| Bothwell and Blantyre Angling Club |
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Loch Leven - 27 August 2011
Thanks to Tom B for the following report.
Nine Bothwell and Blantyre members arrived at the loch on a lovely morning with the sun trying to break through. The conditions remained perfect all day. Tom and boat partner Robert C headed off to fish Scart to Green Isle and then moved to Castle Island without troubling the fish. A move to St Serfs to join the rest of the club was thwarted when the engine started acting up and Robert decided that he did not fancy rowing all the way back to the jetty! Instead of St Serfs the move to between Castle Island and Bower Isle produced a nice 2lb 9oz fish for Robert (left) but that was to be the end of the scoring in that boat.
Barry and Billy S fished at Scart where Barry took fish. The rest of the lads, Ian Eric, Paul, Adam and Gilbert fished St Serfs East to Mid Buoys where Ian, Eric, Adam and Paul each got a fish. (by Ed - if I have counted correctly that means 9 anglers taking 6 fish - better than recent years!) At the weigh-in the man with the huge smile on his face was the winner Adam Park with one fish at 3lb 3oz. Only Billy, Gilbert and Tom were blank. Overall it was a good day for The Bothwell & Blantyre Club. A couple of other photos on the Photo Page here. Thanks to Tom for these, too.
Nine Bothwell and Blantyre members arrived at the loch on a lovely morning with the sun trying to break through. The conditions remained perfect all day. Tom and boat partner Robert C headed off to fish Scart to Green Isle and then moved to Castle Island without troubling the fish. A move to St Serfs to join the rest of the club was thwarted when the engine started acting up and Robert decided that he did not fancy rowing all the way back to the jetty! Instead of St Serfs the move to between Castle Island and Bower Isle produced a nice 2lb 9oz fish for Robert (left) but that was to be the end of the scoring in that boat.
Barry and Billy S fished at Scart where Barry took fish. The rest of the lads, Ian Eric, Paul, Adam and Gilbert fished St Serfs East to Mid Buoys where Ian, Eric, Adam and Paul each got a fish. (by Ed - if I have counted correctly that means 9 anglers taking 6 fish - better than recent years!) At the weigh-in the man with the huge smile on his face was the winner Adam Park with one fish at 3lb 3oz. Only Billy, Gilbert and Tom were blank. Overall it was a good day for The Bothwell & Blantyre Club. A couple of other photos on the Photo Page here. Thanks to Tom for these, too.
Lake of Menteith - 18 August 2011 - High drama and lots of fish at the Lake
There was to be no last minute twist in the race for the top spot in the Club Championship in 2011, but the battle for the minor placings wend down to the wire. Paul, needing 1/2 a point to clinch the title ahead of 2nd placed Keith, wasted no time in finding the fish in the deeper water between Inchmahome and Rookery Point and persuading 5 of them into the boat by 11.10 to ensure the 1 point he needed. There fish all took a bibio-style dry fly and Paul must had been delighted to catch these fish in such traditional fashion. As the hot favourite for the championship, Paul has led since mid-season and wins, in the end, by the conclusive margin of 5.5 points.
Elsewhere, John Gould was seen taking early fish south of the shallow water buoys, where there seemed to be a good head of fish, and Keith was a fish down to Tom, who had 2, around 11am. Ian G and guest Jim Law were at west end of the reservoir accumulating fish steadily and Laurie was doing well, too. At lunchtime on the rookery shore Paul reported on his limit and David, Sydney and Eric a single fish each. There were fish moving around the rookery throughout the lunch break but they couldn't be persuaded onto hooks thereafter! A move to stable point saw David pick up a fish after lunch, having been broken on a very sharp take shortly before. Keith and Tom had by this time finished off their limits and Keith was catching and releasing at a great rate, including behind the boat, although that's difficult to call when there's no wind! We heard stories of Alex G having fun with inflatable toys, as well as catching a few fish. David was struggling to complete a limit, on 3 fish at 4pm, before switching from floater to mid glass as the wind got up a wee bit. 2 fish between then and and 4.40 on the cat booby (letting the side down amid all the dry fly purism!) were to have an impact on the final placings.
As the weigh in progressed it became apparent that all Bothwell and Blantyre anglers had caught fish (finishing the season as we started) and that there were 8 limits, including that of guest Jim Law, with 5 fish weighing 13 lb 12 oz. Ian G, Tom B and Laurie T each took a point for limit bags but the 5 fish lottery was concluded as follows:
1st - John Gould - 14 lb 4 oz - 5 points
2nd = Paul W and David O - 13 lb 4 oz 3.5 points each
4th - Keith J - 12 lb 10 oz - 2 points
Many congratulations to John on a fine bag of fish from the area south of the buoys. David's 4.40pm fish allowed him to overtake Keith for 2nd place in the club champs (final standings here), but the author acknowledges the slightly hollow ring of this result. Keith caught 12 fish on the day (and Paul and Laurie 10 each) and it might be that the club wish to consider refining the scoring system to reward such fine angling. The Lake of Menteith once again provided a venue 2nd to none in Scotland and for that we thank Quint and Douglas (and Mrs Nisbet!) very much indeed. In killing 68 and returning 20 fish (for a total weight of 181 lb and 1 oz) and a rod average of 4 (with returned fish) and 3.1 (excluding returned fish) the club may also wish to look further at the various C&R options.
