It’s 8.15am on Saturday. There is not a breath of wind at Drumtassie Coarse Fishery, perched high above Blackridge in Central Scotland, and it can be very windy here. Mercifully, the weather gods were paying ball and the blue sky was a welcome bonus.
A warm sun added to the picture. There were smiles on faces.
There had been a reading on zero on the thermometer overnight, not good news for angers, but that chill had given way to a glorious opening to the day. No jacket required.
Anglers were already casting a line on the specialised carp pond, some had been there overnight, and others were either watching their float or preparing to fish on the four other pools in the extensive fishery.
The perennial question when people see fishermen, and women, is are you catching? Well, they were. Rods were bending. Two affable chaps in the canal pond, good pick as it has shelter from a bank of trees, were already into double figures.
As I approached, another F1 was added to the list, a click placed on the counter conveniently located on the box seat. Maggot and red-coloured groundbait were proving successful along with incredibly light tackle and delicate floats. They were catching at around 3ft, not deep but deep enough, and fish were taking on the bottom, not on the drop.
Cars were continuing to arrive as we chatted. Match Two of the Summer League, hosted by the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club, was upon us. Excited pre-batch banter could be heard as the draw was made for pegs.
The club use the former brown trout pond at Drumtassie, to the left of the entry road, where there are 21 pegs with space for four more if required, and there is still room to spare. Anglers can park near to their pegs in one area.
Yes, landscaping has still to be completed, but grass is growing through the tyre marks made during excavation of the pond. However, proper paths are there along with proper pegs.
It was a big wrench to decide to uproot to West Lothian. Formerly, the club’s home was Orchill near Auchterarder in Perthside, and some members were unhappy, others dubious, and there was “uncertainty and trepidation” among the membership. Nobody knew what to expect.
Some gave Drumtassie a try over the winter, others didn’t, but everybody enjoyed Match One, according to Aberdeenshire-based Bruce Lawrie, the clubs social media writer.
Darrin Ferguson, the club’s president, has expressed his gratitude to Andrew, the owner of Orchill, for his assistance over the years. However, the move was made and Match One produced.
Club anglers now realise the potential of Drumtassie. Yes, there is still work to do, and trout “plagued” the course anglers on Day One. No surprise there as the pond was created as a brown trout only venue. That vision failed to excite anglers.
Steps are being take to reduce the trout population, basically moving them to the other ponds in the complex which is open seven days. The result from Match Two are eagerly awaited, but low weights were expected by some during their debut match. Lawrie commented on social media: “Al I can say, is our trepidation was unfounded.”
The right-hand side is the deepest part with the middle four pegs around 9ft to 10ft deep at 11 metres and 6ft to 7ft deep around the four sections. The left hand side is shallower with depths from 2.5ft to 4ft at the bottom end to 4ft to 6ft at the top.
The match-winning catch came from one of the pegs adjacent to the island, half way down the left-hand side. Livingston-based Andy Roberts was the man at the top of the podium on the day with 56lb 3oz using pellets and expanders in four feet using his pole. He caught steadily.
Second overall was Joshua Lloyd with 46lb 12oz fishing pellets and expanders and third Mark Gleave with 32lb. He fished a tidy match on expander and micros.
Overall, the weights for the first match showed an improvement from pervious recent seasons and every section was won with weights in double-figures. That came as a relief to Chanelle Maver, the fishery manager. She was smiling again on Saturday, both at the weather and also the turn out. Now she, and the members, await the official results from Match 2.
For the record, all the ponds at Drumtassie are open for members of the public to fish on a daily basis. One rod is £10.
TOP MAN: Andy Roberts from Livingston won Match One. Picture Nigel Duncan
PREPARING: Darrin Ferguson, president of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club. Picture Nigel Duncan
GEARING UP: Members prepare for Match Two. Mark Gleave pushing his trolley. Picture Nigel Duncan
FOCUS: One angler fully concentrated on the job in hand. Picture Nigel Duncan
FINAL ADJUSTMENTS: Small margins can make all the difference. Alex Kerr focused. Picture Nigel Duncan
STUDY: Scotland international Roz Cassidy watching the water for signs of fish. Picture Nigel Duncan
