Week beginning 4 March 2019
Monday 4th March. 2’0” and rising and carrying a fair bit of colour, One rod had called off due to illness and the other decided that a wine tasting was a better option than fishing. Some of the beats were giving it a go more so above Kelso as the Teviot was puting in a lot of colour. Looking at the gauges tonight most of them are rising so I should think it will be very coloured tomorrow. No fish reported on either website tonight.
Tuesday 5th March. The day started off well enough weather wise but the river was dirty and rising again. 2’9” 42 degrees. Paul and myself spent the day splitting logs so you will all be nice and warm in the hut when you come. Some beats were giving it a go today mostly above the Teviot but there are no salmon reported on the websites tonight. Looking at the gauges tonight I see that Hawick is running at 4’6” so there will be no productive fishing below the Teviot tomorrow; also the forecast is for heavy rain tomorrow which will wipe out most of the week. After such a nice February I suppose the weather is playing catch up, March can be the cruellest month.
Wednesday 6th March. Another wet morning at the Lees and a rising coloured river. Fishing for the rest of this week looks unlikely and marginal at best, rain is forecast for tomorrow again and the Teviot gauge at Roxburgh is showing 7’9” also the top Tweed gauges have over 3’0” on them and rising. Some beats above Kelso had a go “down the edges” this morning and Colin Bell at Upper Floors text me this morning to say “you never know”, he’s mad keen that lad. For my gardening followers my Kelsae onions are in the propagator and are coming on fine, I should have planted them in late December but there was no one to water them while I was away. Chilli plants are looking really good so a wee bit of sun this summer again will help (not as much as last year though). On the wildlife front the Crane and great Egrets are still here along with enough otters to make enough sporrans to kit out the Scots guards, there is a pair of Kingfishers just outside the hut every morning as well. There could well be some fish as well but it’s so big and dirty you can see them.
Thursday 7th March. Another dreich morning, grey skies and rain, the river continues to come down dirty and big so no chance of fishing, well I suppose you could chuck a toby off the bank but you wouldn’t catch anything apart from the odd log coming down. Nothing more to say about today really.
Friday 8th March. Another day with big coloured water and rain in the west again.
Saturday 9th March. Repeat of yesterday but much colder. 3’11” and 40 degrees and well coloured. There we are, a week that didn’t happen flooded off all week. It’ll be better next week.
©M Campbell 2019