The final competition of the season (which does not count towards the Club Championship) will be held at Loch Leven on 27 August. I wish all of you good luck for that and would appreciate a report and any photos for the website.
Elsewhere, John Gould was seen taking early fish south of the shallow water buoys, where there seemed to be a good head of fish, and Keith was a fish down to Tom, who had 2, around 11am. Ian G and guest Jim Law were at west end of the reservoir accumulating fish steadily and Laurie was doing well, too. At lunchtime on the rookery shore Paul reported on his limit and David, Sydney and Eric a single fish each. There were fish moving around the rookery throughout the lunch break but they couldn't be persuaded onto hooks thereafter! A move to stable point saw David pick up a fish after lunch, having been broken on a very sharp take shortly before. Keith and Tom had by this time finished off their limits and Keith was catching and releasing at a great rate, including behind the boat, although that's difficult to call when there's no wind! We heard stories of Alex G having fun with inflatable toys, as well as catching a few fish. David was struggling to complete a limit, on 3 fish at 4pm, before switching from floater to mid glass as the wind got up a wee bit. 2 fish between then and and 4.40 on the cat booby (letting the side down amid all the dry fly purism!) were to have an impact on the final placings.
As the weigh in progressed it became apparent that all Bothwell and Blantyre anglers had caught fish (finishing the season as we started) and that there were 8 limits, including that of guest Jim Law, with 5 fish weighing 13 lb 12 oz. Ian G, Tom B and Laurie T each took a point for limit bags but the 5 fish lottery was concluded as follows:
1st - John Gould - 14 lb 4 oz - 5 points
2nd = Paul W and David O - 13 lb 4 oz 3.5 points each
4th - Keith J - 12 lb 10 oz - 2 points
Many congratulations to John on a fine bag of fish from the area south of the buoys. David's 4.40pm fish allowed him to overtake Keith for 2nd place in the club champs (final standings here), but the author acknowledges the slightly hollow ring of this result. Keith caught 12 fish on the day (and Paul and Laurie 10 each) and it might be that the club wish to consider refining the scoring system to reward such fine angling. The Lake of Menteith once again provided a venue 2nd to none in Scotland and for that we thank Quint and Douglas (and Mrs Nisbet!) very much indeed. In killing 68 and returning 20 fish (for a total weight of 181 lb and 1 oz) and a rod average of 4 (with returned fish) and 3.1 (excluding returned fish) the club may also wish to look further at the various C&R options.
The final competition of the season (which does not count towards the Club Championship) will be held at Loch Leven on 27 August. I wish all of you good luck for that and would appreciate a report and any photos for the website.
23 July 2011 - 2nd Carron Valley Reservoir
Ian G
Only 13 Bothwell and Blantyre anglers could be found to fish Carron Valley reservoir on 23 July, including guest David Morrison, who enjoyed a relaxed day afloat with David B! Lots of fish rising at the dam from 8am until 9am and then they all disappeared as 6 or 7 boats descended on the area to try to catch them! Most gave up, but then the boats started gathering there again around 2.30, as the guys who had done a tour of the loch returned to see if they could complete their bags - well, sadly they couldn't, and I say that confidently because no one did! Only 1 wee brownie knocked on the head today and it wasn't that wee. Ian G, or the Archbishop of Canterbury as I now prefer to think of him, (have you ever seen them in the same place at the same time?) gets the conservation prize for returning 4 takeable browns, but even after a trip to his favourite Stocky Bay could only manage one rainbow. I hear talk of a couple of powan being safely released (Lawrie?) and I know for a fact that Willie E did not wrap his line around the motor. He was merely caressing the propellor with his rear end in the air. Tom and David O struggled until strong drink was taken (early because the fishing was rubbish!) and then Tom managed to entice a rainbow (of 3lb 6oz, no less) by cunningly leaving a blob lying in the water while he was looking for something in his tackle box. David then followed with a rainbow that managed to ensnare the black booby which was being gently retrieved as the boat came to a halt after a change of drift. Two 'proper' fish followed on the RH DB, which also worked for Tom. Sam added a couple of rainbows to his wee brownie and Willie E (did I mention that he didn't wrap his line around the motor) could not add to a couple of early rainbows. Barrie picked up a point in his first outing as a club member, but that was immediately deducted for embarrassing the President, with whom he was sharing a boat! In the end, 15 fish were weighed in for a total of 29 lb 14 oz and giving a rod average of 1.15. The final result was as follows:
1st David O 3 fish for 5lb 9 oz - 4 points
2nd Tom B 2 fish for 5lb 6 oz - 3 points
3rd Sam F 3 fish for 5lb 3 oz - 2 points
4th Barrie D 2 fish for 3lb 15oz - 1 point
That leaves Paul (in his absence at Carron) needing a point at Menteith to secure the Club Championship or for Keith not to win with 5 points. The rest are fighting out the minor places. Current standings here.
