Angling: Heather Lauriston wins the second event in the Summer Series / Free angling in school holidays

HEATHER Lauriston celebrated her recent comeback to the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club with a win in the second of the Summer Series.

The Scotland project manager for Get Hooked on Fishing - a national angling charity which provides positive opportunities for young people and communities - netted 13lbs 07oz fishing pellet at Orchill in Perthshire.

She just pipped Geoff Lowe who hooked 12lbs 10oz of fish with Darrin Ferguson, who has won two recent club competitions, only one ounce behind.

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Roz Cassidy, another of the club’s growing number of female members, was fourth with 11lbs 07oz.

Other returns were: Peter McCrossan 6lbs 12oz, Tommy Lauriston 6lbs 11oz, Sandra Anderson 2lb 07oz, Bill Bright 11oz. Ian Sloss and Colin Lavery did not weigh in.

Heather said it was a sparkling day at the fishery and she revealed she only re-joined the club in May after spending the last two years concentrating on match fishing at various venues.

And Heather confirmed that there will be a Scottish Ladies Open at Orchil on Saturday, August 17.

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Ten anglers have already registered an interest and you can contact Heather on [email protected] for more information.

Meanwhile, Les McBride finished fifth in the Mull of Galloway Sea Angling Festival.

The Edinburgh cobbler was third in the previous comp but bagged 20 species this time in the event, billed Scotland’s biggest species hunt, and yet slipped two places down the pecking order.

On Tayside, Sunderland-based angler Gareth Gardiner beat 53 other competitors to win the five-hour Scottish Open Shore Championship at Dundee with 44 fish.

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Second was Gav Owen with 32 fish and third Dave Lumley with 31 fish.

Owen also hooked the longest fish, a 35cm flounder, and the junior winner was ten-year-old Stuart Kyle with 17 fish, more than most of the seniors managed according to PR David Neil. Stuart comes from Dalkeith.

Catches were mainly flounder, eels, coley and codling with a solitary bass making up the bags in difficult conditions with a side wind, heavy rain and with lots of weed to contend with.

Meanwhile, Trout fishery boss Fraser Thomson has launched a free scheme for the school summer holidays to encourage more young people into the sport.

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Thomson is offering youngsters aged between 12 and 18 free entry to his Whitburn-based fishery on Friday afternoons from July 12 from 1pm to 5pm.

They will receive a packed lunch, free use of tackle, and tuition at Pottishaw Fishery which boasts hard-fighting rainbow, brown, Tiger and blue trout.

And the young people will be given an information pack on safety tips and how to look after fishing gear.

Information on environmental topics and the importance of looking after local rivers and ponds will also be offered.

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And all those taking part will be given a free permit for the nine-mile stretch of the River Almond administered by West Lothian Angling Association which currently has nearly 100 members.

And Thomson is also keen to develop the talent of young people who already fish.

Thomson from Livingston said: “The idea has been in my head for some time and now is the time.

“There is great potential here to produce a number of new young fishermen from this area to the sport and fishing can help tackle mental health problems, obesity and loneliness.”