Week beginning 3 October 2016
Monday 3rd October.
Well! That’s a bit more like it 18 landed today, it might increase as there’s still a couple of rods out there fishing. The fish were well spread out round the beat but sadly were all old fish I didn’t see a fresh/silver fish all day. I can only assume the drop in water temperature brought them on the take and there were some new fish on the beat, certainly not new fish to the river but new to the beat as there were some big cock fish among them today, the biggest being around the 22lb mark from the Slap caught by Neil Andrews who went on to catch another 5 for his morning all on a reel that needs replacing. David Flux had an 11lber from the Duddo; Chris Sidoli had one from Learmouth stream Francis had 3 from Cornhill bend, David Flux another two from the Otter stones in the afternoon, Ian Thorpe one from the Cauld and I can’t remember the rest but it’s a good day by any standards. After the reports from my down river correspondent last Saturday telling me there were 100s of fresh fish running I have reassessed his position and told him to go to specsavers or any other reputable optician as no one has seen a fresh fish today. 1’3” and 46 degs nice and clean, a fogy start with sunshine by 10.30 a typical autumn day really. We are still using floating lines with sinking tips but today we had a few on a full intermediate line and conehead tubes, whether this good fortune lasts or not we’ll find out tomorrow. There was a big flock of Golden Plover with us this morning which is a lovely bird, the big otter was in the Temple and the kingfishers were flitting about as they do.
Tuesday 4th October. 13 today so another good score, one from Duddo was clean I’m told by Chris Sidoli who caught it or it might have been Dom who caught it I can’t remember, I didn’t see any fresh fish myself but there might be another one there somewhere. There were more fish caught downstream of us today but at the moment I haven’t heard if any were clean or fresh. The Cauld was much quieter today with the levels dropping it becomes much less attractive to the fish with lack of depth and too many competing currents. The hot spots today were the Iron Gate down to the Duddo, after saying that David Flux did get 3 from the Cauld this morning 3lbs, 4lbs and 5lbs so not going to win the biggest fish trophy with them. Neil applied some oil to his reel at lunchtime as the noise of him landing yet another fish was starting to annoy the other rods. Dominic Sidoli had a nice 11lb hen from the Cornhill Bend (see instagram for photo) The fish wasn’t that clean but I’ve digitally enhanced the colour so it looks quite nice, just makes it look better and me happier. Francis is going to push on through until dark so the scores might yet increase. 1’2” and 50 degrees today with a bit of a troublesome south east wind. The big flock of Golden Plover are still here, a congregation to use the collective noun I’m told and my browns hens are off the lay, useless is the noun I’d use. It’ll be better tomorrow. Latest- 2 from the Annay and 1 from Learmouth making it 16
Wednesday 5th October. An overcast start giving way to bright sunshine and a very stiff south east wind blowing up stream from the Glide to the Temple making the far side of the Cauld unfishable as well as unrowable with the backwaters, all this didn’t bother Dominic Sidoli who fishing from the left bank had 3 grilse sized fish this morning all old. Dad Francis managed to get an 11lber form Learmouth stream, Ian 1 from the Duddo and new rod Michael 2 from the Glide making it 7 for the morning, that was still the score at close of play. 1’1” and 50 degrees with very clean water but a dirty river bed again, it didn’t take it long to get covered in stone dirt again as the flood wasn’t big enough three weeks ago and didn’t last long enough, it’s was also too warm which no doubt encourages it to grow. Down in the Middle stream and Bags with Ian Thorpe this afternoon I did see a fresh fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First one I’ve seen in weeks but no pulls. The wind is to be as bad again tomorrow and no rain to be seen on any forecast.
Thursday 6th October. 1’1” and 48 degrees river nice and clean apart from the river bed which is getting very dirty again. First on the score board today was Francis Sidoli with a 6lb seatrout from the Cauld this afternoon as there wasn’t a thing landed this morning. This afternoon the team was full of competitive spirit and maybe other spirits as well and they all set off with a spring in their step, Richard Skan was in Learmouth stream but despite fish jumping over his line he couldn’t get a pull, on his return to the hut he had a cast in the Slap and a 10lb cleanish fish was the result. Neil Andrews down in the Glide also managed a 10lber which was older than Bruce but that’s not possible. Ian Merell had a couple of pulls in the Duddo whilst Francis went into overtime and got onto the scoreboard with two from Learmouth stream 5lb and 7lbs all the fish were coloured. The flies of the moment seem to be wee silver stoat cone heads or red frances fished on floaters with 5’0” fast sink tips. Still no sign of fresh fish coming in but we keep hoping.
Friday 7th October. A nice calm day with no pesky east wind blowing up the river, 1’0” on the gauge and 48 degrees and the water squeaky clean. Now that the water temperature is below 50 and has been all week it gets clean and stays clean as all the suspended bits drop to bottom. The fishing, Francis was in the Cauld with me this morning and we gave it a wee tube on a 5’0” fast sink tip and never had a pull, I convinced/bullied him to try a hitch which he did, we had a wee seatrout 3rd cast and another two pulls/boils from bigger fish so I think I now have a convert. Puffin Pete had a 11lber from Learmouth and went on to have a couple of pulls in the Glide on a sunray in the afternoon, young David Andrews had a 7lber from Cornhill bend or the Duddo I can’t remember and dad Neil had a fish from whichever one David didn’t. Francis didn’t let the side down he never does and got one from the Slap before lunch. And Richard Skan landed one from somewhere else, Sorry I can’t remember now as I wasn’t looking after him I was busy getting David Andrews into a circle “c” expert which he took to like a duck to water. Still no fresh fish to be seen here or downstream from the reports I hear. No rain on the forecast so next week will be below summer level, wee flies, hitch, skim or sunray just do something different.
Saturday 8th October. Well on the vain of trying something different I went completely off piste and tied a black and silver Crazy Charlie which is more for tropical use for Bonefish and the like, I gave it to Puffin Pete and he had a couple of pulls in Duddo on it this morning, I reclaimed it at lunchtime and gave it to David Andrews to try in Learmouth, he landed a grilse in no time and nearly had a more substantial fish to the bank, so I’m expecting a big rush of orders to come flooding in. Francis was the lucky boy today getting one this morning at the Iron Gate and losing another then this afternoon getting one from Cornhill bend and two from the Duddo the best being 21lbs. Five for the day at the time of writing this but Francis and Puffin Pete are fishing on so it might increase. The levels continue to drop and still no sign of fresh fish but I did hear that Flipper over at West Learmouth had a liced 10lber this morning from the stream. Richard Skan stopped fishing early as he ran out of rods having broken his second Hardy Angel rod this week, I never thought much of them when they came out and I presume Hardy didn’t either as the Angel 2 was on the market in months after the Angel 1. Kelsae and Lucy had a grand time today mousing as the grass has been cut round the Lees making the mice easier to find and they must have found a few as they didn’t want much for dinner tonight, the hens are still laying so its not all bad news. 57 for the week with 57 returned and 1 seatrout a couple of moles and 2 carrion crows made up the bag. It’ll be better next week (maybe). Log onto instagram for up to date photos
©M Campbell 2016
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