SANACC

2013 Champion of Champions
(Sponsored by Snowbee and Speyburn Highland Single Malt Whisky)
Lake of Menteith
11th October 2013

The Scottish Club Championship Committee wish to thank Snowbee and Speyburn Highland Single Malt Whisky for sponsoring the Champion of Champions competition and also wish to thank, Quint, Douglas and Elma at the Lake of Menteith for helping to make this championship the success that it is.

On the run-up to the 2013 Champion of Champions the country was hit by bitterly cold north winds and with forecasts for cold weather to continue the prospects for competition day did not look good. As the competitors arrived at the Lake of Menteith on Friday 11th October the temperature was hovering around zero but with only a light breeze on the water hopes were rising.

The boats set off just before 10am and with boats heading for all areas of the Lake it was looking like fish had been found all over the Lake. The light breeze gradually picked up before dropping away again near the end of the session and most of the competitors found the fishing hard. However the top 10 or 11 coped better with the conditions and as the boats returned the lodge there were only 5 trout separating the top 6 competitors. The 58 competitors caught 263 rainbows with 159 of them being returned. The 104 rainbows that went to the scales weighed 309lb 9.8oz.

The 2013 Champion of Champions is John Buchanan of Newton Mearns FF who netted 14 fish for 31lb 4oz. John just edged out Bridge of Allan 76 AC angler, Mike Willis who had 15 fish for 30lb 15.8oz. Autumn looks to be the prime time for John as this time last year he won the Brown Bowl at the Autumn International at Llyn Brenig when Scotland took the gold medal and he was also in the Scotland Team that won the gold medal at the Autumn International at the Lake of Menteith last month.

John spent his day in Cages Bay where he drifted along the rope and worked along the west side. He started off with two boobies on a DI3 and stuck with that set-up all day. He had a pseudo cat booby on the top and an olive booby on the point. Most of his fish were taken along the rope and he caught steadily throughout the day with a quiet spell between 1pm and 3pm.

He also had two fish near the tin fence one of which was to be his last cast.

photo: John with his prizes

Mike Willis must be wondering what he has to do win the Champion of Champions. On this occasion he had 15 fish which one more fish than John but his 30lb 15.8oz was beaten by 4ounces. In 2011 he was also second having come up against Peter Auchterlonie in top form.

Like John, he stuck with the same set-up throughout the day but fished higher in the water with a midge tip. On his cast he had red rib diawl bach with a pseudo cat booby on the point.

Mike started his session working about 200 yards off of the Road Shore and took five rainbows on the diawl bach. He found it quiet between noon and 2pm and tried Lochend and Tods Hole where he took one fish before moving on to Hotel Bay where he had 9 on the booby.

photo: Mike Willis

These weren't the only areas that proved to be productive. Bill Ramage who was fifth with 11 fish for 23lb 9.6oz took his fish in Sandy Bay where he fished a cat booby and a green diwal bach on a cortland blue. Shane Kelly who was 6th with 10 fish for 21lb 6.8oz took his fish in the Butts. Shane was fishing a rocket fab, diawl backs and buzzers on a midge tip.

The heaviest fish on the day was a beauty of 5lb 13oz which was taken by Jim Mckinlay of East Kilbride AC. Jim was fishing at the burnmouth in Cages Bay when he hooked his fish. He was fishing quill buzzers and a booby on a slow glass line when he saw the rainbow working its way upwind. He covered it four times before it eventually took the buzzer and made off. It provided a good scrap before being netted.

photo: Jim Mckinlay

There was a tie this year for the heaviest fish caught in the heats and, as far as we know, it is the first time it has happened. The two anglers, Scott Aitken and Kris Laird will each hold the trophy for six months

photo: Kris Laird

photo: Scott Aitken