Dione Roberts caps off great year with first title

On-site planning pays off for Scottish secretary

Dione Roberts with one of her catch

DIONE Roberts is celebrating after winning the Scottish Women’s Fly Fishing Championship for the first time.

The Edinburgh-based angler romped home with 366cms after landing eight fish in the day-long event at the Lake of Menteith.

Victory was sweet as Dione was runner-up to Jean Ferguson by only five cms 12 months ago. Jean, from Ayrshire, was second on 250cms with West of Scotland-based Anne Boyce third on 235cms. Both runners-up landed five fish.

Dione did a recce at the lake ahead of the event and decided to stay in one spot for the entire day and the tactic paid off.

She hooked fish on diawl bach, FAB and cruncher patterns, three of them in the morning and the rest in the afternoon, and there was in a strong field of 14.

Dione, who is the secretary of the Scottish Ladies Fly Fishing team, has enjoyed a good year, representing Scotland in the Commonwealth Fly Championships in New Zealand but will have to wait until next year to log her tenth Scottish international cap as this year’s event in May at the Lake of Menteith has been re-scheduled.

Dione added: “It was a challenging day as the east wind had been blowing and then it changed to the west.

“The fish were also very choosy about what they wanted but, thankfully, I did enough to take the title for the first time after eight previous attempts.”

Tomorrow, on the River Dee at Inverurie, she is looking for further success as she fishes in the Scottish National Fly Fishing League organised by the Scottish Anglers National Association (SANA).

Meanwhile, the unofficial Scottish Feeder Championships are at Loch Ken on Sunday, September 20 and this is a match being run in place of the normal Scottish Federation match to allow anglers to enjoy competitive action after lockdown.

Spaces are still available and anglers from the Lothians and Central Scotland are welcome. The draw is between 9am and 9.20am in the ‘Boulders’ car park on the west bank of Loch Ken. Fishing is from 11am to 5pm and the biggest weight wins.

Nigel Spencer from Ayrshire caught that 12 months ago with an impressive 48lb 4oz of skimmers (small bream) and Steve Wood was second with 45lb 4oz.

Registration is via the SCFA Facebook site and the Loch Ken Banter Community Page.

Elsewhere, Darrin Ferguson continued his fine recent form to notch a treble in the latest match hosted by Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling club on Alex’s Pond at Orchill near Auchterarder.

His mixed bag from over six hours of fishing had to be weighed in two separate nets as the free standing club scales only go up to 50lbs.

Darrin’s haul totalled 51lbs 4ozs and Roz Cassidy was second on 11lbs 8ozs, weighing in carp, six of them landed in the last hour, and perch, with Tommy Lauriston on the adjacent peg, third on 10lbs, netting silver fish and one carp.

Darrin also partnered Roz to win the Pairs match and progressed to semi-finals of the Knockout Cup where he meets Nigel Duncan. Heather Lauriston is in against Bill Hamilton in the other. The club’s next match is at Orchill on Saturday, September 19.

Meanwhile, Barry McEwan landed a 3lb 14oz cod off rocks near Dunbar to record the heaviest fish of the Bass Rock Shore Angling League’s Winter League first round.

Dale McCallum and Cameron Cunningham shared the heaviest bag honours with flat fish from Belhaven Beach.

Off Eyemouth, Aquamarine Charters boss Derek Anderson reports the biggest ling of the season so far, an 11lb specimen, and added that mackerel have been bagged in numbers.

Finally, a new fishing museum created by volunteers, salmon fishing experts and enthusiasts, has opened in the Borders.

The River Tweed Salmon Fishing Museum, in Kelso Town Hall, celebrates more than 200 years of rod and line salmon fishing on the Tweed.

Bill Quarry, museum trustee, said there are more than 2,000 objects are exhibited including maps, models, rods, reels, flies and a replica 19th-century fishing bothy, complete with tweed-clad boatman.