Week beginning 4 April 2022
Monday 4th April. Well that is me back from my winter jolly and back on the oars. Now it’s not that I don’t like this country but the weather is just not for me, give me sunshine and warmth any day, people say but you will miss the seasons, I can live with a warm sunny winter no problem.
Tony Smith here for three days along with Phil Odling and James Cheer and going against the recent trend they all caught fish, Tony was first before the other two had left the hut to start he had one out of the Slap, an 11lber covered in long tailed lice. Phil was next getting an 8lber from the Glide, James who was fishing down the Back of the wall pushed Phil round the corner into the Duddo leaving the Glide to himself where he had an 8lber and lost another fish plus a good pull. Everyone was on floating lines with 10’ sinktips, Tony and a willie gunn type of wee tube on, Phil a #8 cascade double and James a 1 inch black and yellow tube, we saw a couple of other fish during the day. 1’3” and 44 degrees with a north west wind this morning. Last Friday/ Saturday there was a good hatch of March browns from 2.00pm onwards but not today, I saw my first sandmartin on Friday but not seen one since. Fish were also caught below us at Ladykirk and Tillmouth which is good news as anything caught above us is history. Rain tomorrow but not too much I hope, a six inch lift would be ok but no more than that please.
Tuesday 5th April. 1’3” and 46 degrees with a bit of a stiff breeze blowing which built as the day went on. The team buoyed by yesterdays success set off this morning with great hopes, using exactly the same kit as yesterday we were bound to get a fish or two, the score at 5.00pm was a very shiny kelt and seen one. It seems the fish have gone through as Junction had 5 by lunchtime. James thought he saw one head and tail out of the corner of his eye whilst fish the Iron gate but up popped a Dab chick so not a head and tail, the only confirmed fish was one that Phil saw in the Glide which almost cleared the water leaving no doubt to what it was. The hatch of March browns lasted around 5 minutes but it was a very big hatch, no more sandmartins to be seen and no osprey yet. Rain started this evening and a small rise is showing on the top gauges.
Wednesday 6th April. I should have stayed in the Bahamas for another month, the whole reason for going was to miss the bad weather, today it blew a gale then chucked it down with rain and to top it all it’s to turn to the north and get a lot colder with winds at 40 plus miles an hour tomorrow. James headed home first thing as not feeling too great and didn’t fancy facing that wind, Phil and Tony decided to stick it out, by 12.00 noon Tony was nearly getting blown off his feet in the Glide so headed back to the hut, Phil had given the Cauld and Slap a good go but had not seen a scale. After lunch the gauge was up 3 inch and rising, reports from further up river said there was a foot of water coming down. Looking at the gauges tonight the Leader as just shy of two feet in it so that’s going to add some colour for tomorrow. Catches were poor to say the least, rising water and near gales will not have helped, Junction had a fish this morning and Upper North Wark also had a fish, Callum at Lower North Wark text to say they’d had a hold of 4 but none had stuck on, all in the Cuddy pool. It is going to be a rough day tomorrow but the better days can’t be far away now.
Thursday 7th April. What an awful morning with gales and driving rain from the north east, there was no pleasure in being out on the water. The Lees gauge was showing 1’10” and rising, it made 2’4” by mid afternoon but stayed clean which was some relief. Norman was in the slap and Cauld and by the time we had done both sides of the Cauld he’d had enough as had I as our hands were frozen and no fish were to be seen or touched. This afternoon the wind had lessened and up in the Temple it was actually mildly pleasant. Phil opted not to fish and to go and pick up his new waders instead and have a look round the salmon fishing museum which he said was very interesting. Bob Jewels up at Upper Hendersyde text to say he’d seen the first swallow, you have to feel sorry for it coming back from sunnier climes to this (bit like me really) except I don’t get any sympathy. Philip Slone who joined us today for a couple of days is made of stern stuff and decided to wade the Lower cauld after 5.00pm and his efforts were rewarded with a fresh 10lber , the fish took a black and yellow tube on a fast sinktip, so its major brownie points for Philip. Looking at tomorrow’s weather it is to be calmer and 3 degrees warmer and about time. There was a good hatch of March browns and some Olives this afternoon but no trout taking them. Latest news for my gardening followers is that the garden is bare, I do have lots of seedlings in propagators but they will be staying there for a good while, my Kelsae onions are all potted up and looking good at about 4 inch tall but are remaining in the polytunnel until it warms up.
Friday 8th April. We didn’t see any salmon today but just as worrying I haven’t seen any sandmartins since I saw one last Wednesday, there should be loads by now. 2’3” and 42 degrees with a beery tinge, I thought it would have dropped under 2’0” but at least it wasn’t blowing a hoolie from the north east today. We fished everything from the top of the temple to the glide twice but not a pull was had apart from a couple of wee brown troot who ambitions were a bit much as they were not much bigger than the tube they took. Upper Floors and Sprouston had a fish but apart from that the websites are devoid of fish today, of course not all beats report, Junction and Sprouston are missing from the websites. There was a steady hatch of march browns and olives from midday but no trout taking them or sandmartins. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Saturday 9th April. A better day with less wind but still cold as it was a North West wind. 1’9” and 40 degrees with a beery tinge. J Reddin had a pull in the Slap first thing on his favourite wee black and yellow which turned out to be the only action of the day. We didn’t see so much as a scale today and catches across the websites reflected that. On the plus side there were 6 sandmartins over the Cauld this morning which made me smile and this afternoon the osprey made an appearance. Bob Wigglesworth and Pete covered the water well but had no success and left late afternoon to get to a bookies to put a bet on the national, their horse didn’t win, I managed second place and luckily I’d done it each way. Steve Robins who has fished many days this spring didn’t get his name on the scoreboard and in fact has still to hook a springer this year; your time will come Steve. Mark Newstead a Tweed regular had a cracking 15lber at Sprouston today (see photo on instagram)There was a brief hatch this afternoon and between the Iron Gate and the Glide there were some cracking trout splashing at the flies coming down. A hard frost forecast tonight so I’ll have the greenhouse heater on as don’t want a repeat of last year. The frost should also help to drop the levels a bit more as it holds water in the land. Forecast is to get a bit warmer with a few showers at the start of next week. It’ll be better next week.
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© M Campbell 2022
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