Robbies Brief Fishing Reports

Reports Index

November 2004

Monday the 1st.

I got my Season Ticket for the Jedburgh Association from the Newsagents.

Panic had set in when the tackle shop next door said they did not have any!

Season Ticket No.1 it said; a good omen…..

I drove down to park at the bridge and there was already a load of cars there.

Strange that........ me being No.1 and all that......?????

Turned out to be Jonathon Barnes on a day ticket, some salmon anglers and some dog walkers. Well it was a lovely still autumn day.

Jonathon was playing a fish when I got down to the water.

“It's a Salmon” he said.

A flash in the water did not look like a salmon to me but the river was coloured and what do I know….

A Big Grayling came to the top. Not that biiiggggg…. just biiigg and foul hooked.

About two and a half pounds I silently mused.

Jonathon mentioned a figure larger than that.

I kept Shtuuumm.

He did not have a net so I went in to net it for him and just before I did it came off.

Jonathon thought it was even bigger now.

Me, I kept Shtuuumm.

I'll show you around the beat he said.

Thanks.

The river really was too big and also too coloured but never mind it was the first time river fishing for two weeks. Also I was out again tomorrow. You cannot complain at that.

Well any way I had a great day out if only three fish. Two out of season Browns and a nice Grayling about 16 inches. Jonathon's day was about the same and we finished the day with a handshake and a "see you at the Eliminator if not before"

Tuesday 2nd November

A better day, the air was still still if you see what I mean but the river had dropped and cleared.

Any way I found one pool with fish in it. Two runs through it with a three hour gap in between produced 8 fish to a really splendid 19 inches.

Mind you these quick measures might be what you would call an Anglers 19 inches……. Nothing sinister you know just enthusiasm.... cough cough……

I was out with my friend Ron McCombe and although he did not have as many fish as me he did have one decent one on a dry fly which made me a bit jealous.

Still all in all a really good couple of days.

Thursday 4th November.

OUT AGAIN.

Lucky czech nympher that I am.

The water was too big though.

Somehow it had come away again although it was only in the middle of the Teviot.

Where I was!

That cancels out my lucky permit then.

Funny how it goes in swings and thingy's……….

Any way a new bit of water so I did lots of walking just to get the feel of it.

I did get lucky again in one bit though.

Just where a decent stream runs in there was a nice channel and it produced three beautiful grayling of 15, 14 and 8 inches.

I do like the small ones, they are so slim and trim and with perfect scales and colour's.

And of course they are the future.

Bit like your kids really.

Except they don't cost £50,000 each (BBC Breakfast News) and of course my kids don't have scales.

Horns at times but no scales…………

Sunday the 14th

The alarm went off at 06.30. It was dark. I did not want to get up.

Yes I did. I was going fishing.

On the River Eden with Jeremy Lucas.

A quick shower, make the coffee and into the vehicle and off by seven.

Bloody Pheasants.

One came out of the hedge and broke the headlight and damaged the wing; £200 at least.

Never mind you are going fishing with one of the top anglers in the country on a beautiful river.........

It's just gone half nine and I am welcomed by Jeremy at his door.

He makes me a nice cup of coffee and I give the Brown Bowl which is on his dresser a rub for luck. Maybe one day my name will be on it. Well you can dream……..

A drive through the country lanes brings us to the river and we tackle up and get going. It takes me a little while to get into position. Wading in a strong and new river and all that but soon I am into a fish. A nice Grayling of around 13 inches.

Two more of around nine inches quickly follow and then nothing for a while.

I wander downstream and speak to Jeremy.

He has been broken by a salmon (bloody things…....nearly as bad as pheasants) and lost a grayling. We move downstream and I wade through a lovely pool and take nine grayling in quick succession. They are all around 8 to 10 inches but lovely all the same.

Jeremy has not done quite so well but who's counting (ME!) Ha Ha.

We have a driving lunch and meander to a spot further upstream where the river is smaller. Immediately we come on rising fish. I change from the bugs to dries.

