Week beginning 2 February 2015
Monday 2nd February
Here we go again, 2’1” and 34 degs squeaky clean and a sunny very cold day. The lads were keen as mustard and were soon thrashing their way round the beat, but it wasn’t long before the wading rods were waning and Colin Nichol Lees stalwart was back in the hut having a coffee. We didn’t see a thing all morning and not a pull was had. This afternoon Phil saw a fish/Kelt in the lower Cauld waded out and had a wee pull first cast but it didn’t connect, Fred Roberts had a Kelt from the top Otter stone and Harry Birbeck (birthday boy) had a Brown trout from the tail of the Cauld that apart from a Mole was it for the day, so when I looked at the websites tonight you can imagine how delighted I was to see that the Junction had 10 and the two Floors beats 6 between them! Lucky boys. It’s a great height for the Lees so if any fish decide to stop with us we’ll have them. There was Dippers and Kingfishers along with the Otter just no fish, there’s aye tomorrow.
Tuesday 3rd February A lovely sunny start but very cold and a hard frost, that was the nicest bit of the day, by 11.00am the sun had gone and a bitter north wind had picked up with sleet and snow showers on it. I was In Learmouth stream first thing with Phil Dyson and he had a pull on his 5-6th cast but despite fishing it right down to Flippers hut and wading the stream again that was it for the morning. Paul was in the Cauld with Colin and it looked perfect and it was perfect just no fish. Fred Roberts had a Kelt from the Tail of the Cauld this afternoon which was quite an achievement apart from wading in 32 degs as there’s no kelts about either, this is very noticeable when you walk the banks normally you would be stepping on dead Kelts if you don’t watch where you put your feet but this year there’s none, on the bright side at least Kelsae the dug will not be smelling of dead/rotten fish every day. I’m sure we’ll get one tomorrow.
Wednesday 4th February Bloody hard frost this morning, I could hardly get the car doors open. I got to the hut to find out that a large Grey seal had fished his way down the Temple and all round the Cauldstream the only good thing being he didn’t catch anything either, then having a cuppa before the rods arrived I thought a large skein of geese were heading upstream as they neared the hut I realised they were Cormorants all 57 of them, aye 57!!!!!! I texted Lee at Carham and they had landed up there and he was on his way to scare them off, I’ve never seen a flock that size before. Anyway the fishing, Fred texted to say he wasn’t feeling that great so wasn’t coming; it must have been wading down the Cauld in 32 degs that saw him off. Colin decided to take up the invite to fish Lower Makerstoun rather than the Lees and still blanked. The other lads waved the white flag at lunchtime and headed for home before they died from hypothermia. There’s a new team in tomorrow and they’ll be keen as mustard and so they should be as it’s in perfect nick for the beat just not many if any fish about, even if some people round Kelso think there’s a huge run coming in their keeping it a bit secret down here.
Thursday 5th February A big day on the Lees today as Ray Anderson who breeds the fastest racing pigeons in the world caught a fish but don’t get too excited as it was a wee Grayling and he foul hooked it. 1’10” and 34 degs squeaky clean. The lads fished the whole beat and not so much as a touch and on the river today Junction was the only beat to score with a very impressive 8 landed, so good for them! We had to contend ourselves with a lovely pastie that Stuart (backend Ghillie) brought for us from Kelso, he thought I wasn’t putting our catches on the website so came to find out why! The weather for the rest of the week looks fine and with the river dropping in nicely it can only be a matter of time before the beat is teaming with fish, I’m sure the lads coming next week will be having trouble sleeping with the thought. Now I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble but there are some reports that Tweed is having it’s best start to the Spring in recent history, well it kind of depends where you are fishing really, a wee stretch at Kelso ”good” the rest of the river blank! Hardly a Kelt to break the boredom, so maybe not the best start! That was my grump for the day and I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow, at least the Seal has buggered off.
Friday 6th February A lovely start to the day, no wind and a bit milder, 1’9” and 36 degs still squeaky clean. No Seal to be seen but he’s down at Milne Graden I hear. There were Kingfishers, Dippers a pair of Otters at Duddo but no fish, Ray couldn’t even foul hook a Grayling today. I see that Sprouston and Hendersyde had some fish today so they must be filling the river from the top down so we might be in luck tomorrow. It’s still very early days in the season but with the conditions we have I’d of thought there would be a fish on the Lees somewhere. I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow.
Saturday 7th February Another nice day sunny frosty, 1’9” 34 degs perfect conditions again but no fish. Reports are that some of the beats above us have a lot of Kelts with as well as the odd Springer, so that gives us a bit of a dilemma do we want a bit of water to bring some Kelts down to us which might encourage a springer or two to stay with us (if there’s any coming in), or might a wee bit of water take any fish coming in straight past us and the Kelts right out? I shouldn’t worry really as neither is going to happen looking at the forecast. Anyway the lads enjoyed their day even though they never had a pull and they are back again in March so I’m sure there’ll be loads of fish on the beat by then. It’s team Harper next week so it’ll be the usual whisky drinking competition in the hut tomorrow afternoon, I’m going logging so will stay out of it. I’m sure it’ll be better next week.
Photos this week are the lads trying really hard to find a fish and Kelsae wishing I’d throw the ball.
© M Campbell 2015
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