Sea angling makes tentative plans for return in Scotland

Six competitions are planned from March to October, including a two-day match on Tayside, and three other events are also listed on the competitive programme published on social media.

The SFSA season opener is pencilled in for March 7 and it is a cod open event in the Arbroath area followed by the SFSA Spring Open at Riverside Drive in Dundee on April 10.

The SFSA Angus Beaches event follows on May 2, with the two-day SFSA Open on June 19 and 20 at Riverside Drive in Dundee.

July 18 is pencilled in for the East Fife Open, with an individual members competition on August 7. No venue has been intimated as yet.

The popular Clyde and West Open event is set for August 29 - no venue yet - with the SFSA Erskine Open following on September 26.

Finally, the SFSA Flounder Championship closes the SFSA-organised season on October 3 at Lunan Bay, one of the finest beaches in Angus with a magnificent sweep of sand. Lunan Bay, by the way, is to the north of Inverkeilor on the A92 between Arbroath and Montrose.

Provisional dates have also been set for two non-SFSA events. The Loch Ryan Shore Open is on September 11 and 12 and the popular East Coast match, the Iain Reid Memorial, on November 6 and 7. The Saturday fishing times are between 10am and 2pm and on Sunday they are between 11am and 3pm.

Mike Horn, the association's chairman, said: "What a year 2020 has been, virtually no matches, travel limitations and Covid-19 restrictions that changed almost daily.

"Whilst we haven’t managed to meet anglers at competitions and on the beaches this year, the Federation has been really busy behind the scenes representing angling alongside our partners from coarse and game in Angling Scotland.

"We have worked with Sportscotland, Scottish Government and the other advisory bodies to be able to post guidance on where, how and when you can get back out fishing."

He revealed that within the executive committee they now have fully trained Covid-19 officers who are happy to be linked with member clubs so that they are fully compliant and meet Government legislation around all sporting groups.

Covid restrictions, he said, have hit the sport. The popular Winter Heaviest Cod event run by Fife-based Mike and his son Chris has been postponed. Chris said that the competition could run into April to complete the seven scheduled rounds. Three have been completed.

The SFSA hopes to kick-start boat competitions this year and the first provisional event is the West of Scotland Open on March 27 March from Loch Etive.

There has been a recent boost for Scotland's junior anglers. All their international events were cancelled last year, however, the governing bodies have changed the rules for 2021 to allow juniors who would have qualified last year but are now over the age limit to be able to compete at the scheduled Home Nations in England in July and the World Championship in Ireland in October.

Over to fly fishing and Scierra Pairs heats are scheduled to start on Sunday, March 14 at Grafham Water in England and dates in Scotland are Lake of Menteith near Stirling on Sunday, April 25, Glencorse above Flotterstone in the Pentland Hills on Friday, May 28, Harlaw at Neilston, Glasgow, on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6, Black Loch near Limerigg in Central Scotland on Sunday, June 27. The second event at Glencorse on Sunday, August 1 is full.

Phil Dixon, the organiser, said that the Grand Final has been fixed for Sunday, September 19, at Rutland Water.

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