Early August 2026

15.6 Degrees C. That’s what I’m reliably informed that the loch temperature is today, Wednesday 19^th. So does that mean that with a temperature that we would normally consider as ok, that the loch is fishing better than of late? Well, today has seen an improvement on recent times and I’m pretty sure that things will only get better over the coming weeks but one thing that I have learned over the years of being here, is that when fish have had a prolonged period of distress caused by the weather, they don’t just suddenly switch back on at the first sign of more normal conditions. I guess that like us when we have been poorly it takes time to recover fully.

Needless to say, this has once again been a summer dominated by very high temperatures and very little rain and whilst it’s been hard here we should perhaps spare a thought for those living further south. Reports from all the still waters have indicated quite consistently poor returns which given the conditions, should not come as a surprise to any of us that have fished for some time. Yet bizarrely we still get people who think that one cold day or one rainy night will turn things around instantly  ….. I wish !!

On a positive note though, I also know that the good times are just around the corner and we are seeing a gradual return to normal. A for instance of this is that one of our regular bank anglers managed to land a very creditable 16 fish the other day. All were caught in and around Swing Gate Bay and most came to an olive green emerger letting the breeze take it around on a floating line. And today one of our guest anglers had 5 fish in a 3-4 hour session which included a double figure rainbow and a cracking brownie. The signs are there.

Once again we have had our work cut out with the weed cutter and I was out just yesterday going over areas that I had previously cleared and naively thought that was the end of it. Lower water levels and high amounts of sunshine mean that the weeds are closer to the surface and therefore grow much more vigorously. I’m now confident  that I have finally got on top of things and that almost all areas are ok to fish with the exception of a few small areas that I may have missed. Caution should still be taken in the middle at the top end of the loch where the odd patch of blanket weed could still catch you out with your motors, so please keep your eyes on the water in front of you when motoring around.

We continue to stock and last week introduced a very nice batch of blues in to the loch along with the usual high quality rainbows. I’m hoping to see them showing in the returns book over the coming weeks.

Other News:

• Charity Day – This will once again be held on the last Sunday in September and all proceeds from the day will once again be donated to St. Abbs Lifeboat. We would be grateful for any donations towards the raffle and auction (and a big thank you to those who have already done so) and we would like to remind you that tickets for the raffle can be purchased, in advance, at any time from us. Please try to dig deep as every penny that we raise will go to this most worthy cause at St. Abbs.
• Inter Club Pairs Day – Tuesday 6^th October – We will once again be running this and over the next few weeks I will be in touch with those of you that it may involve.
• Coldingham Loch Cup Competition – Sunday 18^th – There are still places available for this competition. Prizes for the first three places plus the winner gets their name on the honours board. Please contact us asap if you are interested in entering. All the information can be found on the members web site.
• Members web site tackle exchange – we have recently posted a couple of items for members on this section which may be of interest to you. Please take a look at them and if you would like to try to sell anything of your own, please get in touch with us with the details.

We hope that this report finds you all fit and well and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible over the coming weeks ahead. Tight lines.

Regards,  Carmel and Gareth.