Week beginning 7 May 2018
Monday 7th May. It was a lovely day, warm sunny and just a wee breeze to stop me boiling. 1’3” and 56 degrees still nice and clean. Team Merrell here for three days and its a fairly strong team. Paul Cottrill was on the top this morning and managed a wee pull in the slap, we did see a few fish in the slap first thing and one of them was a good fresh fish in the high teens. The bright sun maybe kept the catches down or maybe it was the lack of fish but only two were reported across the web site tonight. The trees have fully burst into leaf at last and there were two clutches of ducklings paddling about in front of the hut. The hogweed is rearing its head again and there are a few plants about due to the flood spreading the seeds and the fact that someone upstream hasn’t been spraying.
Tuesday 8th May. Not so warm today, it was warm this morning but cooled down after lunch and we had a shower of rain for about an hour. 1’3” on the gauge and 58 degrees. Dave Clarke was at the top end and put his position to good use getting a 9lb licer from the Slap on a #10 cascade shrimp. The rest of the team fishing their way round the beat never had a pull or saw a fish. This afternoon Jonathon was up the top end and despite seeing more fish in the slap than I’ve seen all season put together all we could manage was one wee pull on a black and purple bottle tube. Some of the fish were brand new and some older but at least there were fish to cast a fly at. The team was having an early lunch then going back for a few casts before dark, I’m awaiting big news.
Wednesday 9th May. Well the good news came by text about 10.00pm last night as Jonathon had a nice fresh 5lber from Duddo stream making an evening cast well worthwhile. Today was a bit colder and there was a bit more wind blowing. 1’2” and 46 degrees. I saw one river fish in the Slap this morning but that was the only sighting I had all day, Paul and Ian saw a nice fresh one in the Slap this afternoon but couldn’t tempt it. The websites are reporting a few fish caught below us today which is good news as there might be some with us tomorrow. The Cauldstream has been a disappointment this spring, it’s usually a banker if you want to get a fish at this time of year in lower water, this year we’ve had one all season, nearly two if I’d landed that one on Saturday. We have landed seven fish this season from seven different pools, so if the fish are about you have a chance almost anywhere. Highlight of the day was a very long range Carrion Crow which now will not be robbing any nests or taking ducklings. On the garden front, Clancy your onions are doing fine in their new bed and the other beds are slowly being filled up. The first early spuds are through and the beetroot and broccoli are looking good. There is a tiny rise going on in the Ettrick which we won’t even notice down here, I’m expecting a fish tomorrow!!
Thursday 10th May. Wee bit blowy this morning from the west and a bit cooler. Colin Hewitt and John Macleod with us, Colin was on the bottom end this morning and saw a few fish in the Duddo but no pulls, John was on the slap and Cauld and had the same result. This afternoon Colin on the cauld and gently stripping a sunray across had a big boil at the fly but no pull, Chris Bryce couldn’t join us during the day but made it for an evening shift. The rise from the Ettrick made it down to us this evening and wouldn’t help him as it would unsettle any fish that were there. We’ll get them tomorrow.
Friday 11th May. 1’4” and 52 degrees with a very strong south east wind blowing up the river. John was on the cauld and doing his best to get the fly across the stream while I was doing my best to keep the boat in the right place. Paul had seen a fish first thing on this side of the stream first thing and as soon as we got down to the area it took as John was lifting to cast, a few thrashes on the surface and it was gone. Colin on Learmouth stream hooked a fish off the point on a #10 junction shrimp, Paul had the boat ashore and was poised with the net and that fish got off as well. So the score for the day still says naught. Christian Bryce is fishing the back shift again and when I saw him at Duddo he’d seen a fish but no pulls, I was on a Carrion Crow hunt and had no luck either. It’ll be better tomorrow.
Saturday 12th May. A nice sunny start to the day with a light south west wind. Colin Hewitt was on the top this morning and put his position to good use, using a fly he’d tied himself from his own body hair on a #10 treble, it was a grey patchy thing with bald bits, but it did the job as he hooked and landed an 18lb licer which gave him a hell of a scrap, putting a smile on both his and Pauls faces. One fish was seen in the Bags in the same place as yesterday but no pulls from the rest of the beat. After lunch John Macleod and his brother Kevin retired for pints while Colin went to Learmouth and John Macgregor tried his luck on the Cauld and Slap. We saw a fish in the Cauld and a couple in the Slap. A sunray was tied on for the Slap and in no time a fish was up at it, grabbed it, jumped and threw the hook. So to sum up the week, a pesky wind, more fish showing and some good sized clean fish among them, one or two lost. The weather is improving and fish are stopping on the beat so I’m now happier than I’ve been all season so far. On the gloomy side the Carrion Crows have robbed the Oyster Catchers nest and I’ve yet to see any trout rising despite lots of flies on the water, also no sign of the Swifts yet. It’ll be better next week.
Colin’s fly was a red and silver #10. Just to stop people shaving their bodies for fly tying material this weekend.
See instagram or tweedbeats on facebook for photos
© M Campbell 2018
our twitter feed