England international Cutler edges Lothians duo at Clyde Open

Cutler, a regular entrant in the popular Edinburgh Winter Shore Angling League, tempted five fish including mackerel and dab, fishing at distance early on before switching to close in, for 176 points. He took home £368.

The 55-year-old from Gateshead, and the rest of the field, had to work hard, regularly changing bait, as heavy rain upstream coloured the Clyde, making conditions difficult.

Cutler, who has represented England on numerous occasions, has just sold his signwriting business, whose clients included Carphone Warehouse and the Wine Warehouse, in the hope he can do more fishing.

David Cooper with a fine fish from the shoreline

The well-known angler is a regular in the Clyde event and covers thousands of miles a year fishing in top events and said: “I’m a seasoned campaigner and you just get on with it. Fishing gets into your blood.”

Easthouses-based Mike Kyle was second also with five fish but totalling 151 points and he won £206. August has been a good month for the Midlothian man having won the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers (SFSA) individual members shore championship at Cree near Newton Stewart.

Third was Edinburgh angler David Cooper, also with five fish, but for 148 points and he won £162.

Philip MacKenzie was fourth with two dogfish for 131 points and he landed the longest fish, a 64cm dogfish. The smaller one was 52cm and MacKenzie won £350.

Neil Cutler (right) with Clyde Open organiser, Lindsay Wilson

Mike Horn from Kirkcaldy was fifth with four fish for 126 points. Horn is the president of the SFSA and he won one of the zones. His son Chris, also from Kirkcaldy, and the winner in 2023, was 17th with two fish for 59 points.

Gavin Owen, also from Tyneside, was sixth win 113 points and also won a zone with Billy Buckley (Uddingston), a member of Scotland’s world championship team, seventh with three fish on 107 points.

Ian Campbell (Falkirk), a new Scotland international and retail manager of the Edinburgh Angling Centre, finished in 19th position with two fish for 55 points.

Organiser, Lindsay Simpson, said a number of anglers, on hearing the forecast, called off, but a total of 62 took part plus 15 juniors and the seniors result counts towards the national Penn League.

Neil Cutler (right) with Clyde Open organiser, Lindsay Wilson

There was much to celebrate in the Stoker family from Nether Abbey near Dumfries. Mum Charlene, a member of the ladies international team, was the women’s champion.

She finished 23th overall with 35 points while son Jay, aged 11, won the junior title with 61 points. His sister, Hollie, was fourth with 32 points.

Elsewhere, entries are open for The Big Arbroath Winter Open with the angler tempting the heaviest cod receiving a £1,000 prize.

The date is Saturday, November 2 and the entry is £15 (juniors free) with registration at the Victoria Park car park toilets from noon to 1.30pm.

Boundaries are Carnoustie to Ferryden and fishing is from 3pm to 9pm. The weigh-in is between 9pm and 10.15pm. High tide is 14.33 and low tied 20.30.

Fly fishing now and Dunfermline-based Andrew Weir, has recently qualified for the final of the Kingdom Fly Fishing Championship in Fife, came second in the summer league run by Burnhouse Lochan near Bonnybridge. He received £550.

Sean Wison won the £850 top prize in their summer league with Blaine O’Donnell third, he collected £300, and Brian Quinn, team manager of the Scotland bank squad which won gold at Large last year, fourth. He pocketed £75.

Meanwhile, the Scottish youth national fly fishing championship heats get under way on Saturday, September 7, at Harelaw, Neilston, near Glasgow with fishing from 9am to 16.30pm. The second heat is at the Lake of Menteith on Sunday, October 13 with fishing again from 9am to 16.30.

Anglers must be 12 or more and under 18 on August 1 and entry is £70 per angler but that covers both heats. Applications are available on www.scotlandyouthflyfishing.co.uk.

Locally, Newlands Tweeddale Fishery near Gifford have completed their weed cutting. Opening hours from Tuesday are 9am to 8pm.

Allandale Tarn at West Calder confirm their fishing hours are 9am to 8pm, closed Monday and Tuesday, and top-of-the-water fishing remains the favourite method.

Further afield, the Lake of Menteith hosts the inaugural, two-day, Greys Lochstyle Team Championship on Saturday and Sunday with 17 teams involved and with a top prize of £3,000 for the winning team of four.

The runners-up get £1,550 and third £1,000 with the individual winner pocketing £1,000 and the angler catching the biggest fish £500.

Elsewhere, New Howwood Trout Fishery near Johnstone is shutting permanently at the end of September as a ten-year dam inspection has shown what are called “issues”. The owners say that the costs to fix them make it prohibitive.

Coarse angling now and members of the Edinburgh and Lothians club contested Match Day 8 of their summer series at Orchill. David Mulholland won by fishing mainly maggot and worms for 39lb 9oz.

Darrin Ferguson was second with 20lb 4oz and Simon Clynshaw third on 16lb 10oz and they were next to each other.

The anglers had to endure a damp start with blustery showers, then sunny spells and the outcome was that Bruce Lawrie has now taken over as leader.

Ferguson is second and former pace-setter, Geoff Lowe, and Jimmy Jones equal third with Heather Lauriston fifth equal with Clynshaw and Gordon McKay.