Bass Rock SAL are due to hold the next round of their popular Summer League matches on Wednesday (May 29) at Seacliff Beach near North Berwick, registration at 6.30pm.

Craig Ogilvie from North Berwick won the last round at Thorntonloch beach near Torness Power Station with 14 fish for 350cm.

Second was Ryan Barnett from Edinburgh with six fish for 171 cm and third James Ogilvie from Haddington with six fish for 145cm.

Prestonpans angler Stevie Burns was next best with seven fish for 135cm and Paul Robertson of North Berwick fifth with three fish for 73cm.

Ryan Barnett hooked the biggest fish, a 38cm flounder and flounder, turbot and scorpion fish were caught.

The top tactics was a three-hook flapper rig baited with frozen black lugworm and tipped with mackerel

Father and son Craig and Jack Thompson from Berwick-upon-T weed were welcomed as new members and the group hope to see more newcomers this week.

Off-shore, anglers have been battered by easterly swells but Derek Anderson of Aquamarine based at Eyemouth managed four trips on his two catamarans.

Phil from Musselburgh was the top angler over the two days, landing 23 fish and Derek said: “He kept six for the pan and there were lots of happy anglers but some were a little green because of the swell.”

Meanwhile, on-shore George Burns from Edinburgh has been one of the anglers who have caught specimen fish at popular Allandale Tarn near West Calder.

The 70-year-old former Shotts prison officer recently had a rare fight with a brown trout of 13.3lbs.

It was lured with a hare’s ear and the popular, 29-peg fly fishery and adjacent bait pool continues to attract anglers from all over Central Scotland.

The lakes are known for their excellent water quality and are regularly stocked with quality rainbow, blue and brown trout

The Tarn, incidentally, was originally used as a holding pool to refill passing steam trains and is well over 150 years old.

The biology has had a long time to develop and the fishery is situated next door to the Five Sisters Zoo.

However, it’s aquatic animals owner Iona Allan is most interested in and the sheltered Tarn produces sport in all seasons.

Early morning and late evening have proved the best times recently and Iona has been spending hours at her fly tying vice to keep pace with the demand for hare’s ear, black and pearl Shipman’s and damselflies.

They have recently been the big catching patterns, along with buzzers and F flies, at her spring-fed fishery.

Iona revealed that their season started early and is going from strength to strength and specimen fish have been landed, including trout of up to 15.5lbs.

She added: “We’ve been really busy since early in the year and catches are consistently good.
“Nymphs in general and black and pearl Shipman’s have been big sellers. They are catching along with buzzers and damsel patterns.”

At Bowden Springs near Linlithgow, owner Jim Gargaro said the return of the East wind had affected catches, but a return of the softer south/west wind produced great sport and day time rises.

On the fly loch, floating lines with buzzer patterns and dry flies saw several anglers return good bags.

Alan Morgan Edinburgh landed a 4lb rainbow along with a lovely blue trout. Raymond Bathgate claimed a topper of a rainbow of 5.5lb and Alan Glasgow landed two nice rainbows for 8.5lbs with a best of 5lb 8oz.

John Ferguson of Edinburgh also landed a 5lb rainbow on a home-tied orange fab.

There has also been action on the five-acre bait loch. Float fished worm drifted down wind was catching well.

Ledgered power bait also attracted fine fish. Colin Thomson of Edinburgh had five fish for 11lb 10oz, the best being 3lb on worm.

Mr Ray caught four rainbows for 8.5lbs on power bait and John Adam (Broxburn) landed four for 9lb 4oz on maggot on small perch float.

Bryan Morrison of Linlithgow had three fish for 7lb, the best being 2lb 11oz and prospects look good with some settled weather.

The next scheduled matches for members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club are June 8 and 16..

Website | + posts

Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.