Night League ends with shining performances
There was some excellent fishing at Swanswater this week with conditions varying from cold and windy to frosty and bright but always with a cool breeze at some point during the day.
For the first time in a couple of weeks, since the weather turned really cold again, the fish moved away from the Dam and were moving around the pond much more.
As soon as there was a little bit of heat in the air, the fish moved away from the dam and over towards the island.
On Saturday they also moved round the back of the island before returning to the dam as soon as it got cold again. Early in the day they were to be found around six feet deep but came up in the water as the day went on and were being taken around two to three feet down.
Some superb Rainbows and Browns in the 5lb to 7lb were landed this week and plenty of Blues, Golds and Tigers also feature in the catch returns.
Ally Mccoist, Cat’s Whisker, Dancer, Diawl Bach, Cormorant, Buzzer, Peacock and Silver, and Black Nymph were the most successful fly patterns. On the bait pond, where the fish also moved from deep down to around two feet as the day went on, spinning and green power bait were the best methods.
The fishery is open from 8am to 7pm every day except Thursday it closes at 2.30pm.
A selection of the best bags from the fly ponds included Henry Fulton 7lb 2oz Steelhead Rainbow; David Stapleton two for 10lb including 7lb Rainbow and a Gold; Willie Nyguist four for 14lb 8oz including 6lb 8oz Rainbow and a Gold plus four caught and released (C&R) including a Gold and four for 11lb 12oz including 4lb 8oz Rainbow plus three C&R including two Golds.
Callum Mcmillan 6lb 8oz Brown; Kyle Crossan 5lb 4oz Brown; Calen Mclachlan five for 16lb including a Gold and a Blue plus three C&R and four for 11lb 8oz including a Gold and a Blue plus six C&R; Danny Doherty five for 12lb 10oz including a Blue, a Gold and a Tiger plus five C&R; Michael Baxter four for 14lb plus 12 C&R including three Browns; Frank Barr four for 11lb; Henry Thomson four for 9lb 8oz including two Golds; Paul Casci three for 8lb including a Blue.
Jamie Mclaughlan three for 8lb; Jimmy Mccutcheon three for 7lb 4oz including a Blue and a Gold; Jim Spiers two for 5lb 12oz including a Gold plus two C&R; Callum Clive two for 5lb 12oz from the
Millpond including 3lb 12oz Gold; Mike Luti two for 5lb 4oz including a Tiger; Cliff Puttock 4lb 8oz Brown.
John Thomson 16 C&R; Rosinski 14 C&R including a Tiger, a Blue and a Gold; Kimin Smith 12 C&R; Fraser Redpath and Dale Adams seven C&R; David Goss six C&R including a Gold and a Brown; Darren Clelland six C&R; Ryan Laird five C&R; Callum Allardice four C&R including two Golds and a Brown; John Duncan and Jim Mcguffie both four C&R.
Amongst those doing well on the bait pond were Luxley Arthur five for 10lb including four Blues; James Wotherspoon two for 4lb;
Scott Young two Golds for 3lb 12oz; Lewis Miller three for 5lb 4oz including a Blue and a Tiger; Jamie Ramage three for 6lb including two Golds; Alan Sneddon three for 6lb; Steven Keatch and family five for 9lb including two Golds; Logan Gibson three for 6lb 4oz including two Blues; Jordan Baxter three for 8lb 12oz including a Blue; Scott Douglas two for 4lb.
The 2022 Forth Valley Night Orienteering League concluded in spectacular fashion with a twilight race on the toughest terrain in the UK.
Competitors made their way to the Trossachs for the first time in 15 years, and as a concession to the difficulty of the area which saw half of the starters in a daytime race in December fail to finish, the race began as night fell, with runners having the added challenge of deciding when to turn on their headlamps.
Sam Hunt posted a famous victory on the Long course, coming home in 35.33, with a blistering back half featuring five of the quickest seven splits to become the youngest winner of a night race in six years. Chris Godfree was second in a sprint finish (38.35), one second ahead of Kieran Watts.
The Short course victor was another first-time winner, Alex Daley (38.58), with Mark Holliday (40.44) and Robert Neil (43.27) claiming the minor placings.
In the overall standings, the Night King is, once again, Graham Gristwood - his sixth championship in eight years of competition. Graham had the league sewn up after six weeks,
LAKE OF MENTEITH FISHERIES
Lures have been working with the best catches on buzzers. One boat had 30 and another had 24 using this method on the road shore and all over.
Roger Drapper had a good fish on a blob on the Western AC outing and Derek Marklow had a nice brace in his catch – on a cruncher.
Plenty of ospreys about and it looks like mild weather is on its way. although Alasdair Mcleod came mighty close to overturning him with a string of wins in the latter stages of the campaign, and finished just one point behind. James Hammond was third on 480 points and was the leading junior athlete.
There was only one eligible competitor in the battle to be crowned Queen of Winter, but that doesn’t diminish Bryony Mcleod’s achievement, as she added the Night League title to her 2021 WEE success.
The ladies led the way on the Short course, with four in the top six on the distaff side, and there was fierce competition to be named Twilight Princess, but Scarlett Kelly’s five wins on the spin in 2022 put the result beyond doubt. Heather Thomson logged three victories, and was 10 points behind, and 2020 champion Rachel Kirkland took 3rd place this time, with 420 points.
Robert Neil battled hard throughout the campaign, and is the new Prince of Darkness, as he held off the challenge of up-and-coming juniors Matthew Inman and Alexander Hunt.
There were enough Novice races this year to form a full card, and the inaugural winner of the Little Star title is Steve Scott, but only by virtue of outlasting all challengers, most of whom moved on to longer courses during the season.
Stirling County are throwing their gates open for next week’s first FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series match against Ayrshire Bulls at Bridgehaugh.
All tickets for the match are FREE and available on https://bit.ly/3kpqyg3.
Gates will open at 3pm for a 4.30pm kick-off and as well as a feast of top class rugby there will be street food catering, churros, cheerleaders from Stirling University, face painting and an inflatables park.
Hospitality will also be available. To book, email emma@stirlingcounty-rfc. co.uk. Cost is £30 members and £35 non- members. Hospitality must be booked by April 19.