Week beginning 4 September 2017
Monday 4th September. The day started off warm and humid and slightly delayed as Tim had left everyone’s fishing rods at the guest house in Kelso. Tim eventually arrived back from Kelso looking slightly sheepish and we got underway. 1’0” on the Lees gauge and 58 degrees. The lads fished every pool on the beat apart from the Annay and the only action we had all day was Nigel Crosskell losing a fish in the bottom end of the Middle stream, the usual black/red/brown things were throwing themselves out of the water but refusing to pull a fly. By 2.00pm the rain had started and it rained all afternoon, looking at the gauges tonight none are rising but there’s more rain tomorrow so here’s hoping. Team Godden would lose a day’s fishing but it would shuffle the pack and maybe just maybe bring a fresh fish or two up the river. All the rods were using full floater with 5’0” inter polyleaders and flies rangingfrom #10-#8 doubles and trebles as well as giving a Collie Dug/Sunray a strip.
Tuesday 5th September. A wet morning but that didn’t deter Nigel Crosskell who on his first cast of the day landed a 10lb fish in Learmouth stream, all other casts of the day from Nigel and the other rods didn’t get a pull, if we’d known that we could all have gone home by 10.00am and saved getting a soaking. Nigel’s fish was the cleanest fish I’ve seen for a while, it took a #8 cascade double fished on a floating line with a 5’0” inter tip. It fared up this afternoon apart from one very heavy shower, looking at the gauges it’s hard to tell how much water is coming down as they were last updated at 3.30 pm, so about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike. 5 fish reported caught below us and 1 flatfish from Milen Graden which took a spinner Kevin tells me. Not as many fish showing today apart from in Learmouth where there is always something splashing about. The fish in the Cauld are showing a fair bit but I’d put it down to them being pulled off their lies by the ever changing currents and back waters. The Osprey gave us a visit this afternoon and the Kingfishers are zipping about in every pool it seems.
Wednesday 6th September. I forgot to write this last night so it’s now Thursday night and I can’t remember what happened yesterday, it wasn’t much to write about and it was a blank day so I’ll just nip to Thursday.
Thursday 7th September. 1’3” and 54 degrees with the water nice and clean. We had light but steady rain all day but that didn’t bother team Godden who all fished hard throughout the day. Nigel and Mike both lost a fish this morning, one in the Cauld and one in Learmouth. Mike Cook made up for it this afternoon just as I was about to write a blank into the book he arrived with a 15lb fish from the Iron Gate which was the cleanest fish I’ve seen for a while. Looking at the gauges tonight the top of the Teviot is up a wee bit which will give us an inch down here tomorrow unless it keeps raining all night.
Friday 8th September. The gauges showed the levels rising above us and by lunchtime the rise had reached us, not a flood just a slow rise but enough to lift the weed and stone dirt off the bottom and fill the water column. Team Godden fished all day (well two decided a snooze was the better option) but no one had a pull. Looking at the levels tonight they are all falling so tomorrow the height will suit us but it’s all down to the colour. And who knows this might bring them in, but I hae ma doots!
Saturday 9th September. Beery water today, 1’9” and 54 degrees, Mike Cook had a 10lber from the Cauld which was an old fish and Gene Godden managed to dodge his blank by getting a 12lb old cock from Learmouth stream. There were quite a lot of fish showing today but I didn’t see any fresh/silver ones showing. It’ll be better next week.
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