It’s been a busy time for me recently with DIY upheaval in the house, so I’ve not been able to get near my computer.

Literally!

I was going to take a picture of the contents of my living room and daughters bedroom sitting around, above and below my computer desk but my wife would hunt me down and I have to sleep sometime!

Al caught this 8lb 8oz beauty on a red and orange fritz

So just getting to some news and photos now. Apologies also to the lads who have given me phone photos recently (Al and Paul Allen, that means you!) . I’ve had a really tough time getting the resolution right, so if you read this, and have  a photo, best email it to me and then I can fix it in photoshop. (I think!).

Anyway first to some big fish photos, then I’ll wind up with the news from Sunday’s Maggot Dookers and Fluff Chuckers competition.

Young David here, aged nine, was delighted with this 6lb rainbow that was caught on a bubble and grub on Sunday. Him and his two uncles were too late to enter the competition which is a shame because it would have won the biggest fish prize.

Just goes to show that the fish can still be up in the water, even with the colder temperatures wind and heavy rain we’ve been having.

Nearly 10lbs of pescatorial perfection! and the fish isnae bad either!

With all of the aforementioned upheaval in the house, I was more than delighted to get out for a bit of fishing last week myself.

I was also more than delighted when my good mate and fishing buddy Big Drew leaned into this huge fish of 9lb 12 oz, a personal best for the big man, so well done mate!

He caught it on a wee gold head blood worm and only had a 4lb tippet on his cast. A prudent thing to do nowadays with the colder weather and clearer water making the fish suspicious of thicker nylon.

Also, a word of warning. Don’t get Drew started on big fish. He’ll nip your ears all about the 100lb manta ray that he caught on a recent trip to the Canaries.

You have been warned.

Our next big fish comes with an email from Mel Gellen, so I’ll let him tell the story:

Hi Paul,

I caught my heaviest fish on Saturday 24.10.09.

I had fished all day in the rain and tried most of the flys in my box.
Just as it was getting dark i put on a yellow dancer for the last 5 minutes of my session.

On my last cast i hooked in to my biggest fish on the fly.

It weighed 6lb-4oz.

One last word, i would like to thank the young lad who netted it for me.

Nice one mate.

There have been many big fish caught recently but  remember, I’m not always at the fishery as much as I’d like to be, so if you have a memorable day at the fishery, or even a really tough day that you overcome conditions, then let me know and I’ll get it up on the site for you. It doesn’t have to be a big fish, just a special one!

These two had a ball despite the bogging weather!

Finally to the results of Sunday’s competition.

It was a difficult day conditions wise, especially for the fluff chucking persuasion but the fly pond fished extremely well. I don’t think one person blanked!

Winner of most fish caught and returned was Jim Foy seen here with big Rab who won the heaviest bag of three and who himself had returned a further two of his own.

A special mention goes to John Watt, who I think was a first-timer at the competition and ran Jim close with six fish.
What  a day to be a fluff chucker.

Unless you happen to have been a maggot dooker by the name of Cammy! Not to mention his son Darren , who between them got heaviest bag and heaviest fish.

The net of these two stayed wet all day. And NOT just because it was raining!

Darren had his first fish in just a few minutes of the competition starting and his da wasn’t far behind.

The rest of the bait pond looked on with bemusement (at least I think that’s what it looked like!) as they fair ‘howked the fish oot!

The next competition will be on Friday 6th November from 8pm till midnight, and our next Sunday one will be the 29th of November with a 0900 start (draw for pegs at  0830).

Till the next time,

Tight lines and no’ uppa tree

Paul