New late date for Scottish Open fly fishing contest holds allure - Nigel Duncan

It will be first-come, first-served for the event on October 24, later in the season in the hope that the fish come out to pay.

A prize fund will be confirmed soon and Quint Glen, fishery manager at the lake, said that the former date in August tended to coincide with warmer weather, not conducive to catching fish.

The venue now has 38 boats plus a Wheelyboat for disabled anglers and the official opening of the water this year will be next Saturday, March 14.

Fishing is still going on, but the prime season for the popular venue is the spring, summer and autumn.

Meanwhile, the lake will also host a heat of the Greys Team Lochstyle team event on April 25. The event started two years ago with a lottery for places but has become so popular that there will now be three heats around the country.

The final remains at the lake on September 4 and 5 and the event was launched there in 2024. Record catches were made and, over the two days, 948 fish were caught. Word spread fast and interest in the event increased from all over the United Kingdom.

A straight final was held last year, also hosted by the lake, but the organisers again received an “overwhelming” number of applications hence the new format.

Prize money last year totalled £7,400 and the lochstyle competition is for teams of four over two days to international fly-fishing rues, with the winning team determined by the largest combined catch.

Tartan Tyers were the winners last year, taking gold with a total of 102 fish and a weight of 208lb 10oz, and the individual top rod was Scottish international, Tyler Hay (Kingennie FF) with a consistent performance of 15 fish per day.

Incidentally, the lake is also well known for its big pike – and congratulations to Graeme Strang who landed a 31lb fish on a 30cm rubber shad recently while fishing with the Menteith Pike lure club which is now in its second year.

Glen said the demand for lure fishing appears to be massive, but they have limited the pike club to two outings this season.

The Fastmail Tackle Pairs is another popular national event and three Scottish venues are earmarked for four heats, two of them at Glencorse in the Pentland Hills above Flotterstone.

The event opens at Knockaderry Lake, County Limerick, Ireland, on Saturday, March 14 and the final heat is at Glencorse in mid-July.

The other Scottish dates are at Harelaw near Neilston on Sunday, April 12; Glencorse on Sunday, April 26; Lake of Menteith, near Stirling, on Sunday, June 7 and back at Glencorse on Sunday, July 19.

Entry is £50 a pair for the first entry followed by £30 per pair for following heats.

The final is due to be held at Lyn Brenig in North Wales, in the Denbigh Moors and on the border between Conway and Denbighshire, and is one of the best top-of-the-water trout fisheries in the UK.

Prize money is over £3,500, with prizes for the top ten from the event sponsor and the organisers advise anglers to move quickly as, in previous years, places have been snapped up as this is one of the prime events of the fly-fishing calendar.

Locally, Linlithgow Loch re-opened for the season on Sunday, March 1 and the venue’s 20 boats have all been re-furbished over the winter.

The Forth Area Federation of Angers (FAFA), who administer the water, host their Spring competition on Sunday, May 10, and are encouraged by the number of entries received so far. It is for open to all keen fly fishers, according to secretary Tom Lambert.

Entry is £30 with a first prize of £100, second £75 and third £50, with a heaviest fish award of £25.

Fishing is from 9am to 4pm and all boats must be docked or be ready to dock by 4pm. Any boats not docked will be disqualified.

Anyone interested is urged to contact the FAFA through their email at [email protected] with their name. The organisers will then provide you with the bank details for payment.

A £10 deposit is required and full payment must be made by Saturday, April 11 or your place will be allocated to the next person on the waiting list.

On to sea fishing and the sixth and final leg of the Edinburgh New Year Shore League is at Newhaven West on March 6. Registration is from 6m to 6.15pm and fishing is from 7pm to 10pm at Western Harbour Breakwater EH6 6PA.

Newhaven is, undoubtedly, one of the most popular of the venues used in the competition sponsored by the Edinburgh Angling Centre, The Fishing Megastore and Cow & Rawle, because it continues to produce fish, but it can be slippy so using studded boots is highly advised.