Week beginning 8 April 2019
Monday 8th April. A dull cold day with no sign of the sun and there never was with a very cold east wind blowing in low cloud off the North Sea. 2’0” on the gauge and 42 degrees with just a slight tinge to it. Today’s team consisted of David Easty (whose name matches the wind funnily enough) along with Nancy, James Aird, Christopher Scott and Vincent York. The team fished most of the beat but failed to catch, one fish was seen in the Glide this morning and Christopher Scott had a brief hold of one in the Temple this afternoon. I didn’t see a scale of a salmon all day. What I did see was a great hatch of March Browns from lunchtime to late afternoon and one big trout in the Temple taking them, I also saw around 30 plus goosanders this morning no doubt gathering for the smolt run so they will have to scared off. The forecast for the rest of the week seems to be the same but getting colder as the week goes on, so that’ll be nice.
Tuesday 9th April. A bit of sunshine today but any warmth that it was trying to give us was cancelled out by the east/south east wind. 1’10” and 42 degrees nice and clean. Robert Skelly was on the top of the beat this morning and we saw a fish coming through the Slap as we were fishing it, it didn’t pull and we didn’t see it again so I assume its away upstream looking for its pals. Paul and Vincent saw a fish in the Cauld this afternoon but again couldn’t tempt it. David down on the back of the wall didn’t enjoy the wind puting a small wave upstream so we tried the tail of Learmouth but nothing doing. There was a much smaller hatch of March Browns today and even fewer trout looking for them. The Osprey is still absent and I’m starting to think its found fishier places to live, no more swallows yet to join the one solitary one thats here. You know its time that the ducks are nesting as you find them well off piste and away from the river. Frost forecast tonight so I’m away to light the heaters in the greenhouse and polytunnel.
Wednesday 10th April. A frosty start and a cold east wind but at least it was sunny, 1’9” and 42 degrees and very clean. David Easty was on the Slap and cauld and despite seeing a couple of fish couldn’t get a pull, the rest of the team was spread round the beat and fared no better and in fact didn’t see a fish. This afternoon Howard Smith was in the Slap/Cauld and when casting over the Slap we both saw a fish head and tail, it was covered but showed no interest if it was still there, we backed the Temple up same result. On returning to the Slap Croy Howard had a few casts with a wee black frances tube and a fish was on, it turned out to be a 10lb licer and very welcome it was. We kept the same fly on for the Cauld and hooked another but this time it didn’t have as good a hold and was soon away back to the depths. Another hard frost is forecast for tonight so all the heaters are on and blazing away in the polytunnel and greenhouse, it needs to warm up very soon as they will work out as very expensive tomatoes, chillies, flowers etc with all the gas and paraffin thats being burnt.
Thursday 11th April. It was a much nicer day today and this morning the wind changed from the east to the west (by afternoon it was back to the east) Kevin McGee on his first trip to the Lees was on the Cauld, we saw 3 fish 2 in the Slap and 1 in the Cauld but no pulls, Kevin just started salmon fishing this year and was putting a good line out. Mark Rogers was down at Learmouth stream and had more luck getting a 6lb licer, not the biggest fish in the river but very welcome. David and Nancy gave the Duddo and Cornhill bend a run through with the same result as Kevin. 1’7” and 42 degrees with a hard frost this morning that has nipped my marigolds and broccoli plants in the polytunnel even though I had the heater on. The catches on the river as a whole were down a wee bit today but thats the way its been this spring a bit up and down. Still no sign of anymore Swallows or the Osprey.
Friday 12th April. A cold east wind coupled with grey skies and cloud did not make a pleasant morning, by lunchtime the sun was trying to peek out and it maybe warmed up half a degree, I keep this short, no one saw a fish all day. The Osprey did turn up this morning for a very brief look but still no more swallows. The March Brown hatch seems to have finished for the year but there were still a few dark olives coming down. 1’6” this morning and 42 degrees it’s now getting a wee bit on the low side especially with the east wind blowing everything upstream. There were some fish above us carrying lice two of them at Makerstoun which is a fair run at this height, and pleasingly 3 fish reported below us. It’ll be much the same tomorrow.
Saturday 13th April. It was calm and frosty first thing but the sun was out and things soon warmed up until that bloody east wind picked up just as we were getting into the boat. It was in fact a south east wind that blows straight up the Cauldstream making holding a boat in low water very difficult as there is no stream to row against and the backwaters to contend with, it didn’t help Bob Wigglesworth’s casting either. We both did our best but after an hour Bob decided to wade the tail, Bob waded in and found the only rock in the place and dived right in, so it was back to the hut for a warm up and change of clothes. This turned out to be a lucky move as once we got going again Bob went back onto the Slap and promptly hooked and landed an 8lb licer, it was the only fish of the day. David Easty and Nancy fished the Duddo and Cornhill bend then left at lunchtime for the long drive home, they have been a bit unlucky having a strong east wind all week. Simon Kaye left for home around 3.30 pm but will be back to get that Lees fish. No rain on the forecast so by next week we are going to be running out of water but on the plus side it should slow any running fish down. It’ll be better next week (if it warms up)
As ever see instagram for latest photos and clips. ©M Campbell 2019
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