Sports digest
WATER POLO
Stirling Water Polo’s Murray Dickson has been selected for the Great Britain Under 16 Team to play in the EU Nations tournament in Brno, Czech Republic over the Easter weekend.
This is a deserved recognition for the hard work and dedication that Murray has put into the sport and his selection means that he will be training with the GB squad over the next year aiming for the European Under 17 Championships in 2023.
Murray’s selection follows a successful start to the year for the local club.
Due to Covid, the 2021/22 Scottish Under 19 League was delayed until February and all matches were played within a shortened two month period. Stirling showed excellent form and won all their fixtures and crowned Scottish champions.
The squad featured Finn Lanyon, James Miller, Jamie Ralston, Kester Harris, Calum Addison, Ethan Aiken, Murray Dickson, James Clafferty, Grier Vandermeulen, Nathan Campbell, Finn Birkin, Logan Vandermeulen, Jason Dickson, Jonah Bracciali.
This success saw five Stirling players selected for the Scotland Under 18 team which finished fourth in the ASA Inter Regional Championships in Watford recently.
Playing were Finn Lanyon, Ethan Aiken, Murray Dickson, Grier Vandermeulen and Nathan Campbell.
Elsewhere in Bolton, Stirling’s Georgia Ross was in the Girls Scottish Under 18 team which ended runners up in their ASA Inter Regional Championships.
An excellent start to the season that the club is actively looking to build upon.
The club is however looking to get more players into the sport and anyone interested, boys and girls should e-mail Stirlingwaterpoloclub@gmail.com.
FISHING SWANSWATER
The week started relatively mild, but it got colder towards midweek and there were overnight frosts and snow showers, and a very cold wind at the weekend despite some lovely sunny spells.
The water temperature rose slightly to 7.5oc before falling back down to 6oc by the end of the week; water clarity remains excellent. For much of the week the fish were around two to three feet deep, but they were much deeper on Sunday.
Fish were seen rising in some of the more sheltered areas, but they were not taking on the surface. As the days went on the fish started to move from one area to another, with the dam fishing well in the morning and the far bank and far bay better in the afternoon.
Some more superb Browns were landed this week along with a few Tigers, as well as top quality Blues, Golds and Rainbows. Many anglers are commenting on the quality of the fish and the great fight they are giving.
As usual, a large selection of flies was taking fish with the favourite patterns being Cat’s Whisker, Dancer, Egg, Blob, Cormorant, Diawl Bach, Bloodworm, Buzzer and Hare’s Ear. On the bait pond, where a good number of Golds are still figuring in the catch returns, spinners and power bait took most of the fish.
The fishery is open from 8am to 7pm every day except for Thursday when it closese at 2.30pm.
Amongst those doing well on the fly this week were Frank Barr three for 13lb 8oz including 7lb 8oz Brown and three for 8lb, plus one catch and release (C&R), Nan Morrison two for 8lb 12oz including 5lb 12oz Brown, Peter O’brien five for 17lb including 5lb 12oz Brown and two Blues, Stuart Oliver two for 7lb 10oz including 5lb 10oz Brown and a Blue plus two C&R, Kevin O’brien five for 17lb including a Gold, Calen Mclachlan five for 15lb including two Rainbows around 4lb, two Golds and a Blue plus two C&R,
Danny Doherty five for 14lb including a Gold plus six C&R, Joe Woods three for 10lb including a Gold, Kieran Lydon three for 9lb including two Golds plus three C&R, Callum Mcmillan three for 8lb 8oz including a Gold plus one C&R, Michael Baxter three for 8lb 4oz plus two C&R, Eddie Mckillop jnr three for 7lb 12oz plus three C&R including a Tiger, Keith Fyffe three for 7lb from the Meadow Pond including a Gold and a Blue, Willie Nyguist three for 7lb 4oz including an overwintered Brown, George Watson two for 6lb, Robert Smith two for 6lb, Jim Spiers two for 5lb 8oz including a Blue and a Gold plus two C&R, Peter Reilly 14 C&R including four Golds, a Blue and a Brown, Jamie Johnson seven C&R, John Thomson and Nicky Capavanni both six C&R, Kimin Smith and David Goss both five C&R, Bill four C&R including a Brown estimated at 5lb, Robert Philips three C&R including Brown around 7lb 8oz.
Some of the good bags on the bait pond: Luxley Arthur, on two tickets, eight for 19lb 4oz including 4lb Rainbow, a Gold and a Tiger, Michael Mcdonald, in two visits, eight for 18lb including a Gold, Nigel Cottrell three for 6lb 8oz including two Golds,
Craig Johnson two Blues for 4lb 8oz, Barry Mclaughlin three for 8lb, Robert Penrith three for 6lb 8oz including two Golds, Andrew Brown three for 6lb 4oz including a Gold, Eddie and Stewart Baird two each for 7lb 8oz including a Gold each.