about a dozen rods, it wasn’t a fishing effort they were trying out new kit for Russia so somewhere like that. It rained fairly hard in the middle part of the day but at least it was milder as there was no ferocious east wind blowing to give us a wind chill of-20 today. All the gauges are rising again tonight so it’ll be a brown river again tomorrow and another day lost. It’s not even like you can get other things done as the ground is soaking wet and soft, I hate this country from November to mid April and I might change that depending how the month pans out. No fish reported today, just a couple of very hungry looking Sandmartins flitting about the cauld. Rant over.
Wednesday 4th April. It was even worse today with heavy rain and snow and that wind again. The river is pushing 7’0” and filthy brown and still rising above us. That will more or less be it for the week I should think, it’s to be dry tomorrow they say but the water table will be full to the top so it’ll take a long time to drop back to where I like it.
Thursday 5th April. This is more like it, the sun is shining at last, the river is buggered but at least it’s not raining or snowing. 5’0” and very dirty this morning so no fishing. I popped up to Kelso this morning and called in to see Martin Ritchie at Upper North Wark for a chat, it was wall to wall ghillies in the hut, everyone round about had decided to do the same so once we had sorted the world out I continued on my merry way. I was thinking we might have half a chance of fishing tomorrow as the gauges were falling this afternoon but looking tonight they are rising yet again with snow melt I presume. So the long wait continues.
Friday 6th April. Much the same as yesterday but less sun. 4’6” and dirty. Robert Baxter turned up for his two days fishing and brought his new Lab Pup along much to Kelsae’s delight as she will play all day (I’m looking for a reasonably priced Lab pup, cheap even better). Anyway no fishing again today, the only thing fishing was the seal that popped up in front of the hut this morning so Paul gave it a rocket to send it on its way. As yesterday gauges falling this afternoon but rising again tonight, so even if it drops it’ll be chucking a toby off the bank at best I should think. I couldn’t wait any longer and I’ve planted my 1st early spuds this afternoon, they’re in raised beds so will warm up soon enough.
Saturday 7th April. What a bloody week that was. Flooded off again today and rising. The only good thing today was Bob Jewels reported seeing some swallows at Upper Hendersyde, maybe they are bringing some good weather with them.