It was a fitting 50th anniversary at Menteith ...

Willie Brash of Mayfield with a 2lb rainbow taken on a Cormorant at Lake of Menteith

This was the Lake’s 50th anniversary and after the usual presentations local musicians treated the anglers to a rousing rendition of a new folk song about the Lake of Menteith.

As the anglers mounted the boats they were piped out to the sounds of the stirring Highland Cathedral and other Scottish music.

Conditions were nigh on perfect for the start of a new season. Most of the boats made for the road shore from international bay all the way down to Lochend. A few made for the cages area whilst my boat partner and I sat out in mid water.

I went with a slow glass line with a black and green booby on the point and sunburst blob on the dropper. My boat partner went deeper with two blobs and a booby.

Fish were moving out in front of us but because the water was flat and calm we could not get near the fish by drifting. However, by kicking up the engine then cutting it straight away allowed us to move into the area silently. The tactic worked because on my second cast I hooked into a good fish that took the booby on the point. My boat partner followed this up a few minutes later and what a scrap they put in. We moved around after that heading to the cages, Tod Hole and the gravel pit and saw a few being landed.

However, we made a joint decision to go back to international bay where we saw the biggest concentration of fish. We both changed to the floater and connected into fish on Cats, cormorants and buzzers to end the session.

Back at the lodge many of the anglers had good catches and some notable biggies were landed. To end the day a hog roast barbecue was provided for really hungry anglers. It was a memorable anniversary.