Gamble pays off for Keith Logan as Heriot angler crowned Scottish Champion of Champions

Keith Logan from Gifford, a member of Lothians-based Heriot Angling Club, has been crowned the Scottish Champion of Champions, beating off 59 other anglers to take the title at the Lake of Menteith.

Keith Logan, champion of champions.

The East Lothian IT worker gambled with his boat partner, Joseph Wood from Beith in Ayrshire, and headed for an area called The Butts which had not been fished regularly in the build-up.

There was little wind so they had to find fish and they did. Logan hooked into 13 and missed a good number more, and Wood finished with seven.

The experienced angler, who is a committee member at Heriot AC, pipped Nigel Burns and third-placed Allan McLachlan by one fish.

It was tough going with heavy rain throughout and Logan switched from a sink tip to a floating line. His set-up on a 10ft, 7wt rod, included lightweight buzzers, cruncher, black muskin and a candy booby on the tail.

The angler, taught to fish by his father John on the River Tyne, has won the Heriot club title before but never the champions title and his substantial prize included a cup, a medal, £100 and a fly box with £200 worth of flies.

Meanwhile, Glencorse owner Bill Taylor has confirmed that the reservoir is now closed for the season and, nearby, boats came out of the water at neighbouring Loganlea yesterday (FRI) for the winter. There will, however, be bank fishing at Loganlea, weather permitting, until October 31.

Drumtassie fly anglers are enjoying good sport with a 12lb trout the best recent capture. Okey dokey (correct), black beetle and black and orange FAB patterns are proving the best currently and regular fly fishermen at the lake are scheduled to visit Tweeddale near Gifford on Sunday, October 24.

The bait pond has also been fishing well at Drumtassie with orange Powerbait scoring currently and bosses have confirmed that three coarse fishing ponds will open early next year in a picturesque woodland near Blackridge.

It has taken two years to construct and Leeanne Aitchison confirmed that finishing touches are being made to the ponds - roughly five acres, four acres and two acres - with one exclusive to members.

The other two will be for day permits and all are already full of water.

Naturally, this has to settle before fish are put in and bosses are currently waiting for a licence for Drumtassie Coarse Fishery from Marine Scotland.

However, Leeanne declared: "We aim to make this the best coarse fishery in Scotland. This will be one fantastic venue."

This news will comes as another boost to coarse anglers in Central Scotland who already enjoy sport at Magiscroft near Cumbernauld, which has seven ponds, Eliburn at Livingston and Selmwood near Mid Calder.

Further afield, there is Orchill near Auchterarder, used by Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club for competitors, and Broom near Dumfries which, according to social media, has been fishing well lately.

Leeanne said that had taken two years of work to get the coarse ponds to where they now are and the pan is to stock the members pond with carp. Members will be allowed to fish for 24-hours a day.

The other two will be filled with a mixture of species including roach, perch, bream, tench and ide and these ponds are likely to be open from dawn to dusk.

Fishing will be off specially-constructed pontoons and there will be a well-stocked tackle shop onsite near the spacious car park.

The coarse fishing location is around 400 yards from the popular, three-pond, four-year-old trout fishery run by Leanne which regularly produces quality fish.

She said: "We've put a lot of work into this and we aim to make this a fabulous place to fish. The woodland surroundings are ideal and we are convinced anglers will love this place."

Elsewhere, the Bass Rock Shore Angling League re-group on Wednesday (October 20) for round four of their popular winter league series. The venue will be confirmed on the club's Facebook page this weekend.

Neil Anderson proved to be the top rod in round three with four cod for 10lb 110z.

The North Berwick angler left the rest in his slipstream as second equal were Sean Gardner (North Berwick) and Steve Biskup, also North Berwick, with bags of 1lb 14oz each.

Barry McEwan (Port Seton) was fourth with 1lb 11oz and Jamie McHale (Gifford) fifth on 1lb 6oz.

Anderson won the heaviest bag prize but the heaviest fish award wen to Gardner in a match fished by 11 anglers with only five weighing in.

The weather stayed fair for the first 90 minutes and then rain set in. The swell as around 1ft and several anglers landed undersized fish which did not come to the weigh-in.

Nationally, Dunbar-based angler Stevie Burns landed 12 fish for 348 points to win the Scottish Flounder Championship at Lunan Bay near Montrose last Sunday.

Hot on his tail was Kirkcaldy angler Mike Horn, president of the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers, who also had 12 fish but missed out by a point.

Zone 1 winner was Michael Mcgloughlin (Glasgow) with 12 fish for 321pts with Kirkcaldy-based Alan Combe on nine fish for 227 points.

Zone 2 winner was Edinburgh-based Dale McCallum with 15 fish for 331 points with Kevin Lewis on 12 fish for 316 points.

The longest fish was landed by Jim Watson from Ayr. It was 39cm.

Incidentally, Horn said that the baits used along the beach were worms, rag and lug with fish. Blueys and mackerel were also noted.

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