1st David O 3 fish for 5lb 9 oz - 4 points
2nd Tom B 2 fish for 5lb 6 oz - 3 points
3rd Sam F 3 fish for 5lb 3 oz - 2 points
4th Barrie D 2 fish for 3lb 15oz - 1 point
That leaves Paul (in his absence at Carron) needing a point at Menteith to secure the Club Championship or for Keith not to win with 5 points. The rest are fighting out the minor places. Current standings here.
9 July 2011 - 2nd Butterstone
Eighteen members of BBAC gathered in the car park at Butterstone for the eighth competition of the season. The atmosphere was, perhaps, a bit more subdued than usual, some weary members having risen before 5 am to make the journey north. A few chose to cheer themselves up with coffee and bacon rolls from the rather nice new café before setting off.
The writer and his BP, Alex G, shunned the mobs and headed for the deserted west end although they could see rods bending in the vicinity of Laurie and Richard in the south east corner of the loch. Things seemed to be less frantic elsewhere and after a fish each the president and Alex spent a leisurely hour or two watching the world go by including an otter, ospreys and a grebe (which appeared from nowhere a few yards in front of the boat. (By Ed - good job you weren't with Tom - he's have caught it!)).
Things livened up a bit when both got into fish at the same time and there followed a kind of ballet as the fish crossed and re-crossed in front of the boat while rods were delicately moved over and under each other until one fish was landed and the cast detached allowing the other fish to be landed. Alex finished with three but ‘otter’ have done better. Also spotted in the west end were Paul and John G picking up the odd fish to finish with limits. In mid-afternoon the writer spoke to a Balbeggie club boat (its occupants that is) who reported that ‘pink hats’ were hammering fish at the east end. Is this now a generic term like ‘red coats’ or ‘blue noses’? Elsewhere Tom successfully lassoed the prop, apparently with no ill effects to the line.
Laurie made a creditable attempt to empty the loch of fish having landed, according to various reports, somewhere between twenty and ‘hunners’ of fish. Contrary to the forecast the weather remained dry until finishing time.
An enjoyable meal followed when topics of conversation varied from double glazing to radio valve technology. You certainly get you money’s worth.
Results for the day were;
1st Paul 6 fish 16lb 5pts
2nd Keith 6 fish 14lb 14oz 4pts
3rd Laurie 6 fish 14lb 10oz 3pts
4th John G 6 fish 12lb 12oz 2pts
56 fish caught 128lb 4 limits. See you at Carron.
The writer and his BP, Alex G, shunned the mobs and headed for the deserted west end although they could see rods bending in the vicinity of Laurie and Richard in the south east corner of the loch. Things seemed to be less frantic elsewhere and after a fish each the president and Alex spent a leisurely hour or two watching the world go by including an otter, ospreys and a grebe (which appeared from nowhere a few yards in front of the boat. (By Ed - good job you weren't with Tom - he's have caught it!)).
Things livened up a bit when both got into fish at the same time and there followed a kind of ballet as the fish crossed and re-crossed in front of the boat while rods were delicately moved over and under each other until one fish was landed and the cast detached allowing the other fish to be landed. Alex finished with three but ‘otter’ have done better. Also spotted in the west end were Paul and John G picking up the odd fish to finish with limits. In mid-afternoon the writer spoke to a Balbeggie club boat (its occupants that is) who reported that ‘pink hats’ were hammering fish at the east end. Is this now a generic term like ‘red coats’ or ‘blue noses’? Elsewhere Tom successfully lassoed the prop, apparently with no ill effects to the line.
Laurie made a creditable attempt to empty the loch of fish having landed, according to various reports, somewhere between twenty and ‘hunners’ of fish. Contrary to the forecast the weather remained dry until finishing time.
An enjoyable meal followed when topics of conversation varied from double glazing to radio valve technology. You certainly get you money’s worth.
Results for the day were;
1st Paul 6 fish 16lb 5pts
2nd Keith 6 fish 14lb 14oz 4pts
3rd Laurie 6 fish 14lb 10oz 3pts
4th John G 6 fish 12lb 12oz 2pts
56 fish caught 128lb 4 limits. See you at Carron.
22 and 23 June 2011 - A fine week for Mr Glassford
Ian completed a fine week with a convincing win at the Lake of Menteith on 23 Jun. The previous day he had qualified for the Scottish National Angling Championship final, to be held on the Lake on 10 Sep 2011. We wish Ian every success for that day, which marks his 2nd National Final in the last 3 years. Ian fished a difficult semi-final at Carron on 22 Jun, along with Paul and Laurie. Fish were seen everywhere on Carron but were much more difficult to catch! Ian took his fish around stocky bay, while Paul tried a number of the usual Carron areas without the required success. In the end Ian's 3 rainbows and a returned brown were good enough, while Laurie and Paul had to make do with the prospect of trying again next year. Ian is pictured here with his boatman and sometime Bothwell and Blantyre guest, Jim Law. Yes, Ian is smiling.
