Gus Brindle, chairman of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, feels last weekend’s Celtic Cup was a success, despite the result.
Ireland produced a “fantastic Day 2 performance” to pip hosts Wales on weight to take the silverware for the second time in three years.
Scotland’s White team of Dave McAuley, Brian Clark, Graham McOwat and Tyler McAlpine slipped back from second after Day One into third position overall.
Dunfermline-based Brindle said the Celtic Cup is a great competition, even if the fishing was not what was expected or hoped for.
The competition is designed as a development event and it was held on the River Weaver, a deep, slow-moving, water and a great opportunity for the Scottish anglers to experience something new.
The venue, he argued, has “huge potential” and the competition provided Brindle with a chance to have a look at a few new faces, including debutants McOwat and McAlpine, and to continue to develop the existing squad.
The two practice days had been difficult, he said, and the fish seemed to be balled up in certain areas, possibly because of the pike that seemed to be present in the area.
The draw became critical and Scotland Blue, including Currie-based James Dornom, fared badly as did the Scotland/Wales composite which included Scottish anglers Heather Lauriston and Rosalind Cassidy, members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club, plus international angler, Colin Hart.
Brindle added: “For the anglers it was a chance to fish the type of venue that they might see in future years at a European or World Championship and to fish against what was a very high quality field.”
Everybody in the Scotland team worked hard and supported each other and he said: “I am sure they will have come away having learned a lot and with a list of things to work on.”
ON THE BANK: Gus Brindle preparing bait. Picture Nigel Duncan
