Week beginning 2 May 2016
Monday 2nd May. 2’2” and 47 degs. Team Hepple on for 3 days, there was a south west wind today instead of the north East making it much milder, but the water was beery and unsettled so it was going to be a challenge and it was as all we had caught by end of play was one wee trout. We did see fish though at the Glide and Iron Gate. Osprey was here all afternoon and the Otters are becoming a pest at times getting in the way. I see the top gauges are rising tonight so it’s bound to have a bit more colour tomorrow.
Tuesday 3rd May. A day with a North West wind blowing down the Temple and a beery river, 2’6” and 48 degs, I’ll keep it short as I’ve loads of things to do tonight, we fished all day and never saw a thing. Sorry to be boring but there we are.
Wednesday 4th May. The weather people on countryfile said it would be nice and warm and CALM today, well it wasn’t, in fact it’s been the windiest day from the west this year it was an absolute sod. They spent millions and squillions of pounds on a new computer and its bloody windy, they don’t have to row a bloody boat in it do they? Of course tonight its the south they meant not all of us. Rant over for now. 1’11” and 50 degs yes 50 degs at last so lets stop all this sunk line stuff and do some proper fishing with floater and maybe a wee sink tip with a #8 on or a skimmer for a change. We saw one old fish in the Slap and that was it for the day, unless a fish cleared the water you wouldn’t have seen it anyway with the wind and waves. It’s now at a spot on height for the Lees so if we don’t catch tomorrow its a bad doo. On the wildlife front the duck that had 10 chicks was down to 4 yesterday, the oyster catcher has 3 eggs in a nest at Cornhill bend but she wasn’t sitting on them possible blown off the nest by the wind. Looks like 13 fish across the websites and one from Cornhill I’m told from the otter stones area. So anyway we’ll hope for better tomorrow.
Thursday 5th May. A much better day, there was still a stiff cold wind blowing this morning but we could manage. 1’8” and 48 degs touch beery. Sandy Scott was here for the day filling in for John Macleod and John will be wishing he’d been here as Sandy had a lovely 9lber from the Slap, Chris Bryce had a hold of two in Learmouth stream and managed to shake them both off which was a tad careless he also had a pull in the Glide. Colin Hewitt fishing the cauld and Slap this afternoon had fish jumping over his line but couldn’t get a hold of one, it was great to see so many fish on the beat albeit they were on the move at least it gave the lads something to go at. It was a much better day on the river as a whole as there were some 52 fish across the websites. There’s to be less wind tomorrow but it coming from the east so it will likely be another cloudy grey day which is no good for my tomatoes or onions so it needs to change.
Friday 6th May. A much better day, overcast, warm and calm. 1’6” and 50 degrees. We had a quiet morning with no action but did see at least three different fish in the Slap, John and Colin gave them every chance but they just continued to jump over the line. This afternoon John was in Learmouth stream and had two licers on a sort of snelda conehead tube up in the stream, Colin down in Duddo tried a Sunray then a skimmer and finally a wild green and yellow conehead but it did the trick getting him a 6lb licer so that was two happy boys. There was for the first time this year on the Lees enough fish showing to get me excited and three is a good day this spring for us. South wark had 5 so well done them, the river is dropping nicely and the fish should/hopefully stay with us now instead of belting through, there were quite a number showing today and liced fish were being caught right up to Upper Floors so lets hope this run continues .
Saturday 7th May. Well it was back to a cold grey world yet again whilst the rest of the world was sunbathing and having BBQ’s we were back to full winter clothing. 1’5” and 50 degs the air temp was 46 degs, I never like the water warmer than the air, saying that the fish that grabbed the fly in the Slap didn’t seem to mind as Oliver Falk lost one on his third cast in the Slap as it ran into the Cauld, John Macleod lost a decent fish in the middle stream but made good by getting one at 11lbs from the Slap in the afternoon on a wee bottle tube. We saw a few fish round the beat with 5 or 6 showing in Duddo stream this afternoon. So, I’m still quiet upbeat as long as a few fish are showing and having a go at the fly. The weather people are still saying that it’s going to be hot for us tomorrow but I still reckon we’re too close to the coast and the haar will win. It’ll be better next week. Photos are on instagram so follow Tweedbeats and you’ll be kept up to speed with day to day catches and wildlife going on’s
©.M Campbell 2016
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