More details here
The Lake proved as challenging as Carron as we fished our 7th competition of the season on 23 Jun. The day initially seemed perfect and Sam was seen getting an early fish with Gilbert handily wielding the net. Billy G and John G were trying out a number of different boats to ensure that the one they finally selected fully suited their purpose, and that diligence was not wasted as they roared (the motor was by this time working) into early fish in Gateside Bay, with John boating a fish of 4lb and 10oz. Keith and guest Jim were having a fishless time on the Malling shore and other places during the morning and by the time a few boats gathered for lunch, strong drink (spilling) and mutual verbal abuse, it was clear that few fish had been caught, but that Paul, Ian, John and Billy held most of the cards. Having given up precious little morning bounty, the malevolent side of the Lake became apparent as the wind strengthened and the sun came out, causing the fish to disappear almost completely. Few added to their bags, but honorable mentions must go to Paul, who picked up a fish to give him second place, and Keith who picked up 2 after his unsteady start. There are a number of lesser awards to dole out today, with David P and David O sharing the prize for drawing the most useless boat partner. Jimmy K wins today's driving award, the prize for which is a place on the next boat handling course, while Adam is congratulated for having his head in his box while there was mayhem around him! (Sorry again for the shouting, Jimmy!) And what of your (fishless) scribe? Well, Mr President, after today, I am 'Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces'!
The good anglers today (with or without codpieces) were
1st Ian G 3 fish 8 lb 4 oz 4 pts
2nd Paul W 3 Fish 6 lb 8 oz 3 pts
3rd John G 2 Fish 6 lb 6 oz 2 pts
4th Keith J 2 Fish 5 lb 5 oz 1 pt
18 rods shared 19 fish for 44lb 14 oz, for a rod average of 1.05 and average weight of 2 lb 6 oz.
Your correspondent for Butterstone will be the President, so you better behave yourselves! Good luck, all.
More details here
The Lake proved as challenging as Carron as we fished our 7th competition of the season on 23 Jun. The day initially seemed perfect and Sam was seen getting an early fish with Gilbert handily wielding the net. Billy G and John G were trying out a number of different boats to ensure that the one they finally selected fully suited their purpose, and that diligence was not wasted as they roared (the motor was by this time working) into early fish in Gateside Bay, with John boating a fish of 4lb and 10oz. Keith and guest Jim were having a fishless time on the Malling shore and other places during the morning and by the time a few boats gathered for lunch, strong drink (spilling) and mutual verbal abuse, it was clear that few fish had been caught, but that Paul, Ian, John and Billy held most of the cards. Having given up precious little morning bounty, the malevolent side of the Lake became apparent as the wind strengthened and the sun came out, causing the fish to disappear almost completely. Few added to their bags, but honorable mentions must go to Paul, who picked up a fish to give him second place, and Keith who picked up 2 after his unsteady start. There are a number of lesser awards to dole out today, with David P and David O sharing the prize for drawing the most useless boat partner. Jimmy K wins today's driving award, the prize for which is a place on the next boat handling course, while Adam is congratulated for having his head in his box while there was mayhem around him! (Sorry again for the shouting, Jimmy!) And what of your (fishless) scribe? Well, Mr President, after today, I am 'Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces'!
The good anglers today (with or without codpieces) were
1st Ian G 3 fish 8 lb 4 oz 4 pts
2nd Paul W 3 Fish 6 lb 8 oz 3 pts
3rd John G 2 Fish 6 lb 6 oz 2 pts
4th Keith J 2 Fish 5 lb 5 oz 1 pt
18 rods shared 19 fish for 44lb 14 oz, for a rod average of 1.05 and average weight of 2 lb 6 oz.
Your correspondent for Butterstone will be the President, so you better behave yourselves! Good luck, all.
11 Jun 2011 - 1st Carron Valley Reservoir
For a while it looked like Carron was not going to be its usual temperamental self when the B&B circus rolled up, but like a curmudgeonly aunt the lady reasserted herself as the day wore on. The chilly and windy weather of the last few weeks seemed to be a memory as warm-ish, sunny-ish weather greeted the 14 B&B anglers along with guest Barrie (welcome!) who tackled up with many floaty-type lines in the car park, amid talk of dries and freely rising fish. Only Paul and David O seemed suspicious and stuck to tried and tested Di3. The ubiquitous cats whisker was in action early on for some, but Keith confounded the suspicious with fish on midge tip and buzzers, completing his bag by 10am, almost without leaving the jetty. David P had a big fish early on (on left, 6lb), on a green nymph, but wasn't to know that he would have been as well packing up at that point! Paul was in early, too, as was Alastair and David O. Rods were bending all along the dam wall and it seemed that only Ian, Adam and Gilbert had headed off up the loch. Limits were being completed and started, with Barrie taking 3 fish in a 15 minute spell around 10.30. Keith and Alastair then moved away for a while (a fateful move, as it turned out) with David and Barrie trying drifts up the road shore. David picked up a couple to finish off by 11.45 and it was suddenly a bit colder and the east wind had picked up. Boat pressure may also have had a part to play in the fishing at the dam becoming a lot more difficult. Elsewhere, Gilbert picked up a couple of nice fish on his size 14 deer hair sedge and Kate McLaren, and Ian was fishless at 1pm but bagged up by 2.30. Good effort, but I'm afraid I can't tell you where he was or what his methods were. However, that info will be divulged on 23 Jun. Explanation is here. Those who hadn't got their fish in the first couple of hours were now struggling, but Paul showed how it is done with couple of fairly late fish in at the shore by the jetty. Good angling, sir.
