Heat winners receive £100 and the top eight qualify in each heat leading to a semi-final at Lake of Menteith on Saturday, August 13 and final at Harelaw near Glasgow on Sunday, September 11.
It’s been tough going this season as Quinn confirmed that the heat scheduled for Morton Fishings was cancelled because the fishery near Mid Calder closed and Black Loch and Linlithgow Loch heats failed to generate enough interest.
Another local heat is in the diary for Glencorse near Edinburgh on Sunday, June 12, and others are scheduled at Harelaw Fishery near Glasgow on Sunday, May 22, Lintrathen Loch, near Kirriemuir in Angus, on Saturday, June 4, Loch Leven in Fife on Saturday, June 18, and Frandy Fishery near Dollar, on Sunday, July 3, but the self-employed gardener admitted: “Initially, I hoped to raise £10,000-plus this year, but there is no way I’m going to make that.”
The self-employed gardener said: “My original idea was to spread 12 heats around Scotland so anglers local to that area would come, but it has not worked out that way. In the last few years I’ve raised £7,500 for the Scottish youth fly fishing team but, due to these hard times, I’m finding it a challenge to fill heats.”
Glasgow-based Quinn stressed has no children involved with the team, but he fund-raises because he loves fishing and wants to see Scotland do well at international level. The 16-strong Scottish team will compete in the Home International against Ireland, England and Wales on July 27 at Loch Lene on the Irish north/south border. The costs is in the region of £20,000 for a full team and four officials.
Quinn added: “I try to do my bit and all the money I raise goes to help cover travel, hotels, tuition, get-togethers and practice days.”
James Litster, team manager for Scotland Youth, said that Quinn does an “amazing job” and his work is really appreciated by officials and the parents who still may sill have to pay up to £300 for their youngster to compete. If you want to take part in a heat ring Quinn on 07900 122 195.
Meanwhile, the Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland (PAAS) were due to hold the first of their five league matches in the Daiwa Prorex Lure League series at the Lake of Menteith on Friday (May 6). Five other legs are planned, two at Linlithgow Loch (May 27 and August 5) and two at Black Loch near Falkirk (June 5 and June 26) and you only can compete if you join PAAS. Information is on their webpage at https://esoxscotland.co.uk
Still with coarse angling and four Scots, including James Dornom from Currie and Davie Corcoran from Davidson’s Mains, Edinburgh, have just returned from the WalterLand Masters in Hungary. The quartet, which also included James Woodrow from near Cumbernauld and Gus Brindle from Dunfermline, the chairman of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, finished 37th out of 43 teams and Woodrow admitted it was a tough three days, but he can’t wait to go back to the annual venue in Szeged.
The car mechanic said: “It was a truly awesome event on what must be the best venue in Europe and it was incredibly well-run. Yes, it was a long drive home – two days – but I am already looking forward to returning.”
James had a “mega” third day, incidentally, catching over 23kg of carp and he was second in his section behind English angler James Dent who weighed in over 25kg.
Locally, members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club hold the third leg of their summer series and the round of 32 in the Knockout Cup at Orchill, near Auchterarder, on Saturday.
Products now, and Daiwa UK based in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, have launched a Matchman three-piece pellet waggler rod with lengths from 10ft to 13ft and two-piece method feeder rods from 9ft to 12ft starting at £44.99. Angling Times said of the 9ft feeder: “You won’t find anything better than this.”
On to sea fishing and the Bass Rock Shore Angling League have presented the Royal National Lifeboat Institution with a cheque for over £200 raised from donations and also money raised from an open competition.
The club started their ten-match summer league this week after the first heat was postponed because of the conditions at Bellhaven Beach which organiser James Ogilvie said was unfishable.
Eyemouth-based Aquamarine Charters are back in operation after a boat refit and anglers have already enjoyed a good run of cod. Spaces are available at weekends. Ring Derek Anderson on 07860 804316.
Fly fishing now and Ross Carnegie won the first heat of the Kingdom fly Championship at Stenhouse with a weight of 30lb 2oz. He pocketed £75 in vouchers from Snowbee and a Scierra floating fly line.
Second was Alan Martin with 28lb 10oz and third Scott Mudie only three ounces behind with Shaun Halleron fourth on 27lb 2oz and Allan McLachlan fifth on 24lb 13oz.
Darren Barcik tempted the biggest fish of the day at 3lb 8oz and he won £50 in vouchers from Snowbee and the only female competitor, Nicola Carnegie, weighed-in with 15lb 6oz.
Phally Cowan, who won the recent Scierra Pairs event at the lake, totalled 8lb 7oz and 175 fish were caught during a day in which the last few hours saw a large number of fish caught at the Kirkcaldy end of the loch in the shallower water. Two other heats are planned at Eden Springs on Sunday, May 22 and Ballo Reservoir on Saturday, June 11.
Elsewhere, The Black Loch near Falkirk reports that 52 rods were out, 78 fish were kept and 204 returned. Favourite fly patterns included buzzer, cormorant, damsel and diawl bachs.
Dry flies are also producing with floating lines, midge tip and Di3 lines favoured. Among clubs who visited this week, Aberdour Angling Cub killed 62 and returned 12, Heriots returned 55. The latest stocking was due last Thursday.
At Bowden Springs, Linlithgow, Paul Dancer tempted ten to black app during a session and James Mollon hooked into an 8lb rainbow and 6lb blue on yellow dancer while Billy Wilson had eight with a best of 8lb on buzzer.
Evening fishing started this week at the Lake of Menteith and and it is buzzertastic according to manager Quint Glen with the water fishing at its best so far this season. Boat catches in the 30s are fairly common, he said, and Alec Rennie’s boat had 49 plus a roach, two perch and a pike all on buzzers, straight lining and Scott Caven 18 on dry flies. Stewart Inglis netted 37 and his nephew had 16. Inglis said: “It was the best buzzer fishing I have ever had.”
Allandale Tarn near West Calder report superb sport with the mild, overcast weather keeping the fish feeding all day. Dry flies and various nymphs have been consistent catchers along with white squirmy with anglers netting 20-plus fish in their sessions. Owner Iona Allan is busy tying more white squirmy for anglers eager to join in the fun.
Harlaw head bailiff Steven Oliver reports excellent fishing with buzzer, black lures, FAB, Montana and boobies all producing with slow retrieve proving profitable and he said the fish seem to be in the top few feet. Robert Ross, company secretary of Malleny Angling, had 12 in midweek.
Loganlea has produced good sport and Rosslynlee near Penicuik has been busy and so has Tweeddale near Gifford where owner John Jackson re-stocked ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend. Anglers have been rewarded with Eggstacy patterns with two legs producing good bags.
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