Angling: Ronnie Robinson, 84, honoured for 'outstanding contribution' to club

Rognvald 'Ronnie' Robinson is a keen angler but also acts as stand-in bailiff, provides detailed reports to the board of Malleny Angling on catch returns, and sits as a committee member.

His services to the club were celebrated at the annual meeting of Malleny Angling who administer fishing at Harlaw and Threipmuir near Balerno. The Edinburgh-based angler was awarded the Chairman's Trophy for an outstanding contribution.

Chairman Nigel Duncan recalled: "I noticed an elderly gentleman hooking into fish almost every cast on an area known as The Dam Wall. I failed to get a touch.

"The next day up I went, again early. The same elderly gentleman was there, reeling them in again. I nodded and moved on.

Secretary Alex Rose (left), of Malleny Angling, presents Ronnie Robinson with the Chairman's Trophy for his outstanding contribution to the club.

"That scenario played out on several mornings and eventually I plucked up the courage to ask: 'What are the patterns you are using.'

"A subsidiary question, what is your leader? I had Grand Max on and it was failing to produce. The answer was: Lidl. I asked for clarification. Lidl came the reply.

"I still was confused and the angler said: '£1 from the centre aisle.'

"So, there I was, with an expensive leader and this was a man with a leader from a supermarket. During the following weeks we spoke more.

Ronnie Robinson fishing at Harlaw Reservoir.

"Ronnie was a constant up there, filling in for bailiffs. One morning at around 9am he conceded that he had not had breakfast, then the duty bailiff failed to report in. Without hesitation Ronnie said he would stay to lunchtime."

Malleny Angling prices confirmed for new season

Ronnie also spends hours on his computer compiling catch reports providing invaluable information to the board which is used to consider numbers for re-stocking and he also sits on the club committee, providing an in-depth knowledge of both waters.

Meanwhile, Malleny Angling have confirmed their prices for the coming season which starts on April 1. They are £30 for a full day ticket from 8am which allows an angler to keep three fish. A full day catch and release day permit is £25 when only barbless or debarred hooks are allowed and the evening catch and release permit is £20 is available from 5pm once the longer nights come in.

Season permits are still available for £290 offering seven-days-a-week fishing. Contact [email protected] for full details. Free permits are available for anglers 17 years and younger to encourage young people into the sport but they must be with a member, season ticket holder or a day permit buyer.

Meanwhile, fishing at Scotland's premier water, The Lake of Menteith, was officially opened for the season by Alyn Smith MP for Stirling and the best area by far was the drift betwen Lochend over the buzzer beds to Arnmach. Quint Glen, the manager, said the best tactic was to use buzer, diawl bach or cormorant patterns on various midge tip lines.

Some found success with the bung, pulling lures and even on dry flies and 493 fish were landed, an average of 14 per boat.

Closer to home, Glencorse Reservoir opens for the season on March 23 and the season runs until October 20 with day sessions Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm for two boats or more and by booking only.

Fishing has been good at Bowden Springs near Linlithgow and top rod was Mick Ogilvie. He could not fish Drumtassie because of a competition and switched to Bowden to land 14 fish, five of them brown trout, and the biggest 6lb, on egg patterns. Ryan Bruns had nine on cormorant patters.

Scottish National Fly-Fishing League

Meanwhile, The Scottish National Fly-Fishing League (SNFFL) got under way in "brutal" conditions at Harelaw Trout Fishery near Glasgow with a strong easterly wind and temperatures barely above freezing. Damsels and black and silver lures on sinking lines proved best.

Mike Cordiner (Aberdeen and District AA), who has 19 caps, won the Premier Division and Scott Robertson (Dundee) the First Division

There are 12 sessions over six days on six separate venues, loch style, stillwater and rivers and the next one is at Ledyatt near Dundee on Saturday, March 23.

Second in the Premier Division was Archie Ferguson (Lochgelly SRC) and third Ian Wilson Clatto AC. In the First Division, Bob Robertson (unknown club) was second with Stevie Corsar (Aberdeen and District AA) third.

Several anglers from the Lothians took part including multi-caped Martin Stewart, who was fourth equal in the Premier along with Dick Logan, a three-time National river champion, while Keith Renton, a World Masters team silver medallist was last in the Premier. Andy Foggan was sixth in the first.

The top five in the Premier go to the world championship, the next five to the European with the top four in the First Division fishing in the five nations against England, Ireland, France, Norway and or Belgum.

The annual meeting of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling is at the Alona Hotel, Strathclyde Country Park, Hamilton Road, Motherwell ML1 3RT on Thursday, March 28 (19,.30) and is open to all clubs and individual members,

The final leg of the Edinburgh New Year Shore Angling League is on Friday, March 22, at Newhaven with Mike Kyle from Easthouses leading the table with 36 points from Ian Campbell from Falkirk, who is six points adrift, and Gordon Lyall (Edinburgh) in third, nine points back.

A reserve list has been created for the second Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers pegged match at Riverside Drive, Dundee, on Sunday, April 7 from 10am to 3pm. Registration is 8am to 8,.45am at the cafe and lugworm and mackerel are the only baits allowed.