Angling: Pottishaw begins a new venture, Glencorse launches summer league and Ogilvie is the Bass

Pottishaw Fishery, near Whitburn. Pic: Alistair Bocker

Owner Fraser Thomson will introduce new fish to ensure good sport from opening day and the fishery will be stocked every two weeks thereafter.

Pottishaw has a rich and diverse range of fly life with huge buzzer hatches the highlight in May and August.

Livingston-based Fraser, who has run the fishery for 15 years, said: “Pottishaw has operated on a 100 per cent catch and release basis for ten years.

“Brown trout, tiger trout and all coarse species will continue to be 100 per cent catch and release but rainbow and blue trout can be killed.”

Fishing will be from 9am and bank only but float tubes will be welcome and numbers will be limited to 15 per day.

He added: “This will provide anglers with plenty of room and it will be advisable to phone first before travelling. There has been a lot of interest in the day ticket move and we have some fantastic fish in the lake.”

Tea, coffee and hot food will be available at weekends only and the postcode is EH48 2RT.

Elsewhere, Glencorse boss Bill Taylor is taking names for a summer evening league on May 2 and will be every second Thursday apart from week two which will be on Wednesday, May 15 due to a earlier club booking.

The event will run to Thursday, August 22 and the final is pencilled in for Thursday, September 5. There will be a two fish limit on catch and release and the prizes are sponsored by Charles Phillips  auctioneers.

Nearby, Loganlea opened for the season today and, over the Pentlands, Morton Fishings continue with their Friday, Saturday and Sunday opening until March 15 when they will then open every day. Owner John Mackay confirms that he will operate on 2017 prices and that boobies will be allowed on kill tickets only.

Meanwhile, Craig Ogilvie won the Bass Rock Sea Angling Winter League, but only just.

The North Berwick angler edged David Cooper from Edinburgh on countback.

Both ended up with 50 points and the result was decided on most match wins. Ogilvie won one more than Cooper.

The results in the final match at North Berwick were: first, Ian Dickson (North Berwick) with two cod for 3.30lb with Cooper second with one fish weighing 2.03lb. Stuart Fairbairn (Haddington) was third with a 2.10lb fish with Chris Epson (Dunbar) fourth with 1.70lb and Barry McEwan (Port Seaton) fifth with a catch of 1.50lb.

Worm crab and cocktail baits fished in the rough ground were best lures and the sea cliff harbour area was the best venue with three of the placed anglers coming from there.