Sunderland Hall and Fairnilee, Spring Report

So the Spring has ended, at least for those that class Spring fishing as that done before the end of May. I see from discussions on various salmon fishing websites that it's not perceived as being quite as clear cut as that. Also, from my own first hand experience on Sunderland Hall recently, I know that there have been plenty of 'Spring' fish held up in The Meetings in the low water of April and May that will either still be there, or will be making their way further upstream into the Ettrick, Yarrow or even Upper Tweed valleys, in June and further into the season. However, for simplicity, I'll report on Spring fishing on Sunderland Hall and Fairnilee simply for the months until the end of May.

I had fished Sunderland Hall on closing day last season, at which stage the best of the fishing was long gone. I covered most of the beat's Tweed pools, which were at 8" above summer low, during my Autumn day on the beat, but wasn't able to venture onto the Ettrick before dark at 4pm(!). My trips to the beat during the first month or so of this season were therefore spent scouting out the pools which were the most probably route of the spring run; this was difficult, however, with heights of 2' and above for the majority of the early season.

Pictured: 2' 6" in February on The Alder Pool, Sunderland Hall, Ettrick.

In early April, when snowmelt slowed down, the rainfall lessened and vegetation grew back in after the Winter, the heights - at least on saturdays - were far lower. I have chanced upon an odd situation where I have seen not seen the beat at any height between 10" and 1' 10" yet and it is now June; this has been slightly frustrating, as better heights in May might have opened up the smaller Ettrick pools and livened up the fish and fishing.

Pictured: The same pool and picture as above, except at 8" in May.

Cutting to the chase, the first weekend where fish were showing on Sunderland Hall water was in mid-May, although I'd suggest that a cast in the right place in The Meetings would bear a reasonable chance of success from mid-April onwards. With the beat at a good running height, as had been suggested to me by a number of people prior to my fishing this Spring, I'd suggest that May could be quite good at Sunderland Hall. Ultimately, I fished three saturdays when there were obviously plenty of fish about, with one fish lost on 24 May 2014 (about 10-12lbs, on seeing it leap). It was hooked at dusk on a Super Snaelda fished deep in The Meetings.

On the Fairnilee front, I fished a few of the beat's pools on most saturdays of the Spring, in amongst my Sunderland Hall fishing. The majority of this was focussed on Dovecote and Black Strand, although Island Stream, Raeweil, Rocks and Sawmill all had some attention, depending on the conditions. Notably, amongst this, was the presence of big fish in Raeweil from early May. The same low water as perhaps thwarted success a fews pools downstream maybe rendered tempting these Raeweil fish slightly too difficult. I also saw fish in Black Strand around this time.

Pictured: Black Strand, in good nick.

My fellow Fairnilee rod Russell Lugton caught a 3.5lbs sea trout in the Needlehall Boat Pool in May and Fairnilee ghillie Bob Anderson landed a springer (of 8lbs, I believe) from Elmweil also. I have heard of numerous fish hooked and lost from Ashiestiel, as well as a fish landed on Thornielee during the Spring, and would be interested to hear about any further fish caught on the upper river so far, also.

All in all, it's been a fun time and I feel confident that I know the water well so as to capitalise on any Summer spates that bear grilse and early salmon. I think the conclusion to my little exercise on Sunderland Hall would be that late-April and May could provide very worthwhile Spring days, but that the conditions are perhaps even more relevant here than elsewhere. In low water, as we've had, fishing is effectively limited to The Meetings. The best fishing, in my opinion, would come at a medium height (1' 4" to 1' 6") where it is still possible to wade the Ettrick's mouth to fish The Meetings, but when the Ettrick is running high enough for fish to be moving through the various pools and pockets of The Bushes and Alder Pool.

Pictured: The Alder Pool looking nice, but maybe 4/5 inches still needed.

Next up is the summer on Sunderland Hall and Fairnilee. From a little research, I see that June is an equally good month on the Ettrick for 'Spring' run fish moving over Philliphaugh Cauld. I'll hopefully have a chance of catching one of these, in this case, and I'll be looking out for sea trout and grilse arriving on Fairnilee also.

In the meantime, next stop is Ruan Ruarie on the River Garry, with Russell, on which I'll report next week. I see it's had a rise from 2" a day ago or so to 1' 2" tonight, so things are looking up.

Tight lines.

Calum