SANACC

120th Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship
2012

Heat 10 - Lake of Menteith 31st May



The final heat of the prelims was won by Grant Sutherland of Perth RASC with 10 fish for 21lb 7oz. Scott Miller of Stanley & District AC was second with 9 fish for 19lb 4oz and Peter Batchelor of Mayfield Inn AC was third with 9 fish for 18lb 8oz. The top 29 qualify for the semi finals.

photo: Grant Sutherland, Peter Batchelor and Scott Miller

Heat 9 Lintrathen

The sun continued to shine but that did not deter the trout from feeding in the penultimate heat at Lintrathen. 34 competitors went out and caught 211 fish. The top 17 rods qualified for the semi finals.

Top rod was John of Raemoir Trout Fishers who had 12 fish for 19lb 1oz. John caught his fish on the Rhododendron Shore where he was fishing a blob and nymphs on a fast glass line. Second was Gordon Walder of Saturday AC who had 11 fish for 16lb 10oz. Gordon was also fishing the Rhododenron Shore where he took his first three fish on a mid glass line with a fab and diawl bachs. After his first three he changed the fab for a blob. Third placed was Jim Doyle of Ferry Fly Dressers AC who had 10 fish for 14lb 13oz. Jim caught his fish from the island to Rhododendron Shore on a slow glass and midge tip lines using a tequila blob and crunchers.

photo: Jim Doyle, John Brown and Gordon Walder

Loch Leven Heat - 22nd May

Summer struck with a vengence for the heat at Loch Leven and the 28 competitors were faced with a day under a bright blue sky. However many of the anglers knew how to cope with the conditions and 13 of them caught fish.

Top rod was Tom Burnett of St Mirin AC who had 4 trout for 6lb 9oz. Second was Brian MacKenzie of Rowbank AC with 5 trout for 6lb 5oz and third was Lindsay barrie of D & B FF with 5 trout for 4lb 13oz. All three caught their fish between the North buoy and the fish ponds on mini lures, traditionals and snatchers on DI7 lines. All 13 who caught fish qualified for the semi final.


photo: Brian MacKenzie, Tom Burnett and Lindsay Barrie

HARRAY FISHES WELL FOR SANACC NATIONAL QUALIFIER

Last Sunday saw the 19 anglers who qualified from season 2011 start their bid to qualify to fish for the National team in next year's Home Nations Internationals. Following a prolonged cold spell with incessant northerly winds, the weekend's weather improved slightly and this helped the angling prospects.

At the 10am start, boats scattered to all corners of Harray, from Kirk Bay to Scarataing, a sure sign that fish could be caught anywhere, with no particular hot drifts. Most anglers efforts were concentrated around skerries and their drop offs, but a lack of action put boats into deeper water later in the day, hoping to locate Daphnia feeding fish.

With this being a qualifier for the semi finals, half of the entrants progress, so a top 10 place was required to secure a spot at Lintrathen, Leven,Carron Valley or the Lake of Menteith. Top rod on the day was Ken Kennedy with 15 fish for 12lb 12ozs, closely followed by Kenny McLeod who also had 15 fish for 11lb 5ozs and Norman Irvine with 13 fish for 10lb 9ozs. In no particular order, the other anglers who made it were as follows, Ian Hutcheon, John Leask, Jim Harcus, Jim Adams, Brian Watt, Stewy leslie and Kevin Muir.

photo: Ken Kennedy, Norman Irvine, Kenneth MacLeod

Successful tactics were medium sinking lines with DI5 and DI3 used to great effect and flies were predominately black with Viva, Black Cat, Bibio, Crafty Devil, Naked Spur, Hutch's Pennel accounting for many fish which were mainly feeding on small green midge.
The event was ably organised by Andrew Morgan and stewards Alan Craigie and Fanta. Best of luck goes out to other OTFA members Colin Sutherland and Brian Foreman who were fishing their qualifier on Lintrathen on Wednesday 23rd May and to all Sundays qualifiers in their efforts south.
KK

Heat 6 - Carron 10th May

The 23 competitors who contested heat 6 had to endure a day of constant rain during which the wind steadily increased. However they still managed to net 93 fish and the top 12 qualified for the semi finals.

