Competition Fishing

My experience in competition fishing/match fishing was in my younger days while living down South in London.
The river/lake would be split up into sections and each section would be divided up into pegs, which would have a number on it.
We would all draw out of a bag for where we would fish, for the duration of the match.
There would be a entry fee which would be divided up -- winner over all, second and third, then a smaller prize for winning your section.
The bigger matches would also be attended by a bookie, who would give you odds on the chance of you winning etc. so you could place a bet on how well you done.
The duration of the match was usually 5 hours, after which your catch would be emptied from your keep net,weighed and safely returned.
The hardest part of all this was getting to your peg and back with multiple rods and other fishing gear.
The actual fishing was the easy part--- you just sat on your box/seat and fished.
I won a few bob from time to time but it started to get very expensive.
The cost to enter, all your bait and bits and bobs.
You really needed a sponsor, such as a tackle manufacturer or even just an angling shop to help with the cost.
Of course. you needed to be successful--- winning often,getting your name in the paper/photo advertising what ever product your sponsor was supporting.
I wasn't that good - maybe not enough commitment -I gradually gave it up.
This was all back in the seventies and my interests soon changed to more pleasurable activities.

So now back in Scotland, I meet many fellow fishermen on the banks of my favourite river
The Clyde.
Anyway--my mate Kev managed to get me involved to be a controller/recorder for a competition he had entered.
Well it was nothing like my above experience of competition  fishing all those years ago.
I was allocated to an angler, who I would stay with for the duration of the match.
I was provided with a map,photos, measure, recording sheet and two flags.
Off we went in his car-- found the area he had to fish--trundled down the fields to the river, then he went one way and I went the other to where the flags were then staked for his particular beat.
It seemed like miles to me, I was knackered.
He fished between the two flags- I followed for 3 hours and I recorded his fish.
After that it was up the fields again to his car, where we zoomed off for another 3 hours at another section of the river.
Collected this beats flags at the end and finally back to the car.

My whole body ached I was exhausted by my efforts--just too old and unfit for things like that.
But I done it--I helped a mate out and saw parts of the river not known to me.
Watched another angler fish---how he done it---I think he done well.
Not sure if I would be up to doing it again--we will see.

       My angler for the day (John Watson ) he said he was just a beginner.
       I think he done well catching this lovely 2lb plus grayling

      A new fishing spot for me, The Roberton Burn where it meets the Clyde.
      To the left Lamington Water and right UCAPA
       I must venture back there some day.

Some photos from Canada

Just  a few days and I will be going home to Scotland.

It's been a great 4 weeks, staying with my daughter and her family, seeing my granddaughters 4th birthday while I was here--- she is certainly growing up fast.

The weather has been good this time, being in the mid teens to the early twenties, just right and not too hot as last year,where it was hard to be outside for any length of time.

The fishing has also been good, getting out on a boat twice for some walleye and bass fishing on the Detroit river.

I have to thank my friend Mel Diotte for taking me-- and for most of the shots posted on here. 

I also ventured out to the local marina with my grandchildren where we caught some small fish.

They were excited at first but their interest soon dwindled after eying up the playground at the back of them.

The birdwatching over here is always good -- with a lot of new species to see-- identification is hard though,especially the warblers, you can hear them but spotting them amongst the leaves is very hard.

Last but not least--- I celebrated my 68th birthday while here and thank my family for the presents and the great day--- I will remember it for a long time.

                              Another silver bass comes to the net

                                Not a big silver bass but we had plenty of them

                 Another small fish, this time from the walls of the marina

                                Not to be outdone, my grandson gets one too

 

          My granddaughter hooked this one, she wouldn't hold it though

      There's always someone coming round to see how your getting on.

      Mel,s friend taking his bike for a spin ( they do things in style here in Canada)

        A rose breasted grosbeak comes to the feeders in my daughters garden.

         One of many colourful birds seen in Canada.

            

            A thank you to Mel ( my captain and good friend) for taking me out fishing.

April 2015 on the Clyde

Well its nearly time for me to get packing for my annual trip to see my daughter in Canada.
I am going early this year to sample the Walleye run from Lake Erie up the Detroit River to Lake St Clare.
The ice has melted and they are already reporting the odd fish being caught up to 12lb.
Hope that they leave some for me.

Anyway I am back on the river Clyde with the trout season back in swing, so I have a couple of weeks to enjoy the trout fishing before I am off.

My Buddy Kev with a nice trout--one of many caught at the beginning of April at Wolfclyde Bridge.

Not to be outdone, the "Old Fellow" managed a couple at the same spot.

We are now getting some hatches of flies mid to late afternoon, so I am going to give the dry fly a go to see if I can entice a big Clyde Broonie.
I hope to update my Blog with the results, before I depart across the sea.

Last cast before I jet off to Canada and I hooked up with this nice Wee Broonie by the Bridge.
Thats it now--away I go on my hols.

