Week beginning 9 November 2015
Monday 9th November. A wild and windy day, Lees Gauge showing 5’3” and very dirty. 3 of the rods turned up to say hello and have a look at the river. Its a day for catching up with things today so its off to Kelso as I need grain for hens, a wee pot of black paint for painting things funnily enough, an eye test is required but not sure if they can fit me in at short notice, some wood for making fenn trap boxes and of course a visit to Tweedside tackle just to hear what everyone else is saying which will likely be “well this’ll bring them in” Hmmm!
Tuesday 10th November. Filled in the pot holes in the drive, looked at the river for a while then off to wood yard for posts and boards to make another raised bed, raised bed painted and drying, river rising again and dirty.
Wednesday 11th November. River rising again 4’4” and still dirty, two seals at the Lees this morning, now some would say they are following the huge run of fish up the river while others, especially those who have been on the river all year might suggest that there’s sod all left in the bay/sea and the seals are starving so they are up here looking for anything to eat, take your pick. Anyway it was quite a nice day the wind has gone we had a light shower, I didn’t see any fish. Raised bed made 2 rat boxes made and painted so some dead rats coming up. It might and its a might fish tomorrow but it’ll be top heights and still a bit coloured with little option as to where to dip the fly into the water. Sadly the forecast is horrendous with Abigail on her way tomorrow and another big lump of rain for the weekend. Quicker it’s over the better and put us all out of our misery.
Thursday 12th November. 3’5” and very dark beery water with a south wind gusting across the river. Team Cotterel on for three days. It was the sort of day I’d rather be doing something else but fishing it is. The Cauld this morning was very quiet but at this height that’s what I’d expect in a good year let alone this year, the lads on the Temple reported seeing a few fish at the top end but all old fish along with a few kelts, the lunchtime scores on my round up of the beats came back as one 10lb Seatrout at Middle Pavilion so not the scores to get me running out of the hut and jumping into a boat. It came as a bit of a shock rowing at 3’5” as the boats of late have been surplus to requirements. Wet 4 or 5 lines came into play today along with big’ish bright tubes and launch it in to the distance which became harder as the wind picked up in the afternoon. I had Ian Merrell on the temple this afternoon and fighting off his tennis elbow he managed to get the only fish of the day which was about 5lbs and cleaner than most of the fish I’ve seen lately but still not clean enough. That makes it 18 fish from the Temple this year!!!! Some years we can do that in a day. So to sum up the day I saw 4 fish, 2 Seatrout kelts and landed 1 salmon. As I write this as sally (wife) is watching the strictly thing which leaves me in peace to write this it’s pissing down outside so it looks like fishing will be out tomorrow and the forecast for Sunday is horrendous.
Friday 13th November. I thought it might have been bigger but at 4’1” it’s enough to stop us fishing along with the colour. I’ve had a flood warning from SEPA texted to my phone and I see the top gauges are rising; forecast is to start raining tomorrow and carry on until Sunday evening, so I think I’ll be pulling the fleet up the bank, might as well leave them on top of the bank until the 30th the way it’s going. Spent the day in the shed making rat trap boxes, so the rats down the Lees are going to have to be very light on their toes from now on.
Saturday 14th November. Well what can you say 4’4” and rising so no fishing today, pulled one of the Cauld boats off as two chained together is asking for trouble. Lifted the mole traps down the beat as they will be lost as a flood covers them over with mud. The forecast is for up to 250mm of rain on high ground but I’m hoping that the worst is below us or I’ll be rescuing hens tomorrow (Sunday) more rain Tuesday so it’ll be big all next week. On the wildlife front I was at the Glide at lunchtime and there was a lot of duck on the river along comes a Buzzard the duck lift off the water and the Buzzard grabs one, so much for them only feeding on carrion. 13 days to go, not that I’m counting.
Sunday 15th November. The gauge would be showing about 8 and a half feet if it went up that far but it stops at 6 and a half, when it’s this height it’s irrelevant really. The top gauges are falling but it’ll be Tuesday before we’re on at the earliest. That’s the biggest water since November 2012 so it has had a clean out now and that’s likely what it’s done cleared it out.
Photos this week are looking over Temple and Cauld with a brown river racing past.
©M Campbell 2015
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