Week beginning 8 October 2018
Monday 8th October. 8” and 50 degrees with a fair wind blowing. It was a quiet morning but Andrew managed 3 from the Annay, one was fresh but weighed in at a mighty 1lb. Richie Gallagher had 5 good pulls in Learmouth on a Collie dug but none stuck on. Charles Cook also had a pull on a Sunray in Duddo which also failed to stick on but he made up for it this afternoon getting 2 from the Slap and 1 from the Cauld. Stuart stayed on for an extra hour this evening and it paid off as he had 2 fish from Learmouth stream at 8lb and 12lbs both old hens. The forecast is for gales again tomorrow which I’m not looking forward to then a nice day on Wednesday before returning to gales and rain for the later part of the week.
Tuesday 9th October. Well the cheery weather girl was spot on and it blew a bloody hoolie all day, it was a warm hoolie but still a hoolie. The river was up to 1’2” and 52 degrees on the Lees gauge. Ritchie Gallagher was the only rod to have a pull which turned into a wee grilse all of 2lbs soaking wet from the Middle Stream. It was so windy even the Goosanders and Cormorants didn’t fly past today. Now if the cheery weather girl is correct it’ll be a really nice day tomorrow, a very light breeze from the south and sunny, not much use for fishing but a nice day out ahead.
Wednesday 10th October. You couldn’t get two more different days, the change from yesterday was amazing, blue skies with not a cloud to be seen and not a breath of air and by mid morning it was getting very warm and after lunch it was hot. All this of course did nothing to help the fishing, we hardly saw a fish all day and never had so much as a touch, and this was reflected along the whole river with only 11 fish being reported. The river rose 4”-5” and had the slightest beery tinge to it and the temp was 52 this morning and would be 54 or more this afternoon. Normally 1’6” ant the Lees and you’d be rubbing your hands together thinking how many you were going to catch, but not today. Forecast for Friday onwards is for severe gales and heavy rain right through Saturday as well so this time we will get the “big” flood good or bad.
Thursday 11th October. 1’3” and 53 degrees with a south east wind blowing straight up the river which makes the Cauldstream an absolute shit of a place to fish and row in this low water. Cliff was in there this afternoon and we managed to get two pulls on a black frances. Charles Cook lost a decent fish in Learmouth stream this morning on a Junction shrimp and his pal Mark had a 12lb coloured hen from the Glide, Andrew had a 14lb hen from the Annay this evening on a #10 Cascade fished on a full floater. I took the water temp again at 4.30pm and it was reading 57 degrees which is far too warm for the time of year. The cheery weather girl has now issued a flood alert for the Scottish Borders along with gale force winds through Friday and all day Saturday.
Friday 12th October. 1’1” and 52 degrees and blowing a hoolie from the south. Casting was a challenge to say the least as was standing up as Charles Cook found out in Learmouth where he took an impromptu bath. We had two fish from the Annay on a #10 and full floater and that unbelievably was the only action today. Well the cheery weathergirl has got it right this time and the “big” flood is on its way with all the top gauges 4’0” or more and rain all day tomorrow, so as some of my rods like to say “this’ll bring them in” We’ll see.
Saturday 13th October. 3’01”and 52 degrees and filthy brown so no fishing today even for the most enthusiastic among us, not even casting practice as I don’t need any rowing practice. We might fish on Monday but as I write this it is still raining heavily and it’s to rain all afternoon.
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