Its been a long time

Our local Osprey patrolling the River Clyde earlier on this year.
Its well gone now,probably sunning itself somewhere in Africa.


I've finally found time to post on my Blog.
To be honest--although I've been out fishing, I haven't managed to get any decent shots of my catches.
Most of the time I am on my own and its very hard to hold a grayling and take a photo of it.
I like to get them back in the water as quick as I can-I don,t like stressing them out too much.
You need to hold them face first into the flow for 2-3 minutes for them to fully recover.

Just this nice grayling I caught the beginning of November.
I now have a fishing chum--his name is Kev- a nice chap.
So if we are lucky enough to catch something worth a photo,we should be able to get some decent shots.
I will try and get out as much as I can before the winter hits us.
There should be some nice grayling about.
Maybe a 3lber if I,m very lucky.

No-- not the same fish.
I've just added this one 2lb 12oz---19" long caught from the same spot on the 1st of December 14
Nearly my 3lb er.

I was lucky that someone was passing to take a shot of this lovely grayling earlier on in the year.                                                                                                                        

Canada 2014

So I,m off to Canada again---
Due to health issues (not too serious) I haven't done much fishing over here in Scotland this season,
but as I am on the mend, I am looking forward to my months vacation where I will be fishing and birdwatching in Canada and the USA.
So watch this space --
I am hoping to post some nice photos and stories on how I get on.

I'm back.
Well my holiday went too fast, it feels like I have never been away--but I had a great time
A bit of birdwatching, a bit of fishing, nice food, great chums and of-course it was great to see my daughter and my grand kids ( haven't they all grown!)
Before I start my Blog I am going to thank my fishing chum, skipper and fine photographer Mel Diotte for taking me out on his craft and locating some lovely hard fighting fish for me to catch.

On the first day accompanied by his lovely wife Sue ( a very good angler) we set out from La Salle Marina up the Detroit River towards the Ambassador Bridge.

The border crossing to the USA    Looking down river to La Salle

A huddle of mallard chicks getting out of our way (ain't they cute)

And in the air-a flight of swans

We were soon into the fish--one of many hard fighting Silver Bass

A far travelled ship makes its way up passed us on the Detroit River

It,s come a long way up through Lake Erie and into the Detroit River--- Lake St Clare and beyond.

The second day we shot down river towards Lake Erie where we had some great sport.
A nice Walleye ( Pickerel) comes to the net. ( A good eater--this one wont be going back)

My fishing chums Gerry and Mel with our haul for the day 
( you may notice that I am holding the bigger ones)
A staged shot?   never -  Lol !!)

 Night time on the Detroit River (Mel Diotte)
From the left-- Windsor Ontario, then over the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit City

Time to say goodbye, until next year, I will miss you all.


Well thats my wee blog done.
I,m back in Scotland now getting over my jet lag.
I will soon be back on the Clyde trying to hook up with our monster wild brown trout.
Give it a couple of months and once again I will be looking at booking my holidays back to Canada early next year. 

Getting ready for the off

           
                         I,m looking forward to days like this on my favorite River Clyde


Well its been a long winter.
There has been hardly any snow and its not been too cold, but the rain and wind has made the fishing for grayling near impossible. (for me anyway)
Some of the guys up here have been out and their efforts have been rewarded with some nice grayling coming to the net.
But I have stayed in my "wee warm hoose" for the last couple of months.
I've left it to the younger lads to dice with death on the torrential rivers we have had up here in Scotland.
The weather is now warming up and the rivers are settling down.
All my gear has been sorted and more flies have been tied.
Its nearly trout time and I'm ready for the action.
I will let you all know how I get on-----on the River Clyde.

A day out in January

The 18th of January 2014 and it was our F.F.F Grayling day on the Upper Clyde.

Fourteen of us had met in the local cafe in Crawford before splitting up into two groups.

Our little group starting point was upstream of Crawford at Telford Bridge.just by the M74

The first pool downstream of the bridge and we were soon into fish

Barrie was new to grayling fishing so he was well delighted with his first fish from the Clyde.
A beautiful well conditioned specimen.

After a few hours we decided to go some 4 miles downstream Two Bridges on the A702.
 A short wade downstream saw us fishing the first pool.

All my fishing chums had moved further downstream, so I was only able to get a bank side shot of this nice grayling.
I carried on for another fifteen minutes but the cold water was taking its toll on me.
I dragged myself out of the river and 10 minutes later I was gladly in the warmth of my car.

Winter fishing can be hard on the Clyde but if you persevere it can be well worth the effort.
It was nice to meet and put faces to the avatars of fellow anglers from the Fly Fishing Forum.
I am sure that the day was a success, it certainly produced some nice grayling.
(maybe more pics. to come)
I hope that we can all meet up again sometime later this year.
Meanwhile, I will be giving it a bit of a rest