Alan Steven from Bo’ness was third and Jock Kettles (Midlothian) fourth with Jimmy McBride (Edinburgh) sixth in the Champion of Champions final at the Lake of Menteith.
The weather was kind to the competitors, writes Tom MacTaggart, with overcast skies throughout the day and a light wind that gave almost perfect conditions.
Some light rain did get through later in the day but earlier, 60 anglers set off around 9am and it looked like they had been finding fish in most areas of the lake in their practice sessions as the boats spread out quickly over the water.
The top six anglers from each of the ten Saturday night heats of the Scottish Club Championship qualify for the Champion of Champions the match was fished to a two fish kill per angler followed by catch and release with 2lbs being awarded for each returned trout. Heavy fish were capped at 4lb.
The competitors caught a total of 498 fish of which 119 trout weighing 353lb 15.4oz were retained and 379 trout returned. Of the retained trout, 28 were capped at 4lbs and one of them was over 6lbs. Nine were between 5lb and 6lb and a further 18 were between 4lb and 5lb.
Quint Glen, manager of the Lake of Menteith Fishery, presented the prizes at a dinner in the neighbouring hotel and top rod, and the 2024 Champion of Champion, was Joseph Wood of Albacats (pictured right with Glen).
Wood had 24 trout for 48lb 3.4oz and received the first prize of £250 provided by McLanachan Transport, a box containing approximately 150 flies provide by My Fishing Flies, a voucher for a 50 per cent discount provided by Snowbee and the trophy and a gold medal.
Wood had a very successful end to the 2024 season as he was in the Scotland team which won gold medal at the Autumn International where he, as an individual, was 10th overall.
The following week, he was 24th in the Scottish National Championship and the week after that he was in the Albacats B team which claimed third in The Scottish Club Championship.
Gregor Fleming of Albacats had 21 trout for 45lb 3.1oz and he has also enjoyed a successful year having been a member of the Scotland team which won the gold medal at the Spring International.
Like Wood, he was in the Albacats B team which was third in the Scottish Club Championship and Fleming has an incredible record in the Champion of Champions having qualified for the final in at least eight out of the last 15 years. He was the Champion of Champions as a youngster in 2009 and, more recently, he was third in 2022 and 5th in 2023.
Steven of Tartan Tyers was third with 16 trout for 36lb and he recently finished 18th in the Scottish National Championship thereby qualifying for the 2025 Scottish teams. He was a member of the Tartan Tyers team which finished 10th in the Scottish Club Championship and is no stranger to the Champion of Champions having finished a close third in 2016.
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