Week beginning 30 May 2016
Monday 30th May. A cold dull start to the day with that north east wind yet again. We’re onto summer lets now so the reports will not be as usual. I could make something up of course and sometimes maybe will. Neil Wilson and John Leighton here today and reports are that John shook two fish off in the Slap first thing this morning which was careless to say the least. Neil managed a blank but I’m sure it’ll be his turn in a couple of weeks. It’s time for beat maintenance so I’ve spent the day getting things ready, such as new marker posts, boats to paint, hand rails to make, huge hole at cobble point to fill in (contractor doing that) miles of grass to cut and of course show winning onions and pumpkins to grow.
Tuesday 31st May. Another overcast dull day with a north east wind yet again. 10” and 54 degrees nice and clean. 1@7lb from Learmouth stream on a floater with a wee sink tip, a good number of fish showing in the Slap or just the same few jumping/head and tailing multiple times. Got a new post put up on far bank at the back of the wall so we can all see where we are going or not meant to be in some cases. Strimmed the Cauld bank again and had a general tidy up round hut. Car has now developed a rattle drivers side and an oil leak which will need investigating tomorrow, on its last legs I reckon and it just went through an MOT last week. One day the wind will change into the west and we’ll have some nice warm rain followed by some sunshine.
Wednesday 1st June. Another month and its even worse today with cold north east winds and drizzle in fact you can even see your breath today. A Seatrout lost in the Cauld and another pull was the lunchtime report. I busied myself putting up a handrail for the walkers we’ve diverted round the back of chicken run then cut grass until it was too wet to sensibly cut grass as it just makes a mess, might be more to add later. 10” and 54 degrees. Totals for May are Slap 10, Learmouth 4, Glide 1, Duddo 1 and Bags 1. Nothing out of the Cauld for the whole month which is shocking. The sun came out at last around 5.00pm and no reports of any fish.
Thursday 2nd June. A bit better day weather wise with a sunny start but the clouds were never far away and all day the big bank of cloud was trying to come in from the east which it did by 3.00pm. Dave Charlton fishing with us for next three days, I popped him onto the Slap croy first thing and after a few reaching casts he had one on for a wee while, then it wasn’t, which has been the way of things of late. That was all the action in the Slap for the day even though fish kept on showing there were on more pulls. I did see a nice fresh fish in the Cauld so we gave it the normal stuff then a big sunray to see if we could get a reaction but it wasn’t interested if it was still there. Lunchtime and off to the bank to sort stuff out as its only open two days a week, I blamed internet banking when speaking to the girl serving but she said their customer base had gone up, Ah! But not your footfall through the door from people like me who don’t do online banking. Back to the Lees some weed cutting and strimming and clear the space for the new anchor point at Learmouth, then high drama, a murder! A dog walker on his phone lets his mongrel run ahead and it kills one of my best hens, after a few words of advice which included the imminent demise of the dog if it so much as looks at another hen and a payment he decided to leave. The club was out on the bottom end last night but blanked as well, I’m putting it down to the cold. Morning off tomorrow, taking son to airport, packing him off to Australia for a year or two to make his fortune.
Friday 3rd June. A cloudy day again on the whole and not warm for June on the east coast, the west is bathed in sunshine and enjoying Mediterranean temperatures. One fish today at the Lees I’m told, from Learmouth caught by Dave Charlton, so well done him. That’s son packed off and as I write this he should be well past the north coast of Africa, had to go to Kelso to try and get my contact lenses and of course they hadn’t come in so went to the garden centre to get some compost, I used to think Sundays were bad at garden centre but Fridays must be OAP day as it was packed and everyone was moving at 1 mile per hour so note to self is don’t go on a Friday afternoon again. No sign of rain on the forecast and it’s around 8” on Lees gauge so it’s getting a bit too low now but if we can keep picking up the odd fish it helps to keep people happy, the Slap is full of fish but they’re not keen to pull.
Friday 4th June. A nicer morning as it’s warmed up at last and the sun is coming out, that of course depends on your point of view and if you are fishing or golfing/gardening. 8” and 58 degs this morning with a summer tinge to the water. Dave had a go at the Slap with various flies all having the same result, John was down in Duddo and had a fish on for a wee while on a sort of silver stoat thing. John packed up at lunchtime and Dave went down to give Learmouth a run through before heading off. I cut the grass in front of the hut and headed for home to sort out the greenhouse and polytunnel.
our twitter feed