Search for new angling talent stepped up as fishing edges back to normality

An impressive 6lb cod was landed this week on an Aquamarine Charter off Eyemouth. Picture: Derek Anderson

The next match is the SFSA Open on Saturday, July 3 at stunning Lunan Bay to the north of Inverkeillor on the A92 between Arbroath and Montrose, with fishing from 13.30 to 18.30. It is open to non-SFSA members.

Information is on the Scottish Shore Angling Match group's Facebook page and registration is at the main car park at Lunan Bay from 11.30 to noon, with all pegs positioned to the south of the car park over the river.

All bait will be supplied, which is a new departure for the group, and entry, inclusive of bait, is £25. The peg draw will be completed online the evening before.

The entry will also include a golden peg draw from cards handed at the end of match and the size limit will be 18cm. A maximum of three hooks is allowed.

Horn said: "We would encourage those interested to get involved as we are looking for new talent all the time. Looking back at our first event at Riverside Drive, Dundee, last weekend it was great to be back competing.

"There was a full house of 45 anglers and there were quality anglers involved, including serious competition fishermen and an ex-Scottish juniors and youths. Everybody loved it.

"Two women also competed along with two juniors and we also had a disabled angler in a wheelchair. We also had senior anglers.

"Entrants came from as far afield as Peterhead and Aberdeen, Cumbria and Northumberland as well as all over the east coast of Scotland plus the west coast.

"The pre-draw worked really well with everybody seeing it on Facebook prior to travelling and everybody came with the correct money and registration went well.

"It will be the same next time but a change is that bait will be supplied. It is the first time we have done this but it makes it easier for everybody as they don't have to worry about finding bait on a Saturday. Supplying bait will, we feel, be a great leveller."

Lunan Bay will have a limit of 60 pegs and the east-facing beach is backed by sand dunes and framed by low cliffs to the north and south.

Horn said that the sandy beach has a shallow slope into the water for some distance, a big difference from Dundee last Saturday.

Everybody there landed fish with a variety of species hooked including eel, flounder, whiting, codling, bass, smelt and coley.

Chris Empson from Dunbar was first in his section with 15 fish and Dalkeith-based Mike Kyle was second in his with 32.

Stuart Kyle, Mike's son, was first in the junior section.

"It was good to get back to a bit of normality and see friends we have had for 20 years once again," Horn added. “A big thank you to everybody who attended.”

The next event after Lunan Bay is the East Fife Open at Anstruther on Sunday, July 18 (fishing 12.30 to 17.30) followed by the SFSA Individual an Monreith Bay on Saturday, August 7.

The Clyde and West Open is on Sunday, September 12 and the SFSA Erskine Open on Sunday, September 26.

The Scottish Flounder Championship follows on Sunday, October 10 and the Iain Reid Memorial is on November 13 and 14.

Meanwhile, the big news for east coast anglers is that the mackerel are in and Aquamarine Charters boss Derek Anderson saw the first surge on Sunday off St Abb's Head near Eyemouth.

And he has a five-hour charter trip today and another tomorrow at 1pm which are both full and mackerel is the target.

Anderson has rods and feathers on board for those without equipment but in you wish to use your own then a 7ft boat rod and three feathers is ideal with a 6oz or 7oz weight.

"All you do is drop the feathers over the side, simple as that, and, hopefully, you will get a bite,” Anderson said. “Normally, most people catch and traditionally mackerel trips are fun, particularly for youngsters."

Onshore, Musselburgh angler Jimmy Green won the third round of the Bass Rock Shore Angling League with a 1lb 9oz fish.

Conditions in the rover event from Belhaven Beach to White Sands were flat calm and Green landed his fish off the old battery point off Dunbar Harbour.

The next leg is on Wednesday, June 23 and details of the venue will be confirmed in the club's Facebook page next Sunday.

Over to fly fishing and it has been a quiet spell at Linlithgow Loch. Falkirk Fly Dressers were among the visiting clubs and they kept 13 and returned a further 12 again mostly on diawl bachs.

Herriot AC returned 29 fish again mostly on diawl bachs and Grangemouth AC kept ten.