In the end our 15 rods caught 43 fish weighing 94 lb 10 oz, for a rod average of just under 3. Ian G, Billy G, Billy S and David O had limits for 1 point and the rest of the points were split like this:
1st. Paul W - 4 fish for 10 lb 8 oz - 5 pts
2nd. Keith J - 4 fish for 8 lb 6 oz - 4 pts
3rd. Alastair S - 3 fish for 8 lb 2 oz - 2 pts
4th. Sam F - 4 fish for 8 lb 1 oz - 2 pts
Only 1 rod broken today. Barrie will fit in nicely with the Bothwell and & Blantyre!!
In the end our 15 rods caught 43 fish weighing 94 lb 10 oz, for a rod average of just under 3. Ian G, Billy G, Billy S and David O had limits for 1 point and the rest of the points were split like this:
1st. Paul W - 4 fish for 10 lb 8 oz - 5 pts
2nd. Keith J - 4 fish for 8 lb 6 oz - 4 pts
3rd. Alastair S - 3 fish for 8 lb 2 oz - 2 pts
4th. Sam F - 4 fish for 8 lb 1 oz - 2 pts
Only 1 rod broken today. Barrie will fit in nicely with the Bothwell and & Blantyre!!
28 May 2011 - 2nd Frandy
The Bothwell and Blantyre got its comeuppance at Frandy today after a string of excellent results in recent competitions. As the wind whistled in the car park the 'feels like' temperature dropped like a stone taking the hopes of many anglers with it. Layers were added to layers of clothing and it felt more like March than May - mind you, it was a Bank Holiday weekend, so we should have been prepared. Our Hon Sec and Treasurer led us out (early!) but some of the boats were reluctant to leave the dock as the wind seemed to glue them to the pontoon! Jimmy K was into a fish early on and Ian G was not far behind him but bending rods were few and far between. David managed to use his boat management skills to wrap up his cast, the drogue and the motor into one seamless bundle and, while that was mess was sworn into order, word came in the others were turning 3 piece rods into 4 pieces and the like. Paul lost a good fish at the dam but as anglers gradually sought some respite at the lodge over lunch it became apparent that not many fish had been caught but Laurie seemed to be in the lead with 2.
The afternoon was worse for most of us, with anglers sneaking off the water early as it became apparent that most efforts were exercises in futility. With the exception of Laurie, that is, who went on to complete an excellent limit of 6 fish, catching more than the rest of the anglers put together in the process. Hats were appropriately doffed. At the end of the day 17 anglers caught 11 fish for a rod average of less than 1. The result was:
1st - Laurie T - 6 fish for 12 lb - 5 points
2nd - Adam - 1 fish for 3 lb 4 oz - 3 points
3rd - Jimmy K - 1 fish for 2 lb 4 oz - 2 points
4th= - Ian G - 1 fish for 2 lb 2 oz -1/2 point
4th= - David O - 1 fish for 2 lb 2 oz -1/2 point
Alex G was the unlucky angler who caught a fish and didn't get a point or a half. 2 rods were broken (both Greys), one line was liquidised and one boat ran out of petrol - or maybe not! A day to remember for all the wrong the wrong reasons apart from Laurie's limit. We move on to Carron on 11 Jun hoping the wind has dropped by then!
The afternoon was worse for most of us, with anglers sneaking off the water early as it became apparent that most efforts were exercises in futility. With the exception of Laurie, that is, who went on to complete an excellent limit of 6 fish, catching more than the rest of the anglers put together in the process. Hats were appropriately doffed. At the end of the day 17 anglers caught 11 fish for a rod average of less than 1. The result was:
1st - Laurie T - 6 fish for 12 lb - 5 points
2nd - Adam - 1 fish for 3 lb 4 oz - 3 points
3rd - Jimmy K - 1 fish for 2 lb 4 oz - 2 points
4th= - Ian G - 1 fish for 2 lb 2 oz -1/2 point
4th= - David O - 1 fish for 2 lb 2 oz -1/2 point
Alex G was the unlucky angler who caught a fish and didn't get a point or a half. 2 rods were broken (both Greys), one line was liquidised and one boat ran out of petrol - or maybe not! A day to remember for all the wrong the wrong reasons apart from Laurie's limit. We move on to Carron on 11 Jun hoping the wind has dropped by then!
