Week beginning 4 July 2016
Monday 4th July.
A nice warm calm dry start, 1’2” and 58 degs with a strong beery colour to it. We had a very aggressive charge at a sunray in the Slap not a touch in the Cauld and just for a change Terry Harper had a fresh 9lber from the Temple about the top of the wall backing it up with a sink tip and a #6 cascade. Kenny Hilsley had a fresh 7lb cock fish from the Glide and Graham whitty lost a fish in the back of the wall. A very tasty lunch with bacon buns and fruit cake and the rain started this didn’t deter Graham and he had a nice fresh fish from Learmouth stream at the 10lb mark on a #8 cascade. Kenny had a couple of pulls in the glide again but they didn’t stick on. The rain has been very heavy this afternoon so I’m a bit worried about the levels tomorrow. Still no sign of any numbers of seatrout.
Tuesday 5Th July.
Well just have to mention Seatrout and one pops up, a cracking 9lber on my first cast in the Slap on a sunray (see tweedbeats on instagram for photos). Terry had a nice 8lb salmon from the top end of the Temple also on a Sunray a river fish this time along with a couple of other boils swirls on the way up. We came back down to the Slap and had another 3 boils at the sunray but no connection this time. Graham down in Learmouth stream was filling his boots landing two and shaking off another. By lunchtime the river was up a couple of inches Graham nipped down to the Glide and managed to shake off yet another fish (this is becoming a bit tiresome). Graham has shaken off more fish this spring at the Lees than most of the rods have caught in a year but sometimes it’s like that. 1’2” this morning but by 3.00pm it was up to 1’11” and carrying a lot of weed and stone dirt, hopefully by tomorrow morning it will have dropped back and cleared, the clearing bit being the most important.
Wednesday 6th July.
It had dropped back right enough but not really cleared enough, 1’7” 56 degs and beery to murky we gave the Cauld and Slap a run through with several flies but never had a touch. Graham Whitty was the lucky lad again getting the only fish of the day from the tail of the Back of the wall, a nice wee 6lb licer on a cascade. Graham came back up at lunchtime to tell us there was a large seal in the Glide and it had been there most of the morning, now you expect a seal in late November or February but never in July, we went down to see it but it had buggered off and all that was left were 2 swans 3 cygnets and 2 otters. I’m expecting it to fish well tomorrow as it will be a lot clearer and the fish should have settled down a bit and be keener to take the fly.
Thursday 7th July.
Crept round the beat this morning looking for the Seal as it had been charging up and down from the Glide to the Learmouth stream all night but no sign of it this morning. 1’3” and 58 degs still beery but improved on yesterday. Report from the clubs rods last night is one seatrout at 3lbs from the Glide which is a surprise with the seal being there. There was a seatrout at 4lb from the Cauld this morning. The Himalayan balsam is a real problem this year following the winter floods there are banks of the stuff around the beat so I sprayed the stuff at the Bags as strimming it is a very very messy job as it’s so succulent, next job was to clear the ledges steps, I was half way down when the buzzing got louder and louder forcing a hasty retreat as I’d been clipping away round a wasp nest, a trip down there under cover of darkness is required and a large puff of powder should do the job. A few Moles are reappearing again so stuck a few traps inand we’ll see what there tomorrow. Back to fishing I hear thorough the grapevine that more seatrout are being seen caught down below us so hopefully they’ll be with us in numbers soon.
Friday 8th July.
Heavy rain during the night and first thing this morning, Ettrick rising at the top end by over a foot. 1’3” and 60 degrees very beery. James Heppel and Mike here for the day, James lost a fish this morning at the Iron gate but Mike was the lucky lad getting 3 seatrout from the Cauld on a black and yellow thing, all 4lb and all fresh. The wasp nest has proved to be a bit more of a challenge than I thought as its well protected under the bank half way down the ledges steps, I gave it a good dusting with powder last night then made a hasty retreat as they came out with a bit of attitude about them, a braver man than me would stick a spade through the top and drop it into a box and quickly shut the top but I think another go tonight with the foam spray should do them and be a lot safer as well. On the Mole front I got him first cast so to speak but will leave the traps in for another day just in case there’s a pal.
Saturday 9th July.
An overcast start to the day but no rain yet, 1’8” and 60 degs. Neil Wilson and pal here for the day, they hadn’t troubled the scoreboard when I popped along to see them but Paul and Neil’s pal were giving the lower cauld a fair bit of attention so perhaps they’ve had one. The wasp nest is still active although much quieter so I gave it another sook of wasp foam. The river is very dark beery so that’s maybe put them down. Went back along to lock up the hens and Neil and pal(sorry I’ve forgotten your name)were just leaving, Neil reported that he’d had a 4lb seatrout from the lower cauld, they’d fished hard all day and got the fish last thing, seems the fish just don’t like that black water. Checked the wasp nest and there’s no sign of life now. It’ll be better next week. Latest- Raining again and its heavy.
Sunday 10th July.
River rising yet again and it raining and the forecast is for rain all day. That’s what is wrong with this country the bloody weather. Where is the summer? All these immigrants want to come here I bet they never looked at the forecast!
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