Teenager Janik finishes in top five in men's sea fishing match

The 15-year-old drew peg No 1 on Ravensheugh Beach next to a burn which runs from the fields into the sea, and adjacent to event favourite, and eventual winner, Tyneside-based Neil Cutler, one of the top competition anglers in the North of England.

The Trinity Academy pupil worked hard for his five fish, with a biggest of 36cm, for a total of 151cm. He was not only fighting the tide, but also heavy seaweed.

Erik, already an under-age Scotland international, used mackerel strips and admitted to catching most of his fish early on and then with the final few casts.

Eryk Janik with a fish caught on a boat out of Anstruther this summer

The Trinity Academy pupil, who lives in the Leith Walk area and is a regular angler at Newhaven, said: “I got fifth overall which is not bad, but I drew a good peg and I should have done better.”

And the schoolboy, who aims to pursue at career in computer games design, said: “It was tough going because of the weed, but the fish were there and I hooked into five.”

Cutler was on peg two at the other side of the burn. He finished with 401cm from 16 fish.

Scottish international, Barry McEwan (Port Seton), the joint organiser, was only yards away, but he had a tough day. However, his lifelong friend, Craig Ogilvie (North Berwick), who was a regular competition angler but who has dropped out of the scene since setting up his own joinery business, was also on an adjacent peg.

He finished second with 285cm and won Zone 1. Isaac Muir (Ayrshire) was runner-up in Zone 1 with 275cm from nine fish and was third overall.

Other results: 4, Chris Empson (Dunbar) seven fish for 197cm; 5, Eryk Janik (Edinburgh), five fish for 151cm; 6, Cameron Cunningham (Port Seton) four fish for 115cm; 7, Ian Campbell (Falkirk), five fish for 110cm; 8, Neil Anderson (North Berwick), four fish for 109cm; 9, William Stafford, four fish for 102cm; 10, Gareth Gardner (Tyneside), four fish for 95cm.

Muir had the longest fish of 38cm and the junior winner was William Scott (East Lothian) with 55cm and second was Abby Empson (Dunbar) with 18cm.

Incidentally, Edinburgh chef Stafford was chuffed at hooking a personal best flat fish, a turbot, of 30cm using half a crab.

Meanwhile, Janik and Cutler are expected to take part in the Edinburgh Winter Shore League sponsored by Edinburgh Angling Centre and Cox and Rawle which starts on October 18 with a match at Newhaven (east).

Match Two is on October 25 at Joppa, Match 3 at Newhaven (west) on November 8, Match 4 at Newhaven (east) on November 22, Match 5 at Portobello on November 29, Match 6 at Newhaven (west) on December 6, Match 7 at Newhaven (east) on December 20.

Ian Campbell, the organiser, said he had hoped to have the matches over more venues but tides dictated. There will be prizes for the top three anglers.

On to coarse fishing and there are Lothian connections in the Scotland team which attempts to regain the Celtic Cup in this weekend’s international at Strathclyde Park near Hamilton won last year by Ireland on home water on the Newry Canal.

David Corcoran from Edinburgh is the assistant team manager and James Dornom from Currie, Midlothian, is captain of one of the Scotland teams.

Josh Trueman is captain of the other team. He recently moved back to Dumfries and Galloway but lived in the Capital for some time.

Rosalind Cassidy and Heather Lauriston are both members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club. Indeed, Heather is the current ladies champion.

The full squad for Saturday and Sunday’s match is Gus Brindle, manager/coach; David Corcoran, assistant manager; James Dornom (captain) and Josh Trueman (captain), Derek Brady, Rosalind Cassidy, Peter Dick, Scott Laird, Heather Lauriston, Mark Lyons, Emily Mather, Ewan Weed and Barry Young.

Scotland’s youth selectors host the second and final trial at the Lake of Menteith on Sunday for the national fly fishing team and Scotland’s Stillwater Bank international team raised over £1,000 toward their costs to fish in the Home International, which has now been put back to next March, in their fund-raiser at Burnhouse Lochan.

Port Seton-based John Donaldson, one of the organisers, confirmed that Maisy May, owner of the water, near Cumbernauld, donated the fishing costs back to the team after a tricky day for some on the popular water.

Locally, Glencorse Reservoir are now taking bookings for the 2025 season.

In East Lothian, Newlands Tweedale Fishery are now closing at 5pm. They are open six days but closed on a Monday.

Finally, Scotland’s ladies fly fishing team are putting the finishing touches to their build-up for their fund-raiser at Pottishaw near Whitburn on Sunday, October 20. Pottishaw owner Fraser Thomson has offered three boats for use on the day and the organisers hope that 27 anglers will take part.