news/editorial

24 August 2014 News/Editorial

Just occasionally a plan comes together and the sun shines on the just, in this instance Tim Pilcher of Tweedside Tackle, in Kelso, fame.

Life has not been kind to Tim and his wife Caroline of late, ever since, a little over 5 years ago, Tim suddenly became seriously ill. They will not want me to dwell on it, but suffice to say that Tim’s progress since then has been extraordinary, a tribute to both of them, their tenacity and determination, when so many of the odds have been stacked against them.

Such was his recovery, that it was maybe a year ago when we began to talk about Tim having another crack at salmon fishing, and the plan was firmed up this spring, with a target date of late August, hopefully with some fish about and the weather benign.

Importantly, head boatman Malcolm has put proper seats into two of our boats. They are chairs, and swivel in the same way that the normal Tweed (round) seats do, but very much more stable for the sitter.

With a light, single handed rod, a floating line, a harness to anchor the rod when playing a fish, and a special automatic fly reel, they set off for the Back of the Wall, with Malcolm in charge at the oars.

Friday was a cool, calm day, the river getting low and the fish, the few that there were, becoming more and more difficult to catch. The Back of the Wall yielded nothing but an encouraging pull, and they dropped down in the boat to the Iron Gate Point, where they had seen one or two jumping.

And then it happened.

It was epic.

The take was well round, below the boat, but firm, and just as Tim had begun to get it under control, he flicked the automatic reel switch and the fish lunged away, thereby smashing the switch. After momentary panic, our two heroes settled on Malcolm handlining while Tim held the rod, and so it was that the fish was eventually netted and despatched, covered in long tailed sealice and almost 6lbs.

Photographs taken, phone calls made and back to the hut and lunch, with congratulations and beaming smiles all round. Alex, the other guest, had also caught one in the Cauld.

Perfect.

Tim was quick to pay special tribute to Malcolm for his skill, helpfulness and understanding without which none of this would have been possible. Some lessons were learned… a double taper line would be easier for Tim to cast than a weight forward, the automatic reels tend to break(!) etc…….but above all we now know that Tim can catch salmon again, and what a huge boost to his confidence that is.

The downside?

Caroline now knows he can “operate a hoover and load the dishwasher”, words incomprehensible to most men, and calculated to strike fear into those few men who actually know what they mean.

A picture paints a thousand words, they say, and so it does, as you will see both above (and on Malcolm’s fishing report under the Lees page on Tweedbeats)

It was grand…... and we will do it again next year, if not before, if we are all spared the ravages of the Ukraine crisis, the Islamic State and ebola.

DV.