Post by scanny on Aug 2, 2010 17:08:46 GMT
I won an award last month for my thesis last month which came with a tidy cheque so along with buying a new stick to play with, i was offered the chance to get a day on the Junction beat on the Tweed, which i gladly accepted. As it transpired, it was a fitting way to celebrate.
The Junction was fishing well from Monday to Wednesday with 9 salmon and 11 sea trout taken by Russell (Piscatoria) party, so the "if you blank on the junction you may as well give up" jibes were resonating from my compatriots. I tried to find any information on the beat online, but couldn't, only google maps was of any use to see the beat and the water itself. Here's a rough map from memory
I had a day on the Tay on Thursday that i slept in for, a call from the ghillie at 3pm was my wake up call so bang went that day, the rest of it was spent tying up small flies in 10, 12 and 14's for the low water the Tweed now had.
I arrived at the beat on Friday afternoon, just in time to meet the traffic leaving the Borders show, another omen? Upon finally getting parked at the Junction Paul (Silver Tourist) and Mick greeted me with news of a grilse Mick caught at Hempseedford earlier, a bit of welcome news with the water looking so low, the sun making an unwelcome appearance and a harsh wind.
The Ghillie said the pool was stuffed with fish eariler in the week however they had since run on and the chances of catching were very slim, with a running fish being the only chance.
I got set up; opting for the 14' Dtx teamed with a Hover Afs and Fast sink tip with 2 foot leader to try get down. The Pool cant be more than 4 feet deep but has a strong flow and a big hole or two about.Finally by 5pm i took my first run down the Hawthorns just as the rain arrived.
The first run only offered an ambitious par but the rain had lifted and i crossed to the opposite bank and began fishing it through. After a minute Paul was singing to a fish that he had hooked then lost in the white water where the two streams meet. The run again only offered another par with grand ideas.
After a bite to eat we headed round to Hempseedford, the lower part of the beat, where Mick had earlier caught a grilse. The run starts with a large neck that channels down by two thirds, even in low water there was a very good tow of it tight to the bank and towards the first croy.
We fished until midnight with no offers and only an occasional sea trout splashing in the water.
Saturday morning brought clearer skies, sunshine and a stronger wind, not the best start to the day. I started again at the Cauld at Hawthorns at 8ish, again S1 head with a fast tip and 2 foot leader to get down. Instead of fishing hairwings like the previous day, the trusty Ness C got a swim. The first run offered a par, no surprise there, thanks to a trout fisher on the far bank for saving me rowing over to untangle the tip that had wrapped around a rock, and freeing it. Paul and Mick arrived a little later and made their way through the pool.
After an hour we moved on to fish the Bridge Pool, under the kelso bridge and on the middle section of the beat. There wasn't much flow , with only the nearest bridge island providing a run
The pool was 6ft deep and with flow looked a good prospect for holding fish, but it never even offered a par.
Hempseedford was the destination after lunch, on what was becoming a long day without seeing any fish. I had brought out the monkey by this point and resorted to stripping the bridge pool before lunch. I took my first run through teh stream at hempseedford with the monkey but changed to a Ness C after 20 yards, a wise decision.
A few casts and paces further down and i hooked what i thought was a trout at first. It gave a shake of the head and came towards me so i hand lined it in. After a minute it woke up and it wasn't best pleased either, showing a flash and looking like a 3 lb sea trout with a coloured belly. It then took 20 yards and began running here and there, i assured Paul it was something a little more interesting and it showed itself, a bar of silver.
Mick tailed it and it was a 6lb licer, interestingly it was hooked in the tongue which might explain it giving a good account of itself.
I've fished hard this year since January and thus far only caught kelts, Sea Trout and Brownies so it was a relief to finally open this seasons account and on my first trip to the Tweed.
My last two trips this month have seen others catch and me blank so it was a relief to finally get a reward for the long spring.
We spent the rest of the afternoon fishing through before returning to the Junction to take another run through Hawthorns before Paul and Mick had to leave.
On Paul's last run through, he took a kamikaze 4lb Seatrout, again in the white water at the confluence which ran and ran in heavy flow. Just goes to show a Salar in the jaws holds just as well as anything.
I went back to Hempseedford after Paul and Mick had set off home and it was a nice evening, the wind was dying, sun came out and took a few minutes to get some pictures after taking a run through the Stream.
I met a couple of locals down for a look and for trout, and no longer had they returned to their cars to get kitted up and i was in again, on my 4th cast of the croy. Another soft take and angry wee chap when it woke up. It was another licer, 4lb this time and to the Ness C and hooked in the tongue.
I fished on for another two hours before calling it a day and heading home, delighted to have caught two from the Junction on my first trip, and feeling a little more confident about the season ahead.
The vista greeted me walking back to the car, a nice last memory of a fantastic river.
I doubt ill take two from the junction again in a rush, and not for sensible money either. The smaller of the two is curing as gravadlax just now, ill enjoy that with a wee drink this weekend.
