New brown trout only pond opens in Central Scotland
Drumtassie bosses have created a brown trout pond due to public demand and now the fishery hope enthusiasts from all over Central Scotland will come for a cast.
The pond sits, which is roughly an acre in size, sits on land adjacent to the three coarse fishing ponds at the Blackridge-based facility.
Depths range from 4ft to 8ft. The bottom is clay and the water has been stocked with brown trout from just under a pound to 10lb, but the majority are around 2lb. More stockings are planned.
Landscaping was continuing this week along with finishing paths and the pegs all have a seat and non-slip mats. The water will be open from 8am to dusk.
Chanelle Maver is the fishery manager and she said that there is plenty of fly life around the water, however, she stressed that there are a number of rules.
Barbless hooks are a must and no indicators are allowed. Also, no boobies, lures or foam flies are to be used and anglers can’t operate a washing line method.
Fish are not to be handled and hooks must be removed in the water which is fed from a nearby spring.
Chanelle added: “We will only allow traditional flies and hooks will be checked. This is a traditional fly fishing facility for anglers who love to fish for brown trout. It is catch and release only and every angler must have forceps with them. No forceps, no fishing.”
The creation of a brown trout only pond had always been in the minds of the owners and Chanelle revealed that the poor weather over the winter months had held the project back.
Now, bosses hope that anglers put their wallets where their mouths were and support the fishery. Prices are £25 for four hours, £30 for six hours and £40 for a full day.
Elsewhere, Greig Davies, won the first heat of this year’s Kingdom Fly Championships, just pipping Jason Walls by minutes.
Davies, a previous winner of the coveted title, landed his first trout at Ballo Reservoir near Leslie on Sunday at 9.34am.
Walls landed his first at 10am and time became critical as both anglers weighed in 24lb 4oz of fish. Third was Paul Cushnie with 21lb 2oz.
Organiser Scott Mudie said there are still a few spaces for the second and final heat at Eden Springs on Sunday, August 4. The final is at Eden Springs on Saturday, September 28.
A gentle breeze and overcast conditions greeted anglers but conditions changed and boats were spread out across the water as competitors searched for feeding fish.
Moving to sea fishing and more than 40 anglers took part in the East Fife Open, with boundaries from Elie Harbour to St Andrews, but only 15 weighed in after the five hour match.
Organiser Mike Horn said the big swell along the Fife coast made it a real struggle for all the anglers. Best bait on the day was peeler crab.
Denis Thompson from Whitby won with four fish for 6lb 5oz and he took home an Anyfish Anywhere rod and £210.
Kirkcaldy angler, Chris Horn, a Scottish international, landed two fish for 5lb 15oz and Gordon McKay from Cellardyke also hooked into two fish but for only 5lb 7oz.
Arbroath-based Stewart Falconer caught the heaviest fish, a cod of 3lb 6oz.
Meanwhile, interest is encouraging in The Big Arbroath Winter Open on Saturday, November 2. Registration is at the toilets in the Victoria Car Park in Arbroath from noon to 1.30pm with fishing from 3pm to 9pm.
Boundaries are from Carnousie to Ferryden and the weigh-in is from 9pm to 10.15pm. Entry is £15 and free for juniors and the top prize is £1,000.
Full details can be gleaned from Allan 07470 418975 or Daniel 07949 794827 or Stewart 07759 379978 or Leom 07927 194217.
Coarse fishing now and Darrin Ferguson, president of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club, won the rod and reel event for the third year running thanks to a bag of 29lb 10oz, well ahead of Shug Smith, who netted a total of 15lb 3oz, at Orchill near Auchterarder.
Dougie Campbell was third with 14lb 3oz and Jimmy Jones fourth on 11lb 15oz with David Mulholland next on 11lb 2oz.
Sixth was former president, Geoff Lowe, with 8lb 9oz, seventh came Andrew Paterson with 5lb 14oz and eighth was Heather Lauriston with 3lb 8oz.
Spare a thought for Martin Pearson. He decided to take his net out before the end as he was frustrated at the lack of fish but still had some bait left and had a few casts.
He landed carp which were returned and did not count in the competition as he had removed his net from the water.