Anglers keen to try re-opened Tweeddale with catches of over 50 reported

Derek Plenderleith, the manager, has been encouraged by the response from anglers since opening day at Tweeddale Trout Fishery near Gifford.

It is now open seven days a week and the first official day drew a number contingent of anglers anxious to test the water after a seven-month closure.Two were from Morpeth in Northumberland and they were also present at one of the test days last weekend when some anglers hooked into 46 fish and others more than 45, 30 and 27 on the two fly lochs. The bait lake is not yet open.Black buzzer and hawthorn patterns were working in midweek along with blue flash damsel and diawl bach and it was fish a chuck at times, particularly on the middle lake.The last re-stocking of fish between 3lb and 5lb was two weeks ago and the fish have acclimatised well to their new home near Gifford which is open from 9am to 9pm every day. The water is crystal clear.Derek Plenderleith, the fishery manager, has been greatly encouraged by the response and anglers have praised the quality of the fish. He confirmed that one angler hooked into 50 on day one and the pattern has continued with returns of over 20.Still on fly fishing, and six local anglers qualified for the semi-finals after the sixth heat of the Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship at Lintrathen near Kirriemuir.Mike Devenney (West Linton), Derek Purves (Edinburgh), Bruce Chisholm (Duns), Chris Harkess (Bonnyrigg), Jock Kettles (Bonnyrigg) and Robert Ewing (Edinburgh) all made it through on a tough day.The 37 competitors caught a total of 115 trout and top rod was Ronnie Gilbert (Greys Menteith Ospreys) who netted seven fish on a mix of cormorant and buzzer patterns. James Thomson (Perth Anglers) was second with five fish on traditional wet flies. Ed Brown (Dundee AC) was third, netting six on crunchers, and the three top men all fished the Sawmill area.Catch reports now and Bowden Springs near Linlithgow reported a new record for their five-acre bait pond. Gregor Crookston hooked into a 15lb brown trout, smashing the previous best of 9.5lb. The stunning fish was tempted by Powerbait and it was returned.Nearby, the water clarity is described as excellent at nearby Linlithgow Loch and flies producing are buzzer, candy boobies, diawl bach, muskin, blob, fab and cats.Jimmy Russell won the open competition with five fish with Mark Lawton second and Matt Neilson third. The heaviest fish was hooked by Les Grant, 3lb 13oz. Allandale Tarn have changed their opening times. Anglers can now fish from 9am to 9pm every day except Monday and Tuesday when the fishery near West Calder is closed.Jim Middleton had a day to remember. He hooked into 43 fish during his session with dry flies working. Other favoured patterns this week have been smokers, Vicar buzzers and yellow owl.Glencorse boss Bill Taylor has confirmed that his afternoon/evening sessions start on Tuesday May 22. They will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and by booking only.Best flies at Millhall near Polmont have been were buzzer, pheasant tail nymph and diawl bach fished just under the surface with CDC and klinkhammer also working well with cloud cover. Damsel and rabbit patterns are also working along with blob, fab and egg flies. The best return came from A Robinson with 23 and M Buchanon had 15.Edinburgh-based Chris Barrett a winner in the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers Open (SFSA) fished in tricky conditions at Elliot Beach, Arbroath.The angler won Zone 1 with ten fish with Tayside-based Kevin Lewis, manager of Scotland's women's shore angling team, in second spot with eight fish. Stewart Falconer (Arbroath) was third with seven.James Duncan from Montrose, the manager of the senior team for this year's Home Internationals, won Zone 2 with six fish with Uddingston-based Billy Buckley, who represented Scotland in the world championship in Sicily last year, in second position with eight fish and Isaac Muir (Glasgow) was third with seven fish.The longest fish was a 51cm cod hooked by Ayr angler Stan Lynn who also had the second biggest fish of 39cms, and the junior winner was Scottish international, Jay Stoker, from Dumfries.Kirkcaldy-based Mike Horn, president of the SFSA, said there was an unexpected big sea which was coloured and this made fishing difficult for the 42 anglers who mainly used lugworm and mackerel.The Scottish ladies team for the shore home international at Montrose Beach on July 3 and 4 has been confirmed with Edinburgh-based Buffy McAvoy one of the five anglers.The rest are Lesley Maby, Gill Coutts, Joanne Barlow and Charlene Stoker.Aquamarine Charters have spaces this weekend on their fishing charter out of Eyemouth. Ring Derek Anderson on 07860 804316 to check availability.Scotland's ladies carp team are in action this weekend in the Tri-Nations at Naseby Reservoir, Northamptonshire. Last year, Scotland won silver but the team has changed and captain Catherine Robertson is paired with Margo Robinson, a decision made after the pair won their first match together recently, the team's fund-raiser at Wyreside Lakes near Lancaster.Locally, fishing has been good on the coarse ponds at Drumtassie near Blackridge with carp of 24lb among the catch returns.