Top rod was David Mateer of Northern Constabulary FFS who had 7 trout for 11lb 3oz. David worked his way along the bays on the road shore where he took his fish on a dunkeld sparkler, carron rabbit, cat and a small shuggie on a 5 sweep line. Dave Wright of St Boswells, Newton & District AA was second with 8 fish for 10lb 1.5oz. Dave took his fish in Bin Bay and Burnhouse Bay on a dunkeld sparkler, carron rabbit, cat, shuggie and orange blob on a 5 sweep line. Derek Kilgour of Heriot AC was third with 7 trout for 8lb 14.5oz. Derek took his trout in Bin Bay and Burnhouse Bay on an ace of spades, dunkeld sparkler and a shuggie on a DI3.

With the Spring International on Lough Sheelin next week there is a break in the Championship heats and they will resume at Harray on 20th May and Leven on 22nd May.

Heat 5 Lake of Menteith 8th May

It was back back to a cold spring day for heat 5 but that didn't mean a thing to the trout or the fly life. The buzzers were still hatching in large numbers in the Butts and the trout were still there looking to feed on them.

Fifty two competitors took part in the heat and the top twenty six go through to the semi finals. Between them the competitors caught 282 trout of which three were over 4lbs.

Top rod was Ewan Clark (Strathtyrum AC) who had 19 fish for 39lb 1.8oz. Ewan took all his fish in the Butts on cormorant boobies and buzzers fished on a floating line. Second was John Benson (Glasgow Post Office FFC) with 17 fish for 35lb 1oz. John also caught his fish in the Butts on buzzers fished on a Snowbee buzzer line. In third was Ian Wallace (Mayfield Inn AC) who caught his fish in the Heronry where he was straight lining buzzers on a floating line.

The Championship now moves to Carron for heat 6 on Thursday.

photo: Ian Wallace, Ewan Clark and John Benson

Heat 4 Lake of Menteith - 3rd May

Summer arrived at last for heat 4 on Thursday and the competitors were treated to a day in the sun with a light breeze. 57 competitors set out at 9.30am and although some of them found it hard going there were many others who found the right areas and methods to secure good bags. 256 trout were caught of which at least eight were over four pounds. At the weigh-in there many tales of anglers being taken down to the backing by quality trout. The top 28 go through to the semi finals.

Top rod was Dave Downie (D&B Fly-Fishing) who had 15 fish for 31lb 3oz. Dave took all of his fish in Chicken Leg Bay with some falling to buzzers but most were taken on dries.

Second was Laurie Taylor (Rainbow Warriors) who had 13 trout for 28lb 7oz. Laurie caught his fish in the Butts on a candy booby, buzzers and cormorants fished on midge tip line.

Third was James Mackie (Perth Anglers Club) who had 11 trout for 24lb 10oz.

photo: Laurie and Dave

The next heat returns to the Lake of Menteith on Tuesday.

Heat 3 - Carron 1st May

26 competitors took to the boats at Carron for heat 3 on what was to be a cold, bright and blustery day. 106 trout, ranging from 7oz to 9lb 9oz, were caught by the competitors and the top 13 go through to the semi finals. Three newcomers to the Championship made it through to the semis and these included two youngsters in their first year at senior level.

SANACC have an agreement with the Youths that allows juniors who are too old to take up their place in the Scottish Youth International Team to enter the Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship. This year two members of the 2011 Gold Medal Scottish Youth Team who were over-age for the 2012 team took up their places in the National and both went to heat 3. Both of them finished in the top 13 and having qualified for the semi finals are now on route to a possible place in the 2013 senior teams.

Max McInstrey, who captained the 2011 Gold Medal Youth Team, took 3 trout for 5lb 3oz and qualified in 12th place. Max took his trout from three different locations on a carron rabbit fished on a five sweep line.

Robbie Cochrane had 4 trout for 8lb 6oz and qualified in 7th place. Robbie had a superb brown trout of 4lb 15oz which he took from the Road Shore on a mini humungus fished on a DI 3. All trout are capped at 4lb. Robbie's other 3 fish also fell to the same lure on the Road Shore.

photo: Max and Robbie

The third newcomer to qualify for the semis was Alan McLachlan (Bridge of Allan 76 AC) who qualified in 4th place with 5 trout for 11lb 7oz. Included in Alan's four trout was a heavyweight that went to the scales at 9lb 9oz and another jumbo of 7lb 2oz. Both trout for competition purposes were capped at 4lb. All of Alan's trout were caught in Carron Bay and they all fell to a cat fished on a DI 3.

photo: Alan with his two big fish

The newcomers didn't have it all their own way however with the top three places going to three competition regulars. The top rod was Campbell Morgan of Strathleven Fly Fishers who had 11 trout for 13lb 10oz. Campbell took his fish in Burnhouse Bay and Carron Bay on a cat and carron rabbit fished on a DI 7.

