Campbell set for Scotland debut

Campbell, the retail manager of the Edinburgh Angling Centre and organiser of the popular Edinburgh Winter Shore Angling League, is excited by the prospect.

The Falkirk-based angler said: “I’ve been fishing since I was 11 and last year was the first I tried to qualify for the national team.”

And 60-year-old Campbell added: “Scotland won gold last year and it is a hard act to follow with world-class anglers against us, but we have a good team with experienced anglers in it.”

Scotland debutant Ian Campbell at Granton

Also selected is Easthouses-based angler, Mike Kyle, who returns to the team which includes Bruce McLean from Stranraer.

Campbell is joined by two other members of the East Fife club, David Cargill (Dundee) and Chris Horn (Kircaldy) the captain.

Montrose-based James Duncan, also an East Fife member, is the team manager for the event on July 3 and 4.

Mike Horn, president of the organisers, the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers, confirmed that venues are determined on the day, but are scheduled to be storm beaches in the Montrose/Arbroath area and the River Tay Estuary in Dundee.

He said: “When wind and tide combine, it can be hard fishing.”

Frozen black lug, mackerel fillets and whole peeler crab will be supplied to all competitors and Kirkcaldy-based Horn added: “Teams will start arriving on Saturday, giving them practice on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

“No fishing is allowed on the competition beaches on Tuesday. The opening ceremony will be held that day and the match is on Wednesday and Thursday from 10am with start times staggered for juniors, youth, ladies and men’s teams.

”Flounders and dabs are likely to be the main species caught and warm weather is predicted until the match.”

Elsewhere, St Serfs have changed the venue for their shore league match on Sunday, June 30.

They will now fish Tayport and registration will be between 12.45pm and 1pm at the playpark car park with fishing from 1.30pm to 6pm.

Stuart Harris won the club’s first midweek match with 36 points with Rab Kelly second on 33 points and Gordon McKay third on 15 points. The next midweek match on July 10.

Pleasure fishing enthusiasts have been out in force at various shore locations chasing mackerel, but it was at sea that the fish were really sourced.

Derek Anderson of Eyemouth-based Aquamarine Charters, reported a bumper catch. He has six-hour trips scheduled from 7.45am on Saturday and Sunday. Forth Sea Safaris of Burntisland are starting their trips next week.

The last semi-final in the Scottish National Trout Fly Fishing Championship is at the Lake of Menteith today (Friday, June 28), and a number of anglers from the Lothian and Borders, including Kenni Hope from Hawick and Ross Carnegie (West Lothian), qualified in the fourth semi-final at Harelaw near Glasgow.

Penicuik-based, Tom MacTaggart, secretary of the organisers, Scottish Anglers National Association, Competition Clubs, said the 30 anglers caught 161 trout and top rod with ten fish for 20lb 9.10oz was Calum Clark of Firecats. He took his fish on dries.

Second, also with ten fish, for 19lb 15.3oz, was James Simpson (Dounreay) who pulled boobies and foam daddies. Brian Fletcher of Kilbirnie AC was third with ten fish for 19lb 11.6oz on dries.

The third semi-final at the Lake of Menteith, saw Alan Steven (Bo’ness), Jock Kettles (Poltonhall), Bruce Chisholm (Duns), plus Edinburgh duo, Derek Purves and Robert Ewing qualify.

Nearly 40 anglers competed, catching 267 trout. Top rod was Robbie Gibson (Balfron Piscatorials) who netted 19 fish for 39lb 6.9oz casting cormorant and dry flies.

Alan Steven (Tartan Tyers) was second with 13 fish for 28lb 0.7oz and the defending champion, Fife-based Derek Pozzi, was third with 13 fish for 26lb 14.9oz.

Elsewhere, Newlands Tweedale Fishery near Gifford reports that G Hall from the Tweedmouth and Spittal Club caught 48 fish during the first outing since it re-opened. He used damsel, nymph and dry patterns and the club bagged a total of 88 fish.

On another day, Bobby Boyd from Dalkeith had 18, John Angus from Alnwick totalled 17 on lures and cormorant, Mark Learmonth from Haddington had 15 on dries with Brian Jackson (Alnwick) and John Smith (Hawick) both tempting 14.

Mikey Fisher and Mark Johnston had 25 to the boat at Glencorse using hot head damsel on a Di3 line close to the bank.

Over the Pentland Hills, Ronnie Robinson and Robert Ross both had 11 and Alan Stead nine during sessions at Harlaw near Balerno with CDC, sedge, daddies and small damsel nymphs among the best patterns.

Bowden Springs near Linlithgow report that Jamie Macrae had 15 on egg and wotsit patterns and regular Iain Telford had ten on nymphs while Ronnie Green hooked an 11lb brown and Alistair Reid netted a 10lb brown.

Alex Penman had 47 to the boat at Millhall near Polmont and, at Linlithgow Loch, buzzer, candy booby, diawl bach, muskin and orange blobs and FAB have been best patterns. Gavin Dunn was among the most successful anglers with 11 in one session.

Two anglers caught nearly 100 fish during their coarse fishing session at Drumtassie near Blackridge. Another angler had over 30 during his visit.

Elsewhere, Bruce Lawrie won Match Day Four in the Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club’s (ELCAC) summer league with a bag of 17lb 2oz with Geoff Lowe second with 16lb 6oz.

Mark Gleave, last year’s champion, failed to get a bite and hopes for better luck tomorrow (Saturday, June 29) in the next match. Edinburgh-based Lowe leads the race for the title with Darrin Ferguson second with Jimmy Jones third.

In the second round of the Knockout Cup, Ferguson beat Gleave, John Parella beat Jones, Andrew Roberts edged David Mulholland, Rosalind Cassidy beat Gordon McKay and Shug Smith beat Dougie Campbell.

Nationally, Kieran Marsden won the Daiwa Pole Masters at Tunnel Barn Farm with a total weight of 418lbs 6oz, with Scott McGhee, a member of ELCAC, 34th with 198lb 8oz.

Another Scot, James Woodrow, was in 45th place with 244lb 13oz. Dave Corcoran from Edinburgh came in 48th with 208lb 6oz with Gus Brindle from Dunfermline, chairman of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, finished in 86th with 176lb 11oz.