Sunday 29th March saw the annual Troutmasters fish-off at Carbeth and if there was a prize for the fastest  three-fish-limit, then Alan Martin from Dalmuir would win it!

Alan (and I’m sorry to do this to you mate, but from now on your Carbeth Fluff Chuckers nickname is FLASH!), was back in the lodge after only 16 minutes fishing!

Alan sits and contemplates what he can do with the remaining 224 minutes of competition

He told me it would have been quicker if he hadn’t bumped a fish.

Four casts and three fish later, speculation abounds about what he did wrong on the cast he missed out on.

You can image the ‘helpful’ advice offered to him by his fellow competitors.

He remained magnaminous enough to share the secret of his success though - a gold head blood worm.

It has to be said that in our new monthly fly competition’s Alan could have fished on, as we’ll include numbers caught and released in your final total. The next one will be on Sunday April  26th.

Anyway, back to the main event.

A great day was had by all in demanding conditions with most catching, however, there had to be an eventual winner and the congratulations go to Bill Bridges.

He will represent the fishery in the national finals next month. Good Luck  and tight lines Bill, from all of us.

Wind-swept and interesting, those who didn't fear I was a clipe from the social

Now.

I’d love to tell you all about Bill’s triumphant win, his expert techniques and his aspirations for the future in an in-depth interview, maybe even with a couple of photographs?

Here comes an admission from your roving (or should be raving) reporter who forgot the clocks jumped forward last night!

I arrived just in the nick of time, to miss Bill.

Agents of the Carbeth Fluff Chuckers are, as you read, hunting the local area and we hope to have his smiling face on the site soon!