Edinburgh teenager to make Scottish debut in Home Internationals

They are based at Montrose and the Trinity Academy pupil can’t wait to test his skills against the best from England, Wales and Ireland in the two-day event.

Currently, the rising star is logging the hours in the River Forth preparing for the two-day event near Montrose, working on his casting and bait presentation, and it is paying off.

Eryk also spends hours building rigs to suit, including two and three-hook flappers with varying sizes of hook.

Eryk receiving a prize from Stewart Falconer

He is spending as much time as he can fishing at Granton and Newhaven and he also competed in the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers (SFSA) event hosted at Riverside Drive, Dundee, recently.

More practice sessions are planned with the Scotland team before the Home International event on July 3 and 4 and the talented youngsters hopes to make a real mark.

Eryk is the only member of the squad from the Lothians and he has already made an impression North of the Border national competitions.

He also fished in the Edinburgh Shore Angling Winter League against men more than twice his age and they all noted his ability and he has collected his tie and badge after being confirmed in the Scotland pool.

Initially, the ambitious youngster learned from his grandfather in Poland, accompanying him on coarse fishing trips when making summer holiday visits to his father’s native country, but he switched to sea fishing as the Forth is easily accessible.

The youngster said: “I fish regularly at Newhaven and pick up tips from experienced local anglers. David Cooper and Stevie Souter have been really helpful and Chris Barrett helped me when I first started by showing me all the basics.

“The guys from the Edinburgh Angling Centre have also helped and it will be a great experience fishing for Scotland.”

His father, Dominik is not an angler but is chuffed with the success of his son who arrived in Scotland as a four-year-old when the family emigrated from Poland in 2013. Dominik said: “He just loves fishing and casts a line whenever he can.”

Joining Eryk in the squad are Abie, aged 16, Hollie, aged 15, and Jay, aged ten, all from the Dumfries-based Stoker family – their mum Charlene is in the Scotland ladies team – plus team captain, Calum Strang (Hamilton), and 11-year-old, Harry Keeny (East Kilbride).

Scotland won the bronze medal last year but Lindsay Wilson, the team manager, said they had been practicing twice a month for six months and are determined to move up the rankings.

Elsewhere, Chris Empson won the sixth leg of the Bass Rock Shore Angling League off Dunbar Harbour with nine fish for 173cm with Neil Anderson (North Berwick) second with two fish for 59cm.

Others who weighed in were Jamie McHale (Gifford) with two fish for 56cm, Alan Brown, one fish of 27cm, Barry McEwan (Port Seton) with one of 25cm and Graham Meadows (St Boswells) with a fish of 21cm. Round seven is on June 26 at a venue to be decided.

Meanwhile, Rosewell-based, Stuart Marklow (Loanhead and District) fishing FAB and cormorant patterns netted ten trout at Lintrathen for 15lb 13.8oz to qualify for the final of the Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship.

Second was Fife-based Scott Pozzi, last year’s winner, also with ten trout for 15lb 12.7oz and third Greig Thompson with nine for 13lb 14.4oz.

Stuart’s father, Derek, from Penicuik, also qualified along with Kevin McCabe (Gifford).

Local anglers also qualified from the second semi-final at Harelaw near Glasgow when 18 caught 269 trout.

Top rod was Stewart Barclay (Gateside FF) from Edgehead who netted 33 trout for 65lb 10oz. Edinburgh-based Jimmy McBride of (SPRA FFS East AC) was second with 24 trout and Jimmy's boat partner, Ronnie McKean (East Kilbride AC) was third with 20 trout.

Finally, a fantastic result for two new members of Scotland’s Ladies Fly Fishing squad, Maisy May and Kirsty Murray who landed the heaviest bag of 17lb 9oz in the Fastmail Pairs heat staged at Harelaw but they failed to qualify for the final because of time bonuses.

Finally, hats off to Maisy May, owner of Burnhouse Lochan Fishery, and Kirsty Murray, two debutants to the Scotland ladies fly fishing team this year, who weighed in with the heaviest bag of 17lb 9oz in the Fastmail Pairs at Harlaw near Glasgow. Sadly, they failed to qualify because of time bonuses.