Week beginning 7 September 2020
Monday 7th September. A very windy day and warmer of late, 1’6” 54 degrees and clean. Team Randall here for three days except Matt Randall wasn’t here. Edward Evans a Tweed regular pulled number 1 on the draw so was soon into the Slap were we saw fish but no pulls, we dropped down to the Cauld and within a few casts we had a 12lb hen on the end which turned out to be a river fish, popped a tag into her so look out for 0300. Clive in Learmouth with Paul had a fresh 3lb grilse and reported seeing a good few fresh fish, Hugo who is filling in for Matt today had a 15lber from the Glide. There were good numbers of fish showing round the beat and the Cauld was very busy this afternoon but not a pull was to be had. The wee fresh grilse that seemed to have dried up last week have reappeared which is good if they start pulling. Catches up and down the river were nothing special with Sprouston getting 7, a big drop for Tillmouth from 28 or thereabouts on Saturday to 6 today. A bit less wind tomorrow would be good and the fish to pull would be better.
Tuesday 8th September. It was bloody windy again today and unseasonably warm, water temp was up to 56f, 1’7” on the Lees gauge. Team Randall were at full strength and up for a big day except it didn’t happen, we fished all day and really covered the water with a big mix of flies and lines but not a pull was had, not a bloody pull. The fish maybe have their heads down with the heat, sun and water temp or they have buggered off as I only saw one fish this morning and only three this afternoon in the Cauld. In the Cauld with Clive we tried a standard flies then a big Dee Monkey, big Sunray, a skimmer and a heavy bottle tube and never moved a thing, maybe tomorrow.
Wednesday 9th September. Windy again today. 1’6” and 56 degrees nice and clean. We had one wee grilse around the 6lb mark from Learmouth and that was it until this evening when Andrew managed 3 from the Annay which is quite a feat. The lads had had enough by lunchtime battling the wind and catching nothing and left from home Edward stuck it out a bit longer but didn’t add to the scoreboard.
Thursday 10th September. Ah ha! No wind today which is a lovely change, no fish either which isn’t so good. 1’6” and 54 degrees, some of the pools are full of fish, all river fish and they do not want to play. Paul Collinson and team here for three days and they can cover the water. We managed two pulls today for all our efforts despite covering a lot of fish with a lot of flies. I reckon the team that is fishing after we have had a frost will have a really good few days, a wee spate would help but a frost is the real game changer, it won’t be next week as the temps are to climb back into the 20’s.
Friday 11th September. I’m writing this on Sunday evening and I can’t remember what all happened on Friday. It was bloody windy yet again but we had 8 fish but I have no idea where from.
Saturday 12th September. Windy again, 1’3” and 52 degrees but slowing rising, (it rose 3” during morning). I can remember I was with Steve Jenkinson down the Annay and he hooked and landed a wee grilse, sorry Steve but it was wee, he said that didn’t pull very hard, they don’t on a 15’0” rod, Steve is an enthusiastic beginner hence the didn’t pull very hard, later that day he hooked a fish in the Cauld that pulled alright, once landed it was a hen with a bit of colour around 12lb and hooked right in the tip of its nose he also lost another in the Cauld. Phillip I think had a 15lber from Learmouth stream and there was a 17lber from the Annay. 6 for the day but I can’t remember where they came from. Oh! One from the Back of the wall which was fresh as paint 5lb.
Sunday 13th September. Blew a gale all day, river rising not a lot but rising.
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