Scotland women’s carp team look to the future

Scotland’s ladies carp team is still recruiting despite naming a new captain and vice-captain and adding two new members to the squad.

Catherine Robertson is the new captain after Joanne Barlow stepped down and Eleanor Mitchell is her vice-captain and the team have recently welcomed Kimberley Lee and Lynne England.

Kimberley only picked up a carp rod last year after a day fishing with team member Margo Robinson. Lynne started fly fishing about 12 years ago in Aberdeenshire but then moved to Yorkshire and discovered carp fishing.

Catherine said: “We met Lynne through our bait sponsors, Nutrabaits. We were invited to their ladies social weekend which included a friendly match that Lynne won.”

The squad are now forward planning and they have already ruled out competing in this year’s World Championships in Latvia as that is deemed too soon after the loss of Joanne and Ruth McCormack who also competed in the world event in France last Autumn.

Two possible matches in the pipeline, a fixture against The Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineeers (REME) in England and also a tri-nations event in Northants. Scotland won silver last year at Wyreside, near Lancaster.

She also has two other matches pencilled in, one with another Scotland team member, Niki Wildman from Wishaw, who fishes locally at Drumtassie near Blackridge, in March at Wyreside and another further south with Eleanor.

The now skipper confirmed: “We thought we would by-pass the worlds this year, however, we will have competitive matches as we have new pairings to work out. Our intention is to have an experienced member of the team along with a newcomer as that has worked for us in the past.”

PICTURE: Catherine (left) with a carp caught during the Tri-Nations at Wyeside near Lancaster last year. Eleanor is holding the plaque. Contributed.