Week beginning 31st March 2014
Monday 31st March Perfect height and the temp’s fine, nice and clean but we just can’t hold the fish on the lees at the moment although I did get quite excited as I saw several fish in the Slap this morning but not a pull from them. The wind has died down a bit to a cold damp breeze which is better. Sandmartins have arrived in numbers now and there was a hatch of March Browns today so they just made it in March, they should really be called April Browns here as I don’t often see them in March, anyway the Sandmartins were pleased to see them. This was Easter last year so why is it not Easter this year? Christmas falls on the 25th every year so stop shifting Easter about!!!! We saw a fish or two in the Cauld this afternoon so here’s hoping they are still there tomorrow and in the mood to play.
Tuesday 1st April And it’s not an April fool we caught two fish, I use “we “in the royal sort of way as Robert Skelly and Paul did all the work, one from the Slap which is easy when they’re there and one from the Cauld, both fresh 9lbs and 12lbs, both on fly as its fly only at this height remember. 1’9” and 44degs but pissing down with rain and a cold east wind, it may be 21degs down south but its like February here, in fact February was warmer. We also saw a few fish today and lost one in the Glide. But our luck was not to last as the rain had brought the river up and in the afternoon we never saw a scale, so they’ve either gone to ground or they’ve buggered off. My luck was even worse as my neoprene waders are leaking again, this time the foot has split and I’ve hardly worn them, its the second time I’m having to send them back and I told the bloke in the shop the boot was too flimsy and I wanted a refund but he sent a replacement pair so this time its a full refund and the postage, I doubt if both pairs lasted more than 3 weeks’ worth of fishing, don’t tell anyone but they were Diawa with a rubber cleated sole. The Osprey turned up today and the cats that were screeching outside my bedroom window last night at 2.30am better not be there tonight or they are in serious danger of using up all of their 9 lives in one go! Plus they crap all over my raised beds, when you say to people “leave your garden gate open tonight” Why? is the answer, So I can let my dogs in to crap all over your lawn they get upset, only fair I reply! Anyway river rising tonight not going to be too big but will likely have a load of colour. Wednesday 2nd 2’9” and very dirty so no fishing today, I took my fly tying kit along and helped Veronica with her fly tying this morning, she is left handed and I’m right handed so it had a few problems but she soon knocked up a silver stoat which no respectable Seatrout would refuse. In the afternoon it was up to Kelso to pick up my contact lenses and some new waders, so what about tomorrow? It will hopefully drop back a bit, not to quick though as the height helps to dilute the colour and we might even chuck a Toby at them, if there’s any there. No cats last night and I was ready for them as well.
Thursday 3rd As far as spring goes it was about as bad as it gets no fish, cold east wind, misty /fogy along with heavy rain at times and an unsettled river. The rods stuck it out all day which is a credit to them. Bob Jewels from Wark text to say he’d seen a Swallow this morning so it just goes to show that the old wives tale that says “One swallow does not a summer make” is spot on as it was as far from summer as you could get, perhaps if it had snowed that would of capped it, it was a day I hope never to repeat. At least all this rain will keep the cats indoors tonight. Friday 4th Another damp dull misty start and the river at 2’3” with a bit of colour to it, Team Britton was here in force to save the day but I’m sad to report that they blanked, on the bright side though Andy Britton managed not to fall in this time when he fished the ledges, so he’s a bit like an Elephant he never forgets! The big event of the day was coming out after lunch we noticed straight away that the wind had changed from the east to the south, now that is more like it, it didn’t help the fishing but it made me feel a lot better. Bill Drury was here at lunchtime visiting the lads and brought with him one of his new range of rods the Aura; I have to say it’s a nice rod and even Andy managed to put out a line with it, actually it cast a #10/11 shooting head ¾ of the way over the river with ease I could be tempted. There was a great hatch of March browns this afternoon and the trout were at them so I will be taking my trout rod tomorrow. Saturday 5th A much nicer day mild with a south wind what a difference a day makes, unfortunately the river had gone up 3” overnight so we were sitting at 2’6” and 46 degs and a bit on the murky side. Team Britton had been enjoying the highlights of Kelso last night and were a tad hungover this morning so it was a leisurely start and lots of coffees. Phil Walker who was feeling less hungover than the rest walked down to the back of the wall and was rewarded for his efforts with a 9lb fresh springer, I don’t know who was more surprised Phil, me or the fish. The trout didn’t show today as there was next to no hatch but there is one very big trout just below the cobble point and I mean big so it will be getting a bit of attention if it hangs about long enough. We saw one other fish all day which was in the ledges and that was it. Bad news was both my horses fell in the national but the good news is Andy tells me that his pet Lama had twins last October and both are doing fine; he had to leave early last year as it had gone into labour. Rain forecast for tomorrow which is bloody typical, one day off a week and it rains so nothing done in the garden tomorrow. The photo this week is Robert Skelly and Paul landing a fish at the Slap which is about the only time I see a fish now days “in a photo”! Soon be Monday.
© M Campbell 2014
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