England hook autumn title at Lake of Menteith

Team England dominated the Autumn Fly Fishing International at the LAKE OF

MENTEITH last Friday. Their tally of 101 trout for 4214.2 points was 36 fish clear of their nearest rival.

Conditions were mainly bright during the initial practice days with the wind becoming squally and colder as the week progressed.

On the last practice day the methods that had been successful on the previous two days did not produce nearly as many trout and Team England adapted to this change to set themselves up for the gold medal on match day.

The competition was entirely catch and release with the first three trout caught by each competitor being measured and released.

An allowance of 40cm was given for all additional trout caught.

Team England had the best catch, the top individual rod and the heaviest fish.

Captain Iain Barr led the way with the best basket of 17 fish for 702 points, closely followed by team mate Martin Burgess with 17 for 684.3 points.

Iain also had the largest fish which was measured at 64cms.

This was a good all round performance by England who had six individual rods in the top eight and the 65 fish for 2758.1 points caught by their top six would have been good enough to win the match.

Wales, Ireland and Scotland were only separated by two trout, with Wales taking the silver medal with 65 fish for 2757.3 points.

Ireland were third with 64 for 2730.8 points and Scotland were fourth with 63 for 2711 points.

Top individual rod for Scotland was Ray Anderson with nine trout for 368.5 points.

Top rod for Ireland was Eoin Dunn with eight trout for 336.6 points and top for Wales was Martyn Bratton with seven trout for 293.1 points. ORCHILL FISHERY. It was a quiet week due to the poor weather but the anglers who were fishing have been catching plenty of trout on dry fly, buzzers and a wide variety of lures all on the top or just under the surface.

On Saturday the Goth FFC landed 43 fish for 131lbs 7ozm, with Billy Weir having the heaviest basket with four fish for 16lbs on Buzzers.

Allan McQueen came second with four for 14lbs.

Bobby Scotland, Stirling, caught a cracking fish weighing 7lbs 8oz on an Orange Blob, while Jimmy Linton caught four for 11lbs 12oz on a Daddy, Harry Graham, Glenrothes, one for 8lbs on a Wotsit and H McLean (Oban) caught three for 8lbs 12oz on Hoppers.

It was a great week again at

FRANDY

FISHERY with numerous good baskets.

Billy Thomson (Auchterarder) caught five fish for 14lb, Sandy Forgan and Ian Andrews, Broughty Ferry, five for 12lb 8oz, and Bill Ramage, Alva, four for 10lb and released a further five.

Brian and Xin Xin Cameron, Menstrie, took four weighing 10lb, Gerry Grattan, Clackmannan, nine for 26lb and George Rose and Brian Smart, Scone, had six weighing 15lb.

On the club front Pentland Civil Service AC had 44 weighing 98lb 12oz and released seven, Ferry Fly Dressers AC 26 for 57lb 12oz and Stanley AC kept 20 weighing 44lb 2oz.