Jeremy is torn. He wishes to fish the dries but needs to practice his bugging.

This is almost certainly how he will be fishing his eliminator on the Welsh Dee next weekend.

Now Jeremy you must stick to your Bugs I cruelly say.

I manage two on the dries a but have a lot of rises which turn out to be in the words of a former boat partner, Pavel Machan…. “No contact? Robbie”

Yes, "No contact!"

Good positive rises but no I don't even feel the fish except for the two I catch.

Again I wander off downstream.

Jeremy has succumbed. He is on the dries. A lovely hatch of Large Dark Olive he says.

He did get one on the bugs though. A fantastic fish of around Two Pounds.

I get into the pool he has just came out of a lovely Crinkly Run of about 50 yards. I get loads of rises to a JT olive but not a fish comes to hand. Jeremy makes his way up to the pool I fished in and gets a few more fish to finish the day with 12.

Me?...... I had 13...... but hey who's counting…………....

The light starts to go and we make our way back to Jeremy's house.

A warm fire, a cold beer and a lovely meal from the Stunning Jennie.

What a perfect end to a fabulous day.

And No Pheasants on the way home!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday the 16th

Teviot

Jedburgh

Two Hours.

Zilch

Zip Zero Not a Take.

Nnnnuuuthinn.. (Sorry Frank)

Too Low.

Too Clear.

Too Mild.

Too Windy.

Home!

Thursday the 25th

Well isn't it strange?

Fishing I mean.

You get to a pool that you know just has to have fish.

The water is perfect. 15 inches above summer level, fining down and just a touch of colour.

Its fairly mild, there is virtually no wind and its pleasantly overcast.

Ah I hear you saying....I know what's coming..... another Blank for Robbie!

Close.

I did get one.......... but on a Dry Fly !!!!!

Well you see I fished this great looking run down and then up and then down again.

I changed flies.

I fished close in and farther out.

I covered every inch and then a bit more.

Nowt.

So I started wearily walking back down the bank.

I wasn't tired, it was only one o' clock but I felt beaten.

Not cataclysmically, End of the World beaten... but we do build our selves up for this fishing

don't we? A Blank is bad but a double Blank..... Suicidal Ha Ha  weep weep

Well I exaggerate you know but it was a sort of  "I thought you called yourself an fisherman?" beat yourself up kind of mood.

Half way back to the vehicle a small fish rose and so I sat down for a while, another one rose and then a larger one.

Well to cut a short story shorter I changed to dries.

The two smaller fish had a couple of goes each at me but the bigger fish didn't even look .

However a good fish rose upstream and after wading quietly up the flat water I got him on the fourth change of fly. His downfall was a size 21 black F fly which he actually came a yard back downstream to take.

Thirteen or so inches but what a difference to a blank.

Oh yes the politically correct fresh air and scenery and wildlife.

Well of course I do thoroughly enjoy the surroundings that I fish in, especially up here in Northumberland and the Borders but I do go fishing to catch fish.

Don't You?

Tuesday the 30th.

The Royal British Legion Club Kelso.

An Evening with Stuart Crofts.

Well what can I say?

I spent half the night with my mouth hanging open.

It was just spellbinding.

The passion and the powers of observation of the man.

Well the name Skues crossed my mind more than once.

Mind you I am not looking for any sort of discussion down that particular road.

No Sirrreeeee!

But by jingo it was a fascinating evening and it is a privilege to know the man.

His self taught breadth and depth of knowledge of aquatic insects is quite incredible and is certainly beyond my, albeit limited experience.

Even the professional biologists in the audience were impressed.

Superb.

You wish to know more?

Try here.

http://www.pennineflyfishingguides.co.uk/

Margaret & Robbie Bell
Game Fair
12 Marygate
Berwick upon Tweed
Northumberland
TD15 1BN

Telephone: 01289 305119
E.Mail: robbie@gamefair-flyfishing.net