Roz Cassidy makes most of Darrin Ferguson’s absence to land Knockout Cup

Roz Cassidy grabbed a surprise opportunity with both hands to land the prestigious Knockout Cup contested by members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club.

Roz Cassidy with a keepnet full of fish at Orchil, near Auchterarder. Picture: Nigel Duncan

She was reinstated into the competition after hot favourite Darrin Ferguson was unable to make the final and she produced a bag of 3lb 2oz to beat Bill Hamilton on Alex’s Pond at Orchill near Auchterarder.

She was fifth on the day and Bill seventh with 2lb 9oz in a match that was postponed a week due to the yellow warning of heavy rain the previous Saturday.

Darrin’s absence also meant that John Perella secured first place in the seven-match Summer League with 120 points. Darrin was second two points adrift and Roz third with 114 points. That position allowed her to claim the ladies title for the second year running.

Roz also won the first match in the Summer Series to take the WPT Cup and she completed a highly-successful season by helping Darrin to claim the Doubles Trophy.

Other winners this season are: Srcuples Cup, Bill Hamilton; ELCAC Shield, Bill Hamilton; Scott Lovatt Shield, Darrin Ferguson; George Wimpey Cup, Darrin Ferguson; Kiwi Cup, John Perella; Hewlett-Packard Shield, Tony Ball.

Members will fish a rod and reel event - no poles or whips - at Orchill today, the last competition before the winter shutdown.

Activities are due to resume in March next year.

Meanwhile, James Ogilvie was back on the podium at the Bass Rock Shore Angling League. It’s his first win in the winter series but his third this season.

The Haddington-based angler bagged two fish for 2lb 14.5oz to take the heaviest bag prize in the latest round of the winter series fished in the Dunbar area.

James was in his usual place on the wall at Dunbar Harbour to land the fish with his regular angling buddie Alan Brown alongside him. Both used peeler crab as bait and the weather was flat calm with a fresh breeze.

Alan was also successful, taking the biggest fish prize with a cod of 1lb 2.5oz and his bag could have been much higher but for the loss of a number of fish as he was reeling in.

Snagging proved a real problem for the experienced duo who believe that large concentrations of anglers fishing for mackerel off the harbour wall and losing tackle during the summer have caused a problem. It is understood that yards of snagged line are on or near the bottom, catching hooks on the retrieve.

The next match is on Wednesday with registration at 6.15pm. A venue will be decided on Sunday and posted on the club's Facebook page.

Elsewhere, Rosslynlee bosses have decided to switch their winter competition because of long-term uncertainty over Government rules on COVID-19.

Instead of a ten-week event stretching from the end of October to late February owner Nicola Perfect proposes a challenge event on the last Sunday of every month.

Food will be part of the offering and names submitted on the Monday prior to the match.

This, she said, allowed much more flexibility for anglers who can dip in and out depending on shifts and other concerns instead of being locked into a system which could be subject to alteration or cancellation during the winter if the pandemic his the Lothians hard.

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