Week beginning 30 April 2018
Monday 30th April. 1’6” and 46 degrees and squeaky clean. Team Harper here for the week and they set about their duties with a spring in their step. There was a north wind blowing and it was on the strong side, fine if you were out of the wind and in the sun then it was quiet warm but as soon as you were in the wind and shade it was bloody cold. We fished all the likely spots but not a pull was had, we did see a fish in the Slap both this morning and this afternoon. Flipper over at West Learmouth was the golden bollocks today getting a liced 11lber from the stream, so well done him. The lower river was very quiet today with most of the fish again around the Kelso area or above.
Tuesday 1st May. The day started off with a hard frost covering everything; luckily I’d remembered to light the heaters in the greenhouse and polytunnel. 1’5” and 46 degrees, the sun was shining and it was calm and warming up until mid morning when a gale arrived from the North West, The lads fished all the likely spots but by mid afternoon they’d had enough. We saw a fish in the Cauld and covered it several times, or maybe we covered where it had shown several times as we never saw it again. 10 fish reported off the river today and to give us some hope two of them were from Tweedhill well below us. We have moved onto floaters with 10’ intermediate sinktips as the water is squeaky clean and low enough.
Wednesday 2nd May. Is it only Wednesday? Well we nearly had two fish today but Ian dropped them off a bit too soon, he was in the Cauld with Paul when the disasters happened and they were the only two pulls of the day. We saw fish in the Slap, Cauld and Learmouth but apart from Ian’s two they wouldn’t look at anything we offered. The wind is still with us and its cold too cold. This bloody winter will just not give up; the sun did peek out late afternoon but did little to lift the temps. I’m really fed up with the weather now, it would be nice just to have about 4 or 5 days back to back when the sun shone and the wind pissed off. The top gauges were rising at lunchtime but its not going to be a flood just a wee nuisance rise, there were more fish caught below us than above us today for the first time this year, more to do with the flood than the fish I suspect.
Thursday 3rd May. An extra 6 inch in the river today, no extra colour though. 1’10” and 48 degrees. We went through the usual places and did see some fish at least but none were hanging about, a perfect example was one of the fish caught at Upper Dryburgh yesterday which had lice on it, that has to be nearly 50 miles from the end of Berwick pier, just shows how fast they can travel when they want. The extra water will help the smolt run down the river and help to get them through the slower dubs. It was also blowing a near gale all day again which didn’t help the casting, rowing or my mood.
Friday 4th May. The day started off with a trip to the dentist for a check up and a scale and polish. The hygienist was a bonnie wee thing and took my mind of the toothy stuff. Down to the Lees and Terry had decided he couldn’t stand the wind anymore and headed off home, Graeme had to get back to drill peas so that left Ian to catch the fish. Ian gave it a good go fishing the Slap, Cauld and then Learmouth this afternoon but failed to even get a pull or see a fish. I got some grass cut and fixed a boat seat then sprayed some hogweed down the right bank to Learmouth. It was much warmer today but that bloody wind is relentless, it didn’t stop blowing until evening when I was cutting logs, then the first of the midges were out and they were hungry. 1’6” and 49 degrees, the beat is in perfect order and there are a few fish coming in but we just can’t get a hold of them, maybe tomorrow.
Saturday 5th May. It was a lovely day out, the wind was still there but not as strong, the air temp was well up and there were blue skies, this all lifts the spirits and makes you think there is a chance that summer will eventually come. The Lees today was a bit like the Marie Celeste as everyone had buggered off home. 1’5” and 52 degrees and still nice and clean. Andrew phoned to see who was fishing and when he found out no one he decided to come along and row for me (he is a nice chap). Into the Slap boat as the wind was against us, armed with a sink tip and a trusty #6 cascade I put a few casts across the Slap and much to my surprise I had a 3 tug pull which by the time I realised it was there it was gone. Slap done it was into the Cauld sticking with the cascade instead of my favourite sunray we fished it down sorting out the world and who likes us the least. We fished it right down to the tail saw nothing and touched nothing so it was back to the top to cross over. I was still chucking the fly across as we reached the top when suddenly the line tweaked and a fish was splashing on the top. It must have grabbed the fly as soon as it the water and it shook its head the whole time, in the fast water and into the slack it shook and shook. My ghillie Andrew got the boat ashore and grabbed the net primed to scoop it up. Now this is all the more important as I haven’t landed a salmon for myself since July 2016, Trout, Seatrout and Bonefish yes but Salmon no. Anyway the fish was still shaking its head as I was deciding to get the camera phone ready and of course you know what’s going to happen. It ran up towards the top croy and one more shake and it was off. I immediately blamed Andrew as he had the net and he was rowing the boat at the time so it must be his fault, it can’t be mine. One day I’ll get one, maybe soon, but at least it gives us all a little bit of hope that there are some fish there and they do take a fly. It’ll be better next week!
©M Campbell 2018
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