There is a nail-biting finish to the summer league for members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club on Saturday at Orchill near Auchterarder.
Bruce Lawrie currently leads the race with 29 points, half a point ahead of defending champion, Darrin Ferguson (pictured at Orchill by Nigel Duncan) who needs a section win to take the title, with three men in joint third, Geoff Lowe (Edinburgh), the early season leader, Simon Clynshaw (East Lothian) and Jimmy Jones (Glasgow).
The day also boasts the mystery pairs competition when anglers do not know who their partner is until after the end of the match and the final of the Knockout Cup.
Organisers are keen to see a full house of members on the day.
Scotland’s ladies fly fishing team have stepped-up their fund-raising efforts ahead of next year’s Home Internationals in Ireland and are hosting an event at Pottishaw Fishery near Whitburn on Sunday, October 20.
The move follows the national championship event at the Lake of Menteith when Morag Wallace from Leslie near Glenrothes was crowned Scotland’s new ladies fly fishing champion having beaten a quality field to clinch a first title win.
The Fife-based angler hooked into seven fish on a difficult day to total 339cms, well ahead of Jane Wright (Helensburgh) with five fish for 246cm, and Morag claims the title for the first time.
She said: “It’s been a long time coming.”
Kirsty Murray was third after hooking into five fish for 243cm and she said: “I’m buzzing, but it was difficult fishing. The fish were there but they proved difficult to catch.”
Dunfermline-based Kirsty used two buzzer patterns under a dry fly or smoker in overcast conditions with the light breeze to tempt her fish and she and her boat partner, Edinburgh-based, Dione Roberts, who finished fourth, had their best results near the area called the Road Shore.
Helen Philp from Milnathort, in Perth and Kinross, the defending champion, was sixth with three fish for 148cm and Forfar-based Kathleeen Shepherd and Wallace both had fish of 56cm and they were the longest caught on the day.
A total of 44 trout were hooked by the 13 entrants and Scotland’s team for next year’s Home International in Ireland from May 19 to 23 will be selected from the anglers who fished but Edinburgh-based Sam Hayhurst, who fished well in this year’s event, is likely to be included given her performance this summer in the Home International in Wales when Scotland finished fourth.
They totalled 2,864 points at Llyn Brenig, catching 65 fish, with Ireland third with 70 fish for 3,095 points, hosts Wales were runners-up with 73 fish and 3,197 points and England won with 85 fish for 3,710 points.
Kirsty added: “Travelling to Ireland is a big expense for the team and we will start fund-raising soon. The lake in Ireland, we understand, is big, something like the Lake of Menteith, and we will travel out there a few days before to get a feel for the place.
“The squad are determined to develop the team as we firmly believe we can do so much better than we did this year.”
She added: “We desperately need a team sponsor. I believe this will be a great opportunity for someone to advertise their business and we will make you extremely proud to be part of our journey.
“Our fund-raiser at Pottishaw in October is selling fast and everybody is welcome to come along and fish, meet the team and help us raise funds for our trip to Ireland.”
The cost is £30 a head and includes fishing, soup and home baking.
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