Edinburgh anglers who kill more fish than permitted threatened with lifetime ban

Sign-in will be reinstated at Harlaw and Threipmuir Reservoirs on May 31 to bring these waters into line with every other local fishery.

All calm on the Narrows at Harlaw. Picture: Nigel Duncan

If a bailiff is not at The Bothy adjacent to Harlaw House, or you are fishing Threipmuir and entering or exiting from Threipmuir car park, then you must text the duty bailiff.

Other changes approved by the board include the scrapping of indicators. That is, according to Robert Ross, company secretary of Malleny Angling, due to the misuse and thoughtless disposal of indicators which now must have a hook and some resemblance of an artificial fly.

The indicator must not be made of plastic, wood, cork, quill or polystyrene and the maximum size of is 40mm.

An angler fishing on a summer night at Harlaw. Picture: Nigel Duncan

Also, Ross said a number of reports have been received about members and season permit holders as well as day ticket buyers breaching the rules by killing more than the specified number of fish.

A bag check will now apply and may be implemented, without prior notice, by a bailiff or committee member.

Members and season ticket holders are, he said, reminded that the catch limit is per day and not per session and that killing fish for another angler is not permitted.

The permit holder bag limits for members is four fish while season ticket holders and day permit holders are allowed three each. any angler found guilty of breaching the bag limit rule will have their permit revoked without compensation or appeal. The angler will also receive a lifetime ban on fishing Harlaw and Threipmuir Reservoirs.

Ross also urged anglers to be vigilant for poaching activity. He added: "Report any poaching to the duty bailiff or committee member or call the police on 101. For serious poaching activity, phone 999. Do not approach the poachers and stay safe."

The water continues to fish well with Scott Abbott using his local knowledge to tempt 24, two on a hawthorn CDC but most on a long washing line with cormorant and black and peacock spider with a candy booby on the front. Steven Walker had 14 and Robert Ross landed nine.

At Clubbiedean, owner Steven Johnston says fishing has been good with diawl bach, black and green lures, eggs and black buzzers doing the business for his clients.

Loganlea boss Karen Jack said the water continues to fish well despite the weather with beetles, sedge, diawl bach, FAB and cormorant patters the best just now on a floating line. Anglers are netting their bag allocation.

Nearby, at Glencorse, big numbers are reported by owner Bill Taylor, with anglers commenting that the fish are "second to none".

Deeper into Midlothian and at Rosslynlee near Penicuik, buzzers, Ffly, diawl bach and small black flies are working. An example, D Bullen tempted 14 with small black flies and buzzers and R Lovatt hooked seven on small black emergers.

Over to West Lothian and to Bowden Springs near Linlithgow. Owner Jim Gargaro is now opening seven days a week because of popular demand. Among the best returns recently was one by David Walker, a 12lb rainbow on a black buzzer and Gordon Reid a 9lb brown trout on a lure.

Suspended buzzers, black buzzers, purple buzzer, hares ear and black spiders are also working well currently on a floating line as the water is around 8ft deep.

Pottishaw near Whitburn is also fishing well with black and olive buzzers among the best patterns according to owner Fraser Thompson. On the surface, CDC and hopper flies plus suspended buzzers are tempting fish and Fraser suggests using a floating line at his water.

Iona Allan confirmed that Allandale Tarn near West Calder was producing "superb" fishing currently with yellow owl, black rabbit, beetles - always a massive catcher at the water - and black fly patterns all producing. She has actually run out of these patterns and is making more.

Fish are on the surface of the lake which has a depth of around 14ft and trout of seven, eight and up to 10lb have been netted by anglers even in wild weather.

Into East Lothian, and Tweeddale Millennium have set a new date of Friday, June 11 for a fly fishing competition cancelled recently because of high winds. Fishing on competition day is from 6pm to 10pm and the 25 booked on the first date will get first choice if they want to compete.

Owner John 'Jacko' Jackson has also proposed a bait competition for Saturday, June 19 with a £25 entry in the middle pond with a first prize of £100, second £75 and third £50. Anglers are asked to contact the fishery if they are interested.

Anglers are also enjoying good sport at Markle, which has only recently re-opened and manager Jimmy McLachlan reported regular returns of 8lb, 10lb and 12lb with hawthorn and stonefly on the surface proving "deadly" despite the poor weather.

Markle is open seven days and has three ponds, a bait of 2.5 acres which has rudd and big carp - you can use a method feeder - as well as trout, plus two trout ponds of five and 2.5acres. A west wind normally produces good sport.

Incidentally, Jimmy confirmed that he has "hundreds" of flies for sale in the tackle shop.

Meanwhile, provisional dates for competitive sea fishing in Scotland, of course all subject to Scottish Government Covid-19 restrictions, have been issued.

The first match is scheduled for Saturday, June 12, at Riverside Drive, Dundee and fishing is between 1pm and 6pm and the maximum number of 45 anglers has been reached. There is a waiting list.

Saturday, July 3 is the next scheduled match and that is the Scottish Federation for Sea Angling (SFSA) Open at Lunan Bay near Montrose with fishing from 1.30pm to 6pm.

The East Fife Open at Anstruther follows on Sunday, July 18 from 12.30 to 17.30 and the SFSA Individual Members event is at Monreith Bay in Dumfries and Galloway on Saturday, August 7 with fishing from 2.30pm to 7.30pm.

September sees two events. The first is the Clyde and West Open with fishing from noon to 5pm on Sunday, September 12 and that is followed on Sunday, September 26 by the SFSA Erskine Open with fishing from noon to 5pm.

The Scottish Open Flounder Championship follows on Sunday, October 10 at Lunan Bay with fishing from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

And the Iain Reid Memorial two day event in Fife is on Saturday, November 13 (fishing from 11am to 3pm) and Sunday, November 14 (noon to 4pm).

Finally, the St Serfs Open is also in Fife and is on December 12 from noon to 6pm.

Social media suggests that anglers on the Union Canal are not enjoying their sport.

Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club members are involved in Match Three of their Summer Series at Alex's Pond at Orchill near Auchterarder on Saturday.

Geoffrey Lowe, chairman, said that the pond had undergone some work to clear island reeds and gaps have been cut opposite each peg.

A recent series match produced some decent weights, he said, despite the heavy rain prior to the event, the disturbance caused by the work and the recent weather conditions.

He added: "It is my hope that with the weather improving through the week, and things settling down after the work, that the pond will fish better than it has of late."

To sea fishing now and Aquamarine Charters are set to sail from Eyemouth this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting, and also on Monday. Catches have been improving according to skipper Derek Anderson.