Davie aiming for Champion of Champions title

Greig Davie has enjoyed a tremendous run in the last 12 months and he bids to continue that when he contests the Champion of Champions final at the Lake of Menteith near Stirling on Friday.

Last weekend, the 46-year-old regained the Kingdom Fly Fishing title by comfortably defeating 23 other anglers at Eden Springs near Cupar.

The former youth international, who has represented Scotland on three occasions as a senior international, bagged 22 fish for 43lb 6oz with Scott Mudie (Kirkcaldy), the competition organiser, second with 30lb 12oz and Darren McPherson Sen (Methil) third on 28lb 4oz.

And the result capped a glory treble having won the first heat in the competition at Ballo near Glenrothes and also the second at Eden Springs.

The champion, who won the coveted, Fife-based event in 2022 and was runner-up last year, admitted he has enjoyed a run of form but added: “I’ve been lucky.”

Davie revealed that he only entered the first heat this year at the last minute when a place became available and he knew who he would be fishing with.

Also, Ballo is a syndicate water and he is a member so he knows the lake well and he plumped for buzzers to match the hatch.

The Leslie-based fisherman was formerly a member at Eden Springs and he used egg worm and black diawl bach to good effect in the final. In the heat, he used egg worm and buzzer and dry flies at times when conditions suited.

Records show that the self-employed electrician was a runner-up in the Kingdom event last year when it was held at now closed Stenhouse near Burntisland and he agreed: “It’s a remarkable run, but I don’t know about next year, I may step aside.”

It has been a busy spell for Davie as only 24-hours before the Kingdom event he fished the Lake of Menteith in the Albacats A team which was second in the Scottish Club Championship. His team, which also included Stevie Welsh (Dalbeattie) and Jim McKinlay (East Kilbride) caught 24 fish between them – Davie seven, Welsh eight and McKinlay nine – for 52lb 15.5oz. The winning team was RAF Fish Hawks who had 26 fish for 57lb 7.9oz.

Davie has been fishing for around 30 years and competed in this year’s National also at the Lake of Menteith. He was close to qualifying for a place in next year’s Scotland team.

Looking ahead, the Fifer was runner-up in the Champion of Champions behind Keith Logan from East Lothian 12 months ago. Logan had 12 fish for 28lb and Davie 13 fish but for 25lb 11.6oz and he would love to go one better this time.

PICTURE: Simon Kidd, sales and marketing manager for sponsors Snowbee, presents Albacats A (Davie, Welsh and McKinlay) with their medals for coming second in the Scottish Club Championship. Contributed by Tom MacTaggart of the organisers, the Scottish Anglers National Association, Competition Clubs (SANACC).