10 May 2011 - 2nd Lake of Menteith
The Club returned to the Lake of Menteith for the 4th outing of the season on Tuesday 10 May 2011, and was delighted to welcome Jim L, who was fishing with us a guest of Ian's. It was a different day to our last trip, with a sometimes strong and blustery wind making life a bit more difficult this time round. Early on some boats headed for the shelter of the Butts or Sandy Bay, while others braved the stronger wind in the more open water. There were fish in all of these locations, if they could be tempted onto a hook! David and Eric found fish in Sandy Bay, but after David had put a couple in the boat the takes dried up. Laurie and his BP (sorry, can't remember who it was) were here, too, and took fish early on. Ian G was spotted playing a fish at the plantation and Willie and John G had fish off Stable point. The wind seemed to get stronger around midday and Shelter was sought in Gateside Bay with some damage being done to the Highland Park. On the resumption Eric took 4 fish in an hour in Gateside Bay, 2 of them on the YD and the others on a cormorant and nymph. Adam and Sydney were seen in Gateside Bay, an unusual location for Adam which was enforced when his usual beat of reedy and hotel bays failed to yield fish. I understand there was a rush to the boat when that pairing was announced to see who could get in the pointy end first! Sydney won, and I also hear that the victors green label spoils were enjoyed by both! Adam ended up with a couple of fish, too, and Sydney one. The President was not to be found all day, and given that he ended up with a solitary fish, I can only conclude that he was not trying and had disappeared off to Stirling for a day's shopping! Later in the day there was a bit of a rise in the Butts, which Paul and David took advantage of, Paul fishing with Alex G.
At the count (first past the post, no AV here) we recorded 48 fish killed for 86 lb 14 oz, with a rod average of exactly 3. Laurie and Paul both returned a number of fish. The result of the 5 fish lottery was:
1st David O - 5 fish for 10 lb 1 oz - 5 points
2nd Ian G - 5 fish for 9 lb 2 oz - 4 points
3rd Paul W - 5 fish for 9 lb 0 oz - 3 points
4th Laurie T - 5 fish for 8 lb 5 oz - 2 points
Had Jim L been partaking in the competition he would have won with 4 fish for 10lb and 4 oz. Well done. Next stop Frandy on 28 May. BTW, we had scones at the meal - thanks to the delightful young lady who runs the Lion and Unicorn!
At the count (first past the post, no AV here) we recorded 48 fish killed for 86 lb 14 oz, with a rod average of exactly 3. Laurie and Paul both returned a number of fish. The result of the 5 fish lottery was:
1st David O - 5 fish for 10 lb 1 oz - 5 points
2nd Ian G - 5 fish for 9 lb 2 oz - 4 points
3rd Paul W - 5 fish for 9 lb 0 oz - 3 points
4th Laurie T - 5 fish for 8 lb 5 oz - 2 points
Had Jim L been partaking in the competition he would have won with 4 fish for 10lb and 4 oz. Well done. Next stop Frandy on 28 May. BTW, we had scones at the meal - thanks to the delightful young lady who runs the Lion and Unicorn!
30 Apr 2011 - 1st Butterstone
El Presidenti reports that on a bright and breezy day 17 bright and breezy members of B&BAC and 1 guest, David Morrison, got up at an unearthly hour and met up at Butterstone for a 9 o’clock kick off. The staff were so impressed with the club hat that one of them bought one (at full price and maybe a wee bit more). Well done Gilbert.
After the usual formalities and clambering into and falling about in boats 8 (by ed - 9?) craft set off at full speed, i.e. slowly, under eco-friendly electric power.
The president and his boat partner, John G, headed for duffers corner, otherwise known as Lily Bay, where JG proceeded to fill his bag before 10.30 on a mixture of cormorants, buzzers and other flies previously unknown to KJ who had 3 fish by lunchtime, when he lay down to recuperate from seeing JG land about 12 fish up to that time (going on to eventually reach a tally of 14).
All the activity attracted other duffers who fared less well, although some witnessed JG hook a very large trout/pike/submarine, thought originally to be the bottom, which gave him a sore arm (JG that is, not the trout or whatever) before it broke him after 5 plus minutes and without the decency to show itself.
Alistair S was spotted nearby enticing a couple of fish into the boat he shared with Robert C but other duffers seemed to be less successful.
Meanwhile elsewhere on the loch David M hooked and lost a 6lb fish. We know its weight because about 2 hours later his BP, Alex G, caught the same fish trailing David’s fly which had passed through it and had emerged where things that pass through usually emerge. We didn’t find out whether the fly was still usable.
At the pre-weigh-in greet/gloat/debriefing, tales of broken casts and other such hard luck stories were recounted and met with the usual lack of sympathy. Unfortunately the run of outings without a blank was not maintained but the average no. of fish caught was 2.7/rod.
The bottom line was:-
1st Paul with 6 fish for 12lb 12oz 5pts
2nd Alex ” 4 ” 12lb 3pts
3rd Keith ” 6 ” 11lb 4oz 3pts
4th John ” 6 ” 10lb 2oz 2pts
Laurie also took a limit bag of 6 fish for 1pt
After the usual formalities and clambering into and falling about in boats 8 (by ed - 9?) craft set off at full speed, i.e. slowly, under eco-friendly electric power.
The president and his boat partner, John G, headed for duffers corner, otherwise known as Lily Bay, where JG proceeded to fill his bag before 10.30 on a mixture of cormorants, buzzers and other flies previously unknown to KJ who had 3 fish by lunchtime, when he lay down to recuperate from seeing JG land about 12 fish up to that time (going on to eventually reach a tally of 14).