The Scottish Pike Association landed three fish over 20lb on their visit and returned a number of smaller fish of various weights.

Individual anglers who have done well include George McBeth who returned 11 on blobs and snakes tempted on a floating line.

Bosses say that boats are available for most days for full day or four-hour sessions and evening sessions are available from approximately 4pm until dusk.

Bowden Springs has been fishing well both in the fly and bait pond.

Harlaw near Balerno has seen mayfly hatches. Combined with small black sedges, this has given the trout plenty to focus on.

Double bag limits have been achieved by many anglers with some superb blues recorded in the catches, according to Robert Ross, company secretary for Malleny Angling who administer the water.

Ross tempted three quality trout - one 6.5lb - on a size ten long shank Mayfly nymph fished a floating line with a 12ft leader fishing at a depth of 1ft to 2ft.

"The hatches of mayfly will, over the next few weeks, taper off and sedges will then make an appearance," Ross added.

Over the hill at Loganlea, boss Karen Jack reports that her water his been fishing well despite the wind with a variety of patterns being successful including daddy long legs, yellow owl, diawl bach and sedge. Lures have also produced fish and Mr Baird netted a fine 6.5lb rainbow on a black mamba.

Nearby, Glencorse boss Bill Taylor reports that boats are available on June 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29 and 30 and July 1.

Into East Lothian and at Tweeddale Millennium Stevie Whitehead won the latest competition with Darren Crawford second and Kev Johnston third.

Fishing has been "fantastic" according to owner John Jackson with buzzers and dries scoring.

To coarse angling and Gus Brindle, chairman of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, said that Scottish Canals have confirmed that the main water supply to the Forth and Clyde is now operational.

He said: "Over the weekend, Scottish Canals engineers worked closely with Amey and Transport Scotland, who operate the pipeline below the M8 motorway, to reinstate the water supply that failed ten days ago.

"Water is now flowing back into the canal at a rate of around 100 litres per second."

The SFCA is, he said, engaging with Scottish Canal to get details of plans for the restoration of fish stocks in the affected pounds in and to the West of Glasgow and in the Falkirk area.

Brindle added: "From the reports, photographs and video that we have received from anglers and members of the public, this fish rescue does seem to have been very successful as there were no fish remaining or sighted in the majority of the dewatered or worst affected pounds.

"Clearly this is good news from a fish welfare perspective, but leaves a major challenge in restoring these areas to a good ecological status which includes appropriate sustainable fish biomass.

"We would like to remind individuals that it is not only illegal to move fish in Scotland without a license, but represents a significant risk of introduction of disease and invasive non native species like signal crayfish.

"We are therefore urging individuals not to try to move fish from other water bodies or even from other areas of the canal.

"Instead, please help us by continuing to sending us details of the areas that were affected, along with photographs if you have them, and details of the levels and whether you sighted any fish or not."

Send information to [email protected] or post details on the SFCA Facebook page.

Elsewhere, wind played a major part in the fourth round of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling club's Summer Series at Orchill near Auchterarder.

The forecast was for gusting winds between 12mph and 20mph but they were estimated to be between 20mph and 30mph on the day.

It was, according to club stalwart, Tommy Lauriston, "well nigh impossible" for anyone fishing a 14 metre pole to present it over to the island. Those who did had very little presentation of their bait.

Scott McGhee won the event with, Harry Fraser second and Garry Mortimer third. The favoured baits were maggot or pellet and the next round is on Saturday, June 26 also at Orchill.

Magiscroft owner Ronnie MacLeod reports regular double-figure catches with the biggest fish since re-opening at 19lb 5oz specimen.

Anglers prepared to fish light tackle have been hitting roach regularly with one netting 200 in three hours plus a 10lb carp and 6lb F1 (hybrid between a carp and crucian carp or brown goldfish).

Bream and perch have also been hooked regularly at the 150-peg fishery which has seven lochs and is open seven days from 8am to 9pm near Cumbernauld and attracts from all over Scotland.

Weekends can be busy and maggot and sweetcorn have been among the favoured baits. No meat baits are allowed.