Week beginning 5 October 2020
Monday 5th October. A nice day with just the odd wee shower, river running at 3’11” at the Lees and dirty. By mid afternoon it was back up to 4’2” as the Teviot, Leader and Gala water were all rising albeit just a wee bit, this of course doesn’t help drop the levels at any speed. The forecast for the week is dry and getting cooler so that’ll help as well. Popped into the new fishing museum in Kelso Square it looks really good but I’ll have to go back when I have my specs with me as couldn’t read anything. Not much more to say about the day really.
Tuesday 6th October. To fish or not to fish? 3’3” and 50 degrees but very murky, 2 of the rods decided not to fish, one hadn’t travelled up here yet and one did. Paul Holland fished all day but no action was to be had. The water cleared all day but not perhaps enough for the fish to come on to the take. What did happen and you wouldn’t have put money on it was Milne Graden being top beat with two fish for the day in this height and colour, Boathouse and Canny also had a fish and they have the Leet and the Till to contend with, the Dub and South wark also had a fish everyone else was blank. As I sometimes mention it’ll be better tomorrow, it will be better for one of our rods who turned up a day early; I’ve managed to get him on to Upper North Wark for his extra day while he waits for Thursday to come round when he is on the Lees.
Wednesday 7th October. 2’8” and 50 degrees clean enough maybe just a bit of a tinge. My old friend the wind was back, north west blowing straight down the Temple and Cauld where we were all day, have I ever mentioned that I hate the wind? All the rods that were supposed to be on the Lees today were there apart from Brian whose 3 day trip was down to 1 day due to the levels so he didn’t come. There were plenty fish showing and I thought we were in for a decent day, how wrong was I, fished down the Temple and 1 wee pull was all until Paul Holland with Paul Hume got a wee grilse just above the cobble point, that was all the action this morning. This afternoon Alan Davies in the Cauld this afternoon had a 15lb hen that gave him a fair scrap the levels helping the fish. Paul Holland had a hold of another and that was this afternoon’s action. The catches across the websites are poor with something like 13 fish reported, with this water I expected the middle beats to be playing catch up with the rest of us but obviously the fish are not interested, had this been 10-11 years ago the catches would be huge as the river would be full of fresh silver fish not these old summer fish. 2’6” and close of play so tomorrow should be 2’4” maybe 2’3” and we will spread out a bit round the beat.
Thursday 8th October. What a difference in a day again, sunny flat calm this morning, 2’4” and 48 degrees clean. William Woodhouse was here to catch his first salmon and we got him into the boat at the top of the Temple a quick brush up on casting off his left and about 8 casts in he was in, it was when landed an7lb hen a bit coloured but your first fish is your first fish, two casts later and he was in again this time a 9lb hen of the same colour, 10 minutes later and he was into a big fish that had his reel screaming and bouncing on the rod as it jumped nearly onto the far bank, William's eyes almost on stalks, sadly he experienced his first loss of a fish when the fly pinged out. Alan Davies had an 11lber also from the Temple which made the bag up for the morning. This afternoon Stewart Calligan tried the far side of the Cauld for half an hour then the Slap but not a pull was had, for the last hour we went up to the top of the Temple and casting as best he could against the breeze that had picked up he also caught his first ever fish a wee cock grilse. As with William your first fish is your first fish so well done to both of them. Bob Wigglesworth lived up to his name with Paul in the Cauld and wiggled out an 18lb hen for all he was worth. Andrew had half an hour in the Annay and got us up to the half dozen with a 13lber. 6 for the day is not too shabby when the fish are not really in the mood to play yet. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Friday 9th October. A lovely start t the morning and it was calm which I like, 2’1” and 48 degrees with just the slightest tinge. I took Stewart into the bottom half of the Temple and he had a 6lber in no time, he followed this with a10lb hen, both took a #6 Cascade treble which I’d tied the night before as some bast##d stole all my flies the other week during the break in, not that I’m bitter. The wind picked up by 11.00am which signalled the end of the Temple for Stewart as he hasn’t quite mastered that cast required into the wind, why bother really when we can go to the far side of the Cauld and get the wind in our favour. Into the Cauld and Stewart hits himself with the fly removing his cap which goes off down the river luckily still attached to the fly. A few cast later and a ricochet off the side of the boat which caused the fly to zip past the end of my nose, warning issued. A few casts later and whack fly is in my back, some very stern, rustic and colourful language is used to press home the need to take a bit more care with the casting whilst pointing out the wading section of the pool where he will be heading imminently. Bob Wigglesworth was in Learmouth with Paul where they had a couple and lost a couple. Nick Knight and William Woodhouse fished the bottom end but had no action, Nick made good in the Temple in the afternoon having a hell of a struggle with a 3lber in the ledges, luckily he was using 20lb leader. Luke Comins here for the afternoon had a fresh yes a fresh I’m told 5lber from the Annay (I’m still awaiting the photo), that’s the first fresh/clean fish we have had since the 12th September, nice but I’m not getting too excited.
Saturday 10th October. A nice calm day, 1’1” on the gauge and 46 degrees. 10 for the day which is good considering we are fishing for older fish that are by their nature reluctant to take. Jonathan Reddin was here for the day and put his time to good use getting 3 at the Iron Gate this morning and 1 in the Temple this afternoon, he also lost another on his only fly the Black n Yellow bottle tube. Nick Knight had a 10lb hen in the Cauld this morning on a wee Frances (one of those yellow ones), he followed that with a 16lber from the Slap and a 12lber in the Iron Gate this afternoon. Stuart Maugham blanked this morning but only just as he had a battle in the Bags with a big fish which shook the hook after 10 mins or so. Later on this afternoon Stuart made up for it getting 2 in Learmouth. Andrew wading where only people who know what they are doing wade caught a large hen in the Temple around the 18lb mark. 24 for the week, well 4 days really as too big at start of week.
As ever see tweedbeats on instagram for latest pics and clips. Keep washing/sterilising your hands, wear a mask or we’ll be in lockdown again and there’ll be no fishing.
©M Campbell 2020
our twitter feed