Week beginning 7 November 2016
Monday 7th November. It’s as feared worst case scenario as far as I’m concerned, 2’10” and very dirty, it’s only the bottom of the Teviot and the Leader that have any real water in but the colour is awful. There is some colour further upstream I’m told but it will likely be fishable. Looking at the websites tonight there are 5 fish reported the nearest to us being Tweedswood. A hard frost is forecast tonight dropping to minus 6 in the hills to the west so that will drop it in quick but will concentrate the colour as you have a big Teviot and Leader but no water in Tweed to dilute it. We did see the odd fish splashing but I’m sure they will be heading upstream as fast as possible and no doubt we will have a Kelt or two dropping down to us. If they had the rain here in the west it would have been a really big flood, I didn’t want a flood at all but there you go.
Tuesday 8th November. 1’10” and 40 degrees still very murky but the team were keen as mustard having lost a day yesterday, draw done and I ended up down the bottom with Francis on the Duddo downstream and Neil on the Glide and Iron gate. Neil was first into action losing a fish at the Iron Gate, sadly that was all his action for the day, meanwhile Francis landed a splendid Brown Trout in the Duddo, all of 3lbs and in great condition, but it’s not a salmon, that was his action for the day. Top dog was Roy who had a 13lber from the Cauld this morning along with two other pulls, it’s the thin water we need to be fishing when it’s like this and the thin water with some fish in helps no end. The Temple was as fishy as it’s been all back end with not a touch had. I’ll cut to the chase, Roy had the only fish of the day it was cold and dirty water.
Wednesday 9th November. Now don’t get too excited but we had 9 fish today and one of them was fresh, it was only 2lbs but it was fresh, now regular readers will remember me saying I’d ride a unicorn at next year’s common riding if I caught a fresh fish, but I didn’t catch it and I don’t know anyone who owns or would hire one out so that gets me out of it. The fish today were all old apart from the unicorn one, two from the cauld and the rest from the Back of the wall (Iron Gate) really. Roy and Francis 4 and James Evans one, James as ever was wanting to change the fly but the one he had on was perfectly suitable a wee silver conehead frances shrimpy thing with little plastic eyes (how we ever caught salmon 30 years ago I don’t know). The bottom of the beat was very quiet as was the Temple just the middle and the Cauld had fish and even there there wasn’t many fish showing. The water has cleared and that is why we had a bit of a doo today as the pack was shuffled, fish moved about a bit that often brings the old ones on the take. 1’5” and 40 degrees. I’m hearing from windy Wilson facebook weatherman who’s on the ball that Friday is set for torrential rain and Saturday is to be a howler in his words, he’s seldom wrong. Nearly forgot Steve got a 3lb seatrout.
Thursday 10th November. A damp dull day with light rain this afternoon but we did manage 7 fish and one from the cauld for James Evans which was a keep able cock fish at 14lbs, the rest were various shades of not keep able and came from the Iron gate, Cornhill Bend, Learmouth and the Back of the Wall. While we were sitting in the rain this afternoon in Learmouth James tried to cheer me up saying he’d brought a flask with tea in it, I only drink coffee! Very few fish showing but I suppose as long as some are pulling it keeps the lads going. Thats enough tonight back to the fire.
Friday 11th November. A nice sunny morning and calm which is always a bonus at the Lees, 1’9” and 38 degrees with a tinge of colour. Roy was in the back of the wall and landed a 5lber that was the only catch of the day. There were other pulls John Coughlin had 3 he tells me in the Lower Babyhouse and he had two in the middle Temple this afternoon, he always says he’s the best caster and the unluckiest fisherman (at least ones right). Francis had a couple of pulls in the lower Cauld and everyone else blanked not surprising really as there are very few about and the rise put what is there off. I’ve had a frustrating week as I have a courtesy car from the garage as mine is getting a seal thingy replaced, the car they gave me is a French thing and it’s white, of all the colours to give me! Anyway it’s too clever by far, it locks itself whenever I walk away, buttons and switches everywhere which I don’t know what does what, there’s a computer screen on the dash which is so bright at night I can’t see so have to put my hat over it as I have no idea where the dimmer switch is, I have to put a towel on the back to stop the dogs scratching it as they get in and out, I bang my head every time I get in and out and as soon as I put the key which is something like a credit card into the slot the radio comes on at volume even though I switched it off when I left the car so roll on tomorrow when I’m supposed to get it back, if I don’t get it back tomorrow my mood will be foul as another pet hate is a Saturday afternoon in November with damp, dull, cold and no fish. It’s been a long week.
Saturday 12th November. Well it was a bright sunny morning and much warmer in fact so warm that I had to change back to my breathable waders as a walk down to the Glide in neoprene would turn my face red. The river was rising after last night’s rain and texts came down the river as beats were being knocked out of action, it wasn’t a flood but the colour from the Leader and the Teviot combined was like milky coffee, by 2.00pm it was 2’9” on the Lees gauge and even the optimistic Francis had to admit defeat and decided to join James in watching the rugby this afternoon. Will there be any fish left when this calms down, I’m sure there’ll be some, not many but some and no doubt they’ll be joined by a kelt or two. So 18 for the week with 17 returned although Roy could have kept his wee clean fish mid week but he didn’t have a pan small enough to fit it in. Scotland’s just been beaten by the Australians by 1 point at Murrayfield and that bloody French car has a burglar alarm that keeps going off every time one of the dogs move in the back. Remember to put instagram on your phone or computer for up to the minute photos follow tweedbeats.
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©M Campbell 2016
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