Angling: High hopes for Cobbinshaw open day | Canal champs dates announced

Secretary Andy Anderson invited anybody interested to turn up between 11am and 5pm to see what the 100-year-old fishery has to offer.

The reservoir is fly only and currently stocks around 13,000 fish per year at a minimum weight of around two pounds.

Bosses claim they have some of the best facilities in Scotland with 22 boats, all with 4HP motors, nets and drogues.

The pontoon and harbour offers easy access and the club also features a members’ cabin, work shed and toilets.

Andy said: “You can meet the keepers, officials and members during the day and fish for three hours free as a guest on a catch-and-release basis.

“There will also be fly-tying demonstrations and refreshments will be provided and please bring a life jacket if you have one.”

Visits can be organised at a later date to suit anybody interested and contact should be made through the club website.

Andy added: “We have memberships available commencing this season which ends in late October but members can fish over the winter from bank or boat.”

The loch is accessed from a side road of the main road running from West Calder to Woolfords/Woolford Cottages. The post code is EH55 8LQ.

Meanwhile, the two-match Scottish Canal Championships is on Saturday, August 24 and Saturday, September 7. Entry is £20 with the first three places guaranteed to lift £300, £200 and £100 respectively. One of the organisers said that this is the time of year that the Forth and Clyde Canal usually fishes at its best.

The matches are on a Saturday so as not to conflict with other matches/series which are generally held on a Sunday.

The matches have standard Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling match rules, with the overall winner logging the highest aggregate weight over the two matches. The draw for both matches is at Nigel’s JB Angling Centre, 37 Eastside, Kirkintilloch G66 1QA at 8.50am.

The top three in the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club’s latest Summer League competition were Peter McCrossan with 10lb 11oz, Heather Lauriston second with 8lb 12oz and third Bill Hamilton with a bag of 7lb 15oz.

The weather at Orchill was overcast but the wind picked up an hour into the match and faded an hour before the end.

Moving back to fly fishing, a spate in the Whiteadder suggests excellent prospects on the Berwick and District Angling Association water. Heavy showers have freshened the two lochs at Bowden Springs near Linlithgow and among notable catches were ones by Alan Neil of Bonnyrigg, who released two rainbows for around 11lb, the best being 6lb-plus.

John Langland from The Edinburgh Trout Anglers managed a lovely three-pound fish from the disabled platform.

On the bait loch, David Wilson from Linlithgow had four nice rainbows for 10lb 7oz on a float fished worm, the best being 4lb 2oz. Prospects look good with the weather cooling slightly.