Over&trout
WHAT makes trout “turn off” when in perfect conditions and they’re on the surface rising but just won’t look at anything?
I’ve experienced this many times and can’t really figure it out.
It might be atmospheric conditions; what’s presented to them isn’t what they are feeding on; they are being spooked all the time; or they have seen it all before.
That’s the way it was on the Lake of Menteith during Heat 6 of the Scottish Club Championship.
With plenty fish rising and showing only a bit of interest they just wouldn’t take what the anglers had to offer.
Twenty-seven experienced anglers representing nine clubs landed only 38 fish for a weight of 89lb.
There were eight blanks and a catch of five was enough to become top rod of the session.
That honour went to St Boswells Newton and District’s Grant Gibson, a twice capped Rivers Internationalist who resumed his interest in loch fishing again after a lay-off.
Grant’s five fish weighed 11lb 14.6oz, and when added to a brace landed by team-mate Billy Braithwaite and a single trout for team IT’S the start of tope time in the south west of Scotland and here’s a beauty to prove it.
Lesmahagow angler Scott Lindsay caught this beauty while fishing out of Luce Bay on the sea angling charter boat, Onyer Marks. Scott, right, with skipper Dan tempted the tope with half a mackerel on a legered wire trace fished on 50lb braid.
Congratulations Scott, you will shortly be receiving details of your fantastic tackle prize courtesy of top UK tackle makers, Daiwa, our Fish of the Week sponsors. mate Dave Wright, it turned out to be the best club basket of the night.
The eight fish landed by the St Boswells and Newton team tipped the scales at 18lb 10.3oz.
The runners-up were Caurnie AC with eight fish for 17lb 1.3oz, and in third place was Bothwell & Blantyre AC “A” with six fish for 13lb 5.8oz
These three teams now go forward to the first semifinal on August 18. The top five anglers on the night go through to the Champion of Champions final. They are:
High Tide High Tide ABERDEEN 07.16:20.11 08.18:21.18 Fraserburgh, sub 1h.5m. Wick, sub. 2h.8m. Inverness sub. 1h.18m. Lossiemouth, sub. 1h.40. Stonehaven , add 10m. Peterhead, sub. 40m. DUNDEE 08.41:21.29 09.42:22.34 Arbroath, sub. 44m. Perth, add 51m. Montrose, sub. 41m GREENOCK 06.05:18.51 07.01 19.53 Ayr, sub. 20m. Troon, sub. 19m. Stranraer. Sub. 20m. Campbeltown, sub.22m. LEITH 08.25:21.16 09.27:22.23 Eyemouth, sub. 20m. Bo’ness, add 13m. Grangemouth, add 31m. Methil, sub. 9m. OBAN 12.00:00.44 13.13: - Ullapool, add 1hr. 27m. Stornoway, add 1hr. 17m. Mallaig, add 29m. Loch Beag, sub. 58m. 1. Grant Gibson with five fish for 11lb 14.6oz. 2. Jackie Naismith, Bothwell and Blantyre, three fish for 7lb 1.8 oz. 3. Paul Gliwinski, Caurnie AC, three fish for 6lb 14.7oz. 4. Alasdair Mair, three fish for 6lb 9.7oz. 5. Jim Twaddle, three fish for 6lb 4.7oz.
The best fish of the night fell to Chris Mulholland, of Avonbank AC – a lovely 4lb 1.1oz rainbow.
Grant said: “It was warm and overcast with a good ripple, perfect conditions. But the trout were switched off.”
Grant’s fish were caught with the help of a 12-foot slow sinking tip.
He said: “I started with a midge tip but I felt it was fishing too high in the water. As soon as I put on the line with the 12-foot tip I started to get takes.
“My biggest fish was 3lb 9oz.”
Captain of the top club, the top rod and the angler with the biggest fish received a bottle of Loch Lomond Malt from sponsor, Loch Lomond Distillery.
WEEKEND TIDES