All the activity attracted other duffers who fared less well, although some witnessed JG hook a very large trout/pike/submarine, thought originally to be the bottom, which gave him a sore arm (JG that is, not the trout or whatever) before it broke him after 5 plus minutes and without the decency to show itself.
Alistair S was spotted nearby enticing a couple of fish into the boat he shared with Robert C but other duffers seemed to be less successful.
Meanwhile elsewhere on the loch David M hooked and lost a 6lb fish. We know its weight because about 2 hours later his BP, Alex G, caught the same fish trailing David’s fly which had passed through it and had emerged where things that pass through usually emerge. We didn’t find out whether the fly was still usable.
At the pre-weigh-in greet/gloat/debriefing, tales of broken casts and other such hard luck stories were recounted and met with the usual lack of sympathy. Unfortunately the run of outings without a blank was not maintained but the average no. of fish caught was 2.7/rod.
The bottom line was:-
1st Paul with 6 fish for 12lb 12oz 5pts
2nd Alex ” 4 ” 12lb 3pts
3rd Keith ” 6 ” 11lb 4oz 3pts
4th John ” 6 ” 10lb 2oz 2pts
Laurie also took a limit bag of 6 fish for 1pt
16 Apr 2011 - 1st Frandy
16 B&B anglers braved a very chilly wind on Frandy on 16 Apr 2011. David B fished with us for the first time and as is the custom with the Club fished with the President. They had a good day, boating 11 fish between them. In fact Keith was into fish during their first drift - 4 of them to be precise. His boat partner picked up a couple early on, too, but then things slowed dramatically. Tom B made a very good start too, taking the engine for the first time, skippering the boat like a seasoned pro and giving David O a 6 -1 beating as the clock hit 11am. Tom was on the midge tip with a 2 tone blob doing the damage. Modesty prevents me from telling you who tied the booby. Willie E was quickly into fish , too, but BP David P was a wee bit slower out of the blocks. Paul and John G found fish on a variety of flies and Adam and Laurie also did well, finishing their respective limits by 2pm. This was a bit of a red letter day for the club, with a total of 79 fish being weighed in for a 220 lb - a rod average of 4.9 and an average fish weight of just over 2 lb 12 oz! Every angler caught at least 2 fish and for the 2nd successive outing no one blanked. A variety of flies did the damage from boobies to nomads, cats and cormorants. Please let me know what I have missed out. Lines ranged mainly from floaters to DI 3, but there were also some darker lines on display at the boat dock before we went out. Please let me know if you caught on a faster sinker. The end result was:
1st place: David O - 6 fish for 18 lb 10 oz - 5 points
2nd place: John G - 6 fish for 18 lb 9 oz - 4 points
3rd place: Robert C - 6 fish for 17 lb 8 oz - 3 points
4th place: Keith J - 6 fish for 17 lb 0 oz - 2 points
Additionally, Paul, Willie, Adam, Laurie and Tom took 6 fish each to earn themselves 1 point.
Some things you might have missed:
No reports of any rods broken today, unlike at the LoM, Mr C!
No fish jumped into the boat today, unlike at the LoM, Mr B!
There were no reports of any rods falling overboard into the water today, unlike at the LoM, Mr P!
There were no biscuits or scones at the meal tonight, unlike at the LoM, Mr Ow!
I'm looking for a volunteer to do the report from Butterstone - your chance to get your own back on me. Don't all rush at once.
1st place: David O - 6 fish for 18 lb 10 oz - 5 points
2nd place: John G - 6 fish for 18 lb 9 oz - 4 points
3rd place: Robert C - 6 fish for 17 lb 8 oz - 3 points
4th place: Keith J - 6 fish for 17 lb 0 oz - 2 points
Additionally, Paul, Willie, Adam, Laurie and Tom took 6 fish each to earn themselves 1 point.
Some things you might have missed:
No reports of any rods broken today, unlike at the LoM, Mr C!
No fish jumped into the boat today, unlike at the LoM, Mr B!
There were no reports of any rods falling overboard into the water today, unlike at the LoM, Mr P!
There were no biscuits or scones at the meal tonight, unlike at the LoM, Mr Ow!
I'm looking for a volunteer to do the report from Butterstone - your chance to get your own back on me. Don't all rush at once.
2 Apr 2011 - 1st Lake of Menteith
The new season dawned with a beautiful start to the day. We gathered in the car park at the Lake of Menteith to witness clouds of buzzers trying to persuade us to affix the floating line and a team of buzzers or nymphs to start the season. After a team photograph which Sam and Tom tried to dodge, the boats headed off to different parts of the water. The previous day had seen fish caught at the buts (apparently) and a few boats were soon there - doing nothing. Adam and Billy S got to work immediately in the Hotel Bay area and both bagged up by lunchtime, to allow Adam to concentrate on a lucky Motherwell victory against Aberdeen while monitoring the mighty Accies falling from grace in Paisley. Apparently green and black and claret and amber were the lucky combinations for Adam. Meanwhile the Butts boats (you have to be careful how you phrase that) dispersed and David and Sydney found fish at the Bogle Knowe on the way into Lochend Bay. Word was that Laurie and Billy G were also into fish in the Lochend area but as neither were wearing B&B hats they went unnoticed by your correspondent. Paul and Jimmy K were doing a bit of long range unintentional C&R, entering into the spirit of the notices on the Menteith website. As the day wore on and the wind rose the Butts area was busy, although there seemed to be a steady (if not prolific) rise along the reeds on the south shore.
