Nigel Duncan on Fishing: Chris Empson wins ten-leg Bass Rock Shore Angling League

Dunbar angler Chris Empson convincingly won the ten-leg Bass Rock Shore Angling League, summer series, with a total of 56 points, 23 ahead of his nearest rival.

Keith Forbs from Musselburgh was second with 33 points with North Berwick-based Shaun Gardner just one point behind.

Barry McEwan (Port Seton), who made his debut for Scotland alongside Empson earlier this year, was fourth with 27 points, one ahead of James Ogilvie (Haddington), secretary of the organisation.

Sixth was Edinburgh angler William Stafford with 25 points with Stuart Fairbairn from Haddington seventh one point adrift.

Chris Empson on Musselburgh beach during one of the early rounds of the summer league. Picture: Nigel Duncan

Robert Mackness from Edinburgh was eighth on 19 points with Grant Olesky (North Berwick) next on 12 points with Alan Brown (West Barnes) tenth one point behind.

The final match was pegged on Belhaven Beach in which nine anglers fished. There was a small swell and a light south-west wind, but that did not prevent Forbes landing a total of 25 fish for 569 cm.

Stafford was next with 20 fish for 460cm and third Mackness with 17 fish for 350cm. McEwan had 15 fish for 310cm and Brown 12 fish for 293cm with Gardner sixth on nine fish for 205cm. Olesky had eight fish for seventh place and they measured 193cm while James Ogilvie was eighth with six fish for 152cm and Fairbairn ninth on four fish for 90cm.

The longest fish was a three-way split between James Ogilvie, Brown and Stafford.

Jim Gargaro (right) re-stocking at Bowden Springs. Picture by Nigel Duncan

Ogilvie said: "A total of 116 sizeable fish were measured and released and this was not counting undersize fish hooked."

The next event is the start of Winter League on Wednesday, October 12. Still on sea fishing, Aquamarine Charters based at Eyemouth confirm that they have spaces on 8am sailings on Sunday, October 9, Saturday, October 15, Saturday October 22 and Sunday, October 23. Call 07860 804316 to check or for more details.

Meanwhile, bosses of Scotland's world championship carp team, which included Ewan Roberts from Uphall Station, admitted to being "gutted" by finishing well down the field in the 72-hour event in Hungary.

Scotland's six-man team in the 22nd event held at Lake Deseda were 14th at one stage early in the competition, but they slipped to 21st out of 28 teams and Kevin McConnell, the team's manager, said: "This is not the result we were looking for. We came here with expectations of a top ten finish. The boys came very close to achieving that.

Drumtassie coarse fishery. Picture: Nigel Duncan

"One fish in each section could have made the difference, but these are the fine margins at this level."

England won the event with 47 fish, ten ahead of second-placed Moldova and a Croatian pair won the individual prize with 32 fish.

Scotland landed three fish with Alister Kirkhope (Hamilton) and John Sweetland (Sanquhar) the Tartan team's leading pair in 38th place in the individual event with two fish

David Hearns (Uddingston) and Ewan Roberts from Uphall Station were 59th out of 82 with one fish with Steve Warwick (Cumbria) and Keith Finlay (Catterick) joint 82nd with Boznia and Herzegovina plus America.McConnell added: "The boys could not have given any more. For only our second ever world championships, we have done well.

"We will take lessons learned from here and South Africa to make us stronger for France next year."

Locally, Drumtassie coarse fishery continue to perform for anglers. Raymond Madden had an "amazing" day with a reported 155 fish on the method feeder, a personal record. He was snapped twice and lost several others.

Andrew Bradley enjoyed his day with 13 carp between 2lb and 4lb and another angler had a 15lb 1oz common carp with George Howie recording a 9lb 8oz common tempted on a dog biscuit. George Murphy had one carp of 10lb and another of 9lb plus a small mirror carp.

Bosses remind anglers that the coarse fishery number is 07983 873064 and the trout fishery contact is 07939 249481 for all information.

Fly fishing now and Linlithgow Loch normally closes at the end of October but, starting from this year, it will be open until the end of November at weekends only. Bookings are now being taken on 01506 671753.

Bowden Springs owner Jim Gargaro reports that he has been busy with anglers catching including regular Billy Wilson who had 16 on cormorant and lures, Robert Birrell who netted ten fish, including a 10lb trout on buzzer, and 12 on another visit.

Jim Bryce tempted eight on lures and an egg and Gargaro also reports good returns on his bait pond with G Paton landing five for over 14lb in his session.

Allandale Tarn say they are now open at 9am and closing at 7pm on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. On Thursday and Friday the hours are 9am to 4.30pm and they are closed every Tuesday. To book phone [phone].

At Harlaw near Balerno, administered by Malleny Angling, a marabou bloodworm fished 3ft under an indicator worked for Sean Williams who tempted eight fish. Harlaw is open until the end of October.

Clubbiedean above Bonaly has been fishing well with intermediate midge tip lines with lures attracting attention while other anglers had success using egg patterns under a bung.

Nearby Loganlea boss Karen Jack said some days anglers have had success with a daddy or beetle on the top of the water and other days, when the temperature has dropped and the fish go down, with patterns like cat's whisker and bright coloured lures.

Rosslynlee near Penicuik report that black beetle, daddy and nymph are proving popular patterns this week.

Glencorse boss Bill Taylor confirmed that he closes for the winter on Sunday, October 16 but says he has dates for anglers wishing to fish midweek from Tuesday to Friday. Phone [phone] or 07703 255955 or message [email protected].

Tweeddale Millennium owner John 'Jacko' Jackson said one angler had a 10lb brown trout and six rainbows in his session.

Black beetle and yellow owl on a floating line have been working while black and green and pink rabbit patterns on a midge tip or intermediate line have also been successful on a different day. Much depends on the temperature. His landline has been down for three weeks because of a cable fault. Check the fishery Facebook page for updates.

Across the Forth at Burntisland, Stenhouse bosses report that the rod average recently has been four fish per visiting angler with Willie Watson netting 11 and Dick Sneddon seven. Cormorant, diawl bach, buzzer, FAB and dries have all tempted fish, depending on the weather. Call 07544 780960 for all information.