Morag Wallace from Leslie near Glenrothes is Scotland’s new ladies fly fishing champion having beaten a quality field in the final at the Lake of Menteith.
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 (Dunfermline) was third after hooking into five fish for 243cm and Helen Philp from Milnathort, in Perth and Kinross, the defending champion, was sixth with three fish for 148cm.
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 improve our performance and develop the squad as we firmly believe we can do so much better than we did this year.”
RESULTS: 1, Morag Wallace (Leslie, Fife), seven fish, 339cm; 2, Jane Wright (Helensburgh), five fish, 246cm; 3, Kirsty Murray (Dunfermline), five fish, 243cm; 4, Dione Roberts (Edinburgh), four fish, 210cm; 5, Kathleen Shepherd (Forfar), four fish, 208cm; 6, Helen Philp (Milnathort, Perth and Kinross), three fish, 148cm; 7, Lana Taylor (Edinburgh), three fish, 141cm; 8, Sheila Mannion (Dunkeld), two fish, 107cm; 9, Liz McLellan (Armadale), two fish, 103cm; 10, Deirdre Dunbar (Hampshire), two fish, 88cm; 11, Liz Stringer, one fish, 54cm; 12, Joy Penrose Stupart (Helensburgh), no return; 13, Claire McGowan, no return.
PICTURE: Morag Wallace (left) is presented with the trophy by Kathleen Shepherd at the Lake of Menteith. Picture from the Scottish Ladies Fly Fishing team
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