In second place was David Tyrie of Norhet AC who had 7 fish for 12lb. David was also down the far end and took his fish in Carron Bay on a shuggy and a sparkler fished on a DI 3.

In third place was Campbell's regular boat partner, Donald Forbes of Strathleven Fly Fishers who had 10 trout for 11lb 7oz. Donald also took his fish in Burnhouse Bay and Carron Bay with a cat and a black/silver lure on a DI 7.


photo: David, Donald and Campbell

Heat 2 - Carron 26th April

Thirty two anglers contested the second heat of the National Championship with the top 16 going through to the semi finals. 102 fish were caught.

On a cold wet and blustery day there were some outstanding fish caught. Keith Renton (Coldstream AC) had a brown trout that went to the scales at 4lb 10oz. Brian Adam (BP AC) had a rainbow of 8lb 3.75oz and Colin McMonagle (Tullibole AC) had a rainbow of 7lb 1oz.

Top rod was Nigel Burns of Crieff FF who netted 12 trout. Nigel took all of his fish in Carron Bay on a mini humungous, clan chief and a cat on a 5 sweep line. In second place was Brian Adam (Bp Angling Club) with 5 fish. Brian took his first fish at the dam and took the others working the bays up to Bin Bay. The trout were taken on a cat and a blob on a DI 3 line. Kenny Hall (Lothian & Borders Police AC) was third with 6 fish. Kenny caught his fish during the afternoon in Bin Bay fishing blobs, carron bunny and cormorants on a DI 3.

photo: Nigel Burns Brian Adam Kenny Hall

The next heat is at Carron next week.

Heat 1 - Lake of Menteith - 24th April

The 2012 Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship got underway at the Lake of Menteith on Tuesday 24th April and there are quite a few newcomers in this years competition. It is good to see new faces being attracted to the Championship and pleasing to see that five newcomers qualified from this heat to go on to the semi finals. Of these five Brian Lockie (Thistle AC) had been unable to put in any practice at Menteith; Gary Mitchell (Dalzell AC) hadn't been on Menteith for three weeks; Brian Duffy (Kahts Whiskers) and
Lenny Young (Kahts Whiskers) practised on Monday and Robbie Hawken (Dounreay FF Association) practised on Sunday and Monday. This Championship is the route to the Scottish Teams that compete in the Home International and these five new competitors show that there are plenty of quality anglers out there who haven't entered but that could do well in this competition and make their way to the Scottish Teams. If you are interested in entering the 2013 Championship please get in touch with Tom MacTaggart at 01968 672015.

Newcomers Brian Lockie Brian Duffy Lenny Young and Gary Mitchel

Practice Makes Perfect for Caithness Anglers

Competitors from the north of Scotland have really come to the fore over the last few years and the five entrants in this years' Championship from Dounreay FF Association and Frozen North AC left nothing to chance in their effort to progress from heat 1 to the semi finals.

Dounreay FF Association representatives Robbie Hawken, Toby Bracey and Tony Chalmers along with Frozen North AC representatives Alan and Kevin Porteous travelled south at the weekend to give themselves the Sunday and Monday to practice on the Lake. The two days of practice led them to the conclusion that fishing buzzers would likely be the answer on competition day and having identifed fish holding areas they were hopeful that some of them would get through to the next round.

It all worked out for them and with buzzers working well on Tuesday their top rod was newcomer to the competition Robbie Hawken who finished in 6th with 11 fish. Toby was 9th with 10 fish; Alan was 10th with 9 fish; Tony was 17th with 8 fish and Kevin was 22nd with 6 fish. All five qualified for the semi finals.

photo: Kevin, Alan, Robbie, Tony & Toby

Summary

Fifty Six competitors took part in heat 1 and the top 28 qualified for the semi finals. A total of 329 fish were caught of which 177 were returned.

Top rod on the day was Kevin McCabe (Change FF AC) who had 21 fish for 44lb 3.8oz. In second place was Allan Smith (Kinross AC) with 13 fish for 28lb 8.4oz and George Learmonth (Falkirk Fly Dressers) was third with 14 fish for 27lb 4.2oz.

Kevin took all his fish from Reedy Bay and Sam's Point where he was fishing buzzers on a midge tip line. Allan also took his fish on buzzers on a midge tip line but spent his day at the Butts. George also took his fish at the Butts and again it was buzzers on floating and midge tip lines.

The Championship moves to Carron on Thursday for heat 2.

photo: George, Allan and Kevin

Heat 1 - Full Result

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