Week beginning 31 May 2021
Monday 31st May. Well summer is definitely here with temps into the low 20s and not a cloud in the sky, of course all this gladdens the soul but doesn’t help the salmon fishing. 1’5” and 56f with a beery touch to it which some are blaming on the bridge works up near Gala; I’d have thought the colour would have dropped out by the time it got down here from Gala. Paul Copson, Brian Orme, Rodger Wadsworth with son Tom and pal Harry make up the squad for next three days. Paul was on the Slap and Cauld and on a Monday morning you’d think it was a banker a foregone result, we even saw a nice fresh fish head and tail as we were getting the first cast across it but not a touch was had not even a boil at the sunray. Brian on the other hand was lucky down at Learmouth getting a fresh 8lber, Rodger and team blanked on the bottom half this morning but Tom nearly had one from the Cauld this afternoon but maybe held on just a tad too hard when the fish turned to go. This heat is not going to help things but the real reason is there are not enough fish at the moment. Some of the lads are going back this evening so scores might change.
Tuesday 1st June. It was a lovely sunny day hot in fact, 1’4” and 58 degrees still with a beery tinge. Fish were as scarce as hen’s teeth though, we saw on in the Slap this morning and the same one was still sploshing about this afternoon, it would look at nothing, it wouldn’t even look at my large sunray so I’m now in the huff. The Cauldstream continues to baffle us due to the lack of fish that are using it it’s been perfect for a few days but we have just had the one pull yesterday. A difficult south east wind picked up again today as the heat built making casting a bit of a challenge, and it must have been a challenge for Colin Hewitt who was fishing elsewhere and managed to stick a hook in his neck, (I saw photo on facebook). Some of the lads are going out tonight which is a wise move, get the sun off the water, the wind will drop and things will be easier. Catches are almost nonexistent with 3 fish caught above us and worryingly nothing below us. I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow.
Wednesday 2nd June. Another warm sunny day, I’m not complaining as it was a very long winter, spring took an age to warm up, chuck in a covid lockdown and all in all its was shite. However its now summer and the river is higher than this time last year but fish are bloody scarce, the permanent beery tinge with suspended matter is a puzzle, the river was lower last year it was sunnier than this year but something is going on to cause that colour. The Teviot is running gin clear so its coming down the Tweed. 1’4” and 60 f with that beery tinge. The lads fished all the likely spots and the younger ones had been on the water since 6.00am trying to be the early bird and all that but no worms were to be had. By lunchtime the seat wind was making it a bit of a chore that and the long drive home the lads buggered off at lunchtime. I got a fair bit of strimming done as following last week’s rain and now 25f the grass is growing at a fearsome rate. Catches were dismal again today but an exception was a cracking fat fresh fish around 15lb caught this morning at Lower north wark on a red editor fly, its more a case of find the fish and you’re in with a chance. Maybe tomorrow. I’ve got the dentist first thing so it’ll be a case of a fat lip and my tongue hanging out as I slaver my coffee all over the place when I get to the hut.
Thursday 3rd June. Well I have to say a scale and polish and two fillings at 8.15am doesn’t half wake you up in the morning and all at the very reasonable rate of £44.40. New team on today and they were all keen to be at it, I was up top with Pete and we saw 3 fish in the Slap (same ones as yesterday no doubt) but couldn’t get any interest from them, the story was the same round the beat except they didn’t see any. This afternoon James Burley of whirly fame was in the Cauld with Paul when they struck nearly silver getting an 8lb seal mauled river fish on a sunray. Pete levelled the scoring getting a 5lb river fish (unmauled) at the Iron Gate on a micro conehead, no complaints at two for the day, I’d be happier if they’d been fresh/liced but we’ll take them as they come. The mystery of the colour in the river has been trending on facebook and possibly twitter with all sorts of theories coming out from an algae bloom to bridge works up at Gala somewhere and even the public swimming pool at Peebles bursting its sides, someone even suggested it was those bloody grayling fishermen “shuffling”, or perhaps it’s the amount of flying condoms stirring up the river bed with the spinning blades. The truth is there somewhere. Onions are coming on nicely now that it has warmed up (Clancy and Stan). It’ll be better tomorrow.
Friday 4th June. Another lovely day weather wise with blue skies and a west wind at last. Fish were scarce to say the least but I did see a very large fish in the Glide which cleared the water right in front of Steven Burley, it would have made 20lb’ish sadly it didn’t hang around to bite the fly and never showed again. The team decided not to fish this afternoon and keep their powder dry until this evening. I popped round to Learmouth to give the Back of the wall posts a lick of paint as they are getting a bit faint, had a nice chat with young Dean about all things fishy. On my way back through the town I stopped off to get some tomato plants from a shop I supply as 4 of mine are looking a bit peaky, the lady told me I must have miss labelled the courgettes and cucumbers so some folk will be looking at their cucumber plants and thinking they are a bit strange, I blamed it on kids swapping the labels. The forecast is for more of the same right through next week; it’s perfect evening seatrout weather if only they’d turn up. Only 2 fish reported on the websites but I imagine a lot of rods will be leaving it alone until this evening.
Saturday 5th June. Sunny warm with a light west breeze. 1’1” and 60 degrees bit cleaner than yesterday. Norman was the lucky rod today getting a 5lb river fish from Learmouth stream this morning, very lucky when you consider there were only 4 fish reported on the websites tonight. With the sun beating down the team headed for home after lunch which was the right choice I think. Forecast for the week ahead is more of the same so a waiting game begins, the seatrout should come in on this water, they almost walk up if they have to, last year the salmon didn’t care about low water, there were loads there at this height and lower, so for the moment the more astute of you will come to the same conclusion as me.
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©M Campbell 2021
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