Cost of grayling permits confirmed for The Esk from Musselburgh estuary to the A1

Sunday fishing is allowed – but not for salmon or sea trout
The Esk at Musselburgh in summerThe Esk at Musselburgh in summer
The Esk at Musselburgh in summer

MUSSELBURGH and District Angling Association (MDAA) bosses today confirmed that grayling permits will cost £15 and run from December 26 to March 14. No concessions.

Sunday fishing is allowed – but not for salmon or sea trout – on the MDAA club stretch which runs from the estuary at Musselburgh to the A1.

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No fishing of any description is allowed on a Tuesday in accordance with the lease agreement MDAA have with the land/estate owners.

Permits are available from Ace Bike Shop, 101 North High St, Musselburgh EH21 6JE (open six days until 6pm) and Tracey’s Open All Hours shop at 56 Eskview Terrace, Musselburgh (open seven days until 9pm).

Meanwhile, adult season permits for brown trout will be £20 from March 15 to October 6. Salmon, sea trout and grayling continues until October 31.

A concession season (over 60/under-16) is £10 with a day ticket (no concessions available) costing £5. Youngsters aged up to 12 years fish free with an adult permit holder.

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The river is fly-fishing only using barbless hooks and it is on catch-and-return basis for all species. No bait, spinning or double hooks are allowed and bailiffs patrol the water.

The club also plan to encourage more people into the sport by organising teaching sessions for nymph and fly, and members are also keen to help locals appreciate the value of what goes on in The Esk.

The club is sponsoring part of the Fish in the Classroom project at Pinkie Primary School and members are involved in a project to monitor aquatic life in The Esk.

Other groups monitor different parts of the river and bosses hope to compare results so the information can begin to register pollution concerns.

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The spokesman added: “This is all part of a long-term plan to promote the club and also ensure The Esk and its inhabitants are in the best condition possible for the future.”

Meanwhile, the 43rd Amble open competition in conjunction with the Penn Sea League is on Sunday, January 12, fishing 9am to 1pm with an entry fee of £12 for all classes.

There is a £6,000 total prize fund and the competition HQ and registration is at The Radcliffe Club, Amble, NE65 0RA from 7am. Last year, Stephen Common from North Shields won with two cod for just more than ten pounds in a field of more than 400 anglers.

David Cooper, a member of the Bass Rock Sea Angling League, was third with two cod totalling more than 9lbs. Craig Ogilvie from North Berwick 25th with three cod, Alan Brown from Dunbar 40th with two cod and Barry McEwan with two cod was 53rd in a field of over 90. The fishing area is from Seahouses to Lynemouth Pike and one of the organisers, John Lee, said they expect the same number again in the event. The main sponsor The Compleat Angler of Alnwick.

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