David and Sydney took a trip to Hotel Bay where Sydney took a fish that caused much screaming of the reel and a sore hand for the angler as he failed to get his fingers out of the way in time. Eric was busy converting his midge tip into a floater with the help of one of the engines! As the anglers returned to the beach it was apparent that a lot of fish had been caught with Laurie and Billy G reporting 19 or 20 to the boat. In the end 8 anglers caught limits and the full result is as follows:
20 rods weighed in 67 fish for 123 lb 15 oz for a rod average of 3.35. In the region of 15 fish were returned intentionally.
1st place: Robert C - 5 fish for 12 lb 10 oz - 5 points
2nd = place: Keith J - 5 fish for 9 lb 7 oz - 3.5 points
2nd = place: Laurie T - 5 fish for 9 lb 7 oz - 3.5 points
4th place: Billy G - 5 fish for 9 lb 0 oz - 2 points
4 other anglers caught limits and earn 1 point: Adam P, Billy S, David O and Jimmy K.
Other points of note: Robert C caught a rainbow of close to 5 lbs. Well done, Robert. David P recorded some kind of McNab, weighing in 3 fish - a rainbow, a blue and a brown. Did you return a pike or a seatrout, by any chance, David? Tom B also lost a dead fish (and chips), but that was at the pub (this time!) and is another story altogether! See you at Frandy on 16 April.
David and Sydney took a trip to Hotel Bay where Sydney took a fish that caused much screaming of the reel and a sore hand for the angler as he failed to get his fingers out of the way in time. Eric was busy converting his midge tip into a floater with the help of one of the engines! As the anglers returned to the beach it was apparent that a lot of fish had been caught with Laurie and Billy G reporting 19 or 20 to the boat. In the end 8 anglers caught limits and the full result is as follows:
20 rods weighed in 67 fish for 123 lb 15 oz for a rod average of 3.35. In the region of 15 fish were returned intentionally.
1st place: Robert C - 5 fish for 12 lb 10 oz - 5 points
2nd = place: Keith J - 5 fish for 9 lb 7 oz - 3.5 points
2nd = place: Laurie T - 5 fish for 9 lb 7 oz - 3.5 points
4th place: Billy G - 5 fish for 9 lb 0 oz - 2 points
4 other anglers caught limits and earn 1 point: Adam P, Billy S, David O and Jimmy K.
Other points of note: Robert C caught a rainbow of close to 5 lbs. Well done, Robert. David P recorded some kind of McNab, weighing in 3 fish - a rainbow, a blue and a brown. Did you return a pike or a seatrout, by any chance, David? Tom B also lost a dead fish (and chips), but that was at the pub (this time!) and is another story altogether! See you at Frandy on 16 April.
Close to Kick Off!
Well, here we go for another season. The ball starts rolling again on Saturday at the Lake with a full house of 20 B&B anglers expected. Rumour has it that the Sec had to turn down a late applicant as all of our 10 boats were full. The Lake got off to a cracking start last weekend with over 600 fish caught on the opening day last Saturday. They were caught all over the Lake except where I was. See you all on Saturday and remember, we want to know who's been up to some sneaky practice in the few days running up to Saturday. Mr President?
2011 Competitions will be reported here
Dates for 2011 are:
Sat 2 Apr 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm - Report now on the News Page
Sat 16 Apr 2011 - Frandy - 9.oo am - 4.30 pm
Sat 30 Apr 2011 - Butterstone - 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Tues 10 May 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 28 May 2011 - Frandy - 9.oo am - 4.30 pm
(Sat 4 Jun - Bothwell and Blantyre in the Scottish Clubs Competition - Team is Ian, David and Keith)
(Thurs 9 Jun Bothwell and Blantyre Council Outing - Dunwhan)
Sat 11 Jun 2011 - Loch Carron - 9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Thur 23 Jun 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 9 Jul 2011 - Butterstone - 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 23 Jul 2011 - Loch Carron - 9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Thu 18 Aug 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 27 Aug 2011 - Loch Leven - 10.00 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 2 Apr 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm - Report now on the News Page
Sat 16 Apr 2011 - Frandy - 9.oo am - 4.30 pm
Sat 30 Apr 2011 - Butterstone - 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Tues 10 May 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 28 May 2011 - Frandy - 9.oo am - 4.30 pm
(Sat 4 Jun - Bothwell and Blantyre in the Scottish Clubs Competition - Team is Ian, David and Keith)
(Thurs 9 Jun Bothwell and Blantyre Council Outing - Dunwhan)
Sat 11 Jun 2011 - Loch Carron - 9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Thur 23 Jun 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 9 Jul 2011 - Butterstone - 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 23 Jul 2011 - Loch Carron - 9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Thu 18 Aug 2011 - Lake of Menteith - 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Sat 27 Aug 2011 - Loch Leven - 10.00 am - 5.00 pm