Cramond Angling Club hosting more than simple fly-tying nights
Jack McCaig sat fly-tying on night one of what Cramond Angling Club (CAC) hope will be a series of these evenings.
A newcomer approached looking for advice. McCaig was happy to oblige, tying several flies, including a bibio, a scruffy, black and red et fly pattern, popular at all times of the season, and a Kate McLaren wet fly, a Scottish loch fly, often used as the top dropper on a team of three.
McCaig, a regular attendee when the Edinburgh Fly Dressers Club was functioning, explained every aspect. Not in too much detail, just enough.
The session in Cramond Boat Club was a joy to watch and the man to whom all this was demonstrated declared: “You are a good teacher.”
McCaig then handed the flies to the man, who went home happy.
Around 15 were there at the inaugural night, including some new to fly-tying and others who were interested in possibly taking up the hobby but wanted to know more before investing.
Several former members of the Edinburgh Fly Dressers Club were there to provide advice about patterns, their usage and the materials available.
Adam Cross, CAC’s long-standing chairman – in fact, he has been in post for 18 years – was among the attendees and he explained that the fly-tying nights had two aims, to encourage more anglers to join the club and also to engage more with current members.
Currently, the nights are free, and the next one is on Tuesday, November 24 at 7.30pm at the same venue. Parking is limited, by the way.
Cross intimated at fishing on the club’s near nine-mile section of The Amond – their sector stretches from the foreshore at Cramond to Newbridge – had been good during the past season, with some fine fish caught.
He stressed that almost all parts of the river are accessible by public transport and ticket prices are kept low. Incidentally, the club will set their prices for next season at their annual meeting, which is also on Tuesday, November 24 (7.15pm) in Cramond Boat Club.
Cross added: “We are looking for members and non-members who want to come along to our fly-tying nights, and it would be really good to welcome non-members who may want to then join the club.
“The intention is to host the fly-tying on the last Tuesday of every month. We don’t think we will have one in December, but then, [from] January onwards. Naturally, we hope this is a success and, at the moment, we are paying for the fly-tying nights out of club funds. Going forward, we may ask for a donation.”
If anybody is interested in becoming involved, or just to find out more about the club, they should email the CAC secretary. Details are on the club website and on Facebook.
Cross said: “The guys running the fly-tying nights know what they are doing. Remember, fly-tying is like anything, it can be cheap and it can be expensive – it depends how you want to go. But these guys are happy to show people how to make fly patterns and to provide advice about what to buy.
“There is a lot of equipment and materials out there, so people can come along, see if they like fly-tying, and then invest. You can start small and build up your skill and material bank as you develop.”
Cross commented: “Coming here is not just about fly-tying; it is a social event and people can learn about fishing the Almond, which beats are best, and what are the best tactics. We are here to help.”
Last season, he said, was a good one on the water, with some fine brown trout being caught and, upstream, some salmon, and he added: “Yes, it has been a good season but, in spells, there has not been a lot of water in the river. What water has been there has provided good fishing.
“There are plenty of places to fish. Yes, there are places where it can be difficult to get into the water, but these are likely to be the places where fish are hiding. Make no mistake, there are plenty of fish out there.”
Cramond members, he explained, are not just from the city but from many parts of the Lothians, and this season a man from New Zealand fished the river and had four or five finnock (a young, immature, sea trout).
Cross regularly walks the river and he said: “I met a guy from Haddington, and it is so easy to buy a permit as they are sold online at Fishing Around the Fourth. If you want to pop into the Edinburgh Angling Centre at Granton, you can source one there.”
The salmon season starts on the river in February, with the trout availability coming on stream in March.
Sea fishing now and Match Two of the Edinburgh Winter Shore League saw Mike Kyle (Easthouses) hook into 28 fish for 705 points to top the podium. Gordon Lyall (Edinburgh) was second with 24 fish for 494 points with Chris Cooper third, also with 24 fish, but with 478 points.
Cooper still heads the table with Kyle moving into second spot. Lyall is third with David Cooper (Edinburgh), the brother of Chris, fourth.
Kyle also tempted the longest fish, a 47cm codling, and organiser, Ian Campbell, said that the 21 anglers who took part found calm conditions.
He added: “Once again, the whiting never showed up in their usual numbers, but there were plenty of small codling along with dabs and even the odd cod.”