Nigel Duncan on fishing: Edinburgh skipper leads Scotland into spring fly fishing international

The Juniper Green-based skipper has two new caps in the 14-strong team, John Tullet from Ayrshire and Mark Fleming from Glasgow, but the rest, including Peter Auchterlonie from Crieff (16 caps) and Kevin McCabe from East Lothian (12 caps), are experienced campaigners. Several members of the self-funded team will travel south to 240-acre Draycote Water near Rugby for a training weekend ahead of the one-day match on Friday, May 19.

This is the first of the two international loch style fly fishing matches this year run by the International Fly Fishing Association and the venues are on a rota with England hosting the Spring international and Scotland the Autumn event. The tartan team is administered by the Scottish Anglers National Association Competition Clubs (SANACC) and it is made up from a mix of qualifiers from the final of the Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship and internationals in the previous year.

Purves, a long-standing member of Threipmuir Angling Association in The Pentland Hills, is joined in the spring International squad by Derek Marklow from Midlothian and Kevin McCabe from East Lothian. This will be Purves' seventh cap and the bank IT worker has fished Draycote on a number of occasions. Weather conditions on the day will play a major part, but the captain stressed that it is a difficult water to fish, with varying depths.

Buzzer and nymph patterns should be what are required but he said: “There are three days of practice before the official competition day and we will have team briefings to exchange information. Anglers are drawn into boats and a toss of a coin decides which fisherman has first option on the location and it changes after two hours. We travel with optimism after our win in the Autumn international last year.”

This year's Autumn international is at Lake of Menteith near Stirling on September 15 when Keith Renton skippers the side and he is from the Borders. Stewart Barclay from Midlothian, plus Marklow and McCabe are also in the side.

Kingdom king

Elsewhere, Stenhouse near Burntisland hosted the first of three heats in the Kingdom Fly Championship and a cold snap meant a slow start with the boats at the West End enjoying a slightly better sport.

A rise in temperature saw fish into buzzers before lunch and trout were caught regularly in all areas. After lunch, the wind switched from the east and strengthened and that ended buzzer fishing for most. Many switched to pulling lures but Paul Merrifield persevered with buzzers and he took first place with 12 fish for 25lb 10oz. One fish behind was Darren Haxton with 24lb 4oz and Allan McLachlan was third with nine fish for 22lb 9oz.

The places for the remaining qualifiers was tight and, in the end, last place was decided by one ounce. Qualifying for the final at Stenhouse on June 10 are the top three plus Brian Able, Stevie Bathgate, Gordon Fisher, David Stark, Jamie Herd, Allan Szary (cor) and Shaun Halleron. Heat two is on April 29 at Eden Springs near Cupar and there are still places available.

15.9lb rainbow trout

In West Lothian, Drumtassie Trout Fishery near Blackridge continues to fish well, just ask regular Sean Le Blond. He has upped his personal best twice in two weeks at the popular venue. He hooked into an 11.5lb rainbow trout on one visit and followed-up two days later with one of 15.9lb. Both were caught on self-tied flies after his mum bought him a fly tying kit at Christmas. And experienced angler Eric Cook was among other anglers who totalled big numbers during one session, landing nine using a wotsit pattern.

Pottishaw is also fishing well and various methods are working from lures to dry flies to wet flies. Ewan Taylor hooked into 17 fish on straight line buzzers and diawl bach with fish around the 7lb mark. The biggest was a brown trout around 10lb.

Linlithgow Loch continues to fish well and hosts a fly fishing competition on Sunday, May 14 hosted by the Forth Area Federation of Anglers (FAFA). The event is open to all and entry is £30. The first prize is a £100 voucher at Glasgow Angling Centre, second a £75 voucher and third a £50 voucher. The heaviest fish prize is a £25 voucher and fishing is from 9am to 4pm. Contact the FAFA on [email protected]

Buzzers best

Best catches recently have gone to anglers using floating, midge tips and fast glass lines and best flies include blobs, buzzers, black and green lures, cats, cormorants, damsels, muskins and snake patterns. The water is crystal clear which reflects the catches and Craig Cowan returned 37 rainbows using a floating line with buzzers and fabs. Nigel Muckle and his boat partner returned 20 fish mostly on buzzers while Ian Dobbie returned 22 fish including a brownie around 6lbs.

Outings included North Berwick Angling Club, who kept 12 fish and returned 15 trout and two pike, while Rosyth Civil Service kept 47 fish and Ferranti AC had 13 fish. Up the hill, Bowden Springs continues to produce double-figure fish. A Barrett had 13 on buzzer and FAB and I Telford had ten on buzzer with a best of 10lb.

Regular Alan Purvis popped in for a short evening session and had seven on cormorant and diawl bach in two hours. The bait pond is also fishing well with Jack Montgomery having four fish for 12lb and regular Robert Laing had three for over 10lb.

At Black Loch, Edinburgh Post Office, Penicuik , Fife Fire & Rescue have all recently visited. Cormorant, boobies, damsels and buzzers have been the favoured patterns so far and all areas around the loch have been productive.

Menteith events

The Scottish Open Fly Fishing Championship is on at the Lake of Menteith on Saturday, September 2 with a £20 entry fee plus fishing costs. The event is fished to Scottish Club Championship rules. Contact the fishery for more information.

The lake also hosted the first round of the Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championships and 208 fish were caught by 52 entrants. Top rod was Ronald Gilbert of Thalassa AC which has members in the Lothians. He had 12 fish for 23lb 5oz.

Scott Pozzi from the Rainbow AC, mainly based in Fife, was second with 11 fish for 20lb 4oz and Ally Middlemass (Dalziel) was third win nine fish for 18lb 13oz. The top 26 qualified for the semi-final including last year's winner, Tyler Hay (Lintrathen AC) and Derek Marklow (Loanhead and District).

On to sea fishing and Torness worker Alan Brown from West Barns is the new chairman of the Bass Rock Shore Angling League. The former club secretary steps up after previous chairperson, Craig Ogilvie, stepped down. The appointment was made at the club's annual meeting in the Golfers Rest, North Berwick, and James Ogilvie, the secretary, said the club will be running ten Summer League matches.

Membership remains at £20 with entry to each match costing £10. There is a 100 per cent pay out at each match. The first leg is a pegged match on Wednesday, April 26, at a venue still to be decided. Registration will be at 6pm with fishing from 7pm to 10pm.

Membership is now due and can be paid to Barry McEwan at the first match and James added: "Our members come from all over the Lothians and Edinburgh and the aim of the club is to encourage more people into fishing and to develop their skills."

Coarse angling

Brian Docherty won the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling League's second Summer Series match at Orchill near Auchterarder and the weather was described as "lovely" for fishing with no rain and light wind. Docherty weighed in with over 14lb. Bill Hamilton landed two carp for 13lb 4oz to take second second place and Sandy McKay was third with three carp for 11lb 4oz.

The next match is on April 29. Trade to finish and the Rio Midge Tip was introduced 20 years ago but the new series is said to offer increased versatility.