Monday 6th March, 2017
Once again an unsettled past-week here on Tweedside. The river has been up and down continually, carried colour and was unfishable most days. We have had the odd window of fishable water, with the first fish being caught off the KAA water on the Teviot by Ronnie Park. The hen fish was caught on a flying C and safely returned to the water by retired ghillie, Jim Smail (Lower Floors), who witnessed the catch and assisted in the safe release. Well done Ronnie! Good to get the season off the mark on the Association waters.
Most fish are coming from beats around the Kelso area and generally above the Teviot, mainly because the Teviot keeps getting the bulk of the rain fall and binging the colour into the main river and making it unfishable. The best catches have come from Junction and Lower Floors.
The Till has had a couple of good lifts in water which should have encouraged some fish up making it worth a visit, likewise for the Whiteadder, but no big fish sadly to report from last week. Once again many have been in the mid-teens and of good quality and either sea-liced or spanking fresh. Water temperature is still around the 40s. Best tactics have been floaters with long fast tips or intermediates with short fast tips. Small copper tubes, Gaula Howler Cascades and Eternal Optimists.
Nick Yonge retired this morning as Clerk of the Tweed Commissioners and his position was taken over by Fay Hieatt, to whom we would all like to wish the very best of luck in her new role. We would all also like to wish the very best to Nick in his retirement.
A date for the diary; From Headwater to Headland, Improving Smolt Survival in Rivers and Estuaries Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th March, 2017, at The Maltings, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15.
http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=5701
Tim Pilcher
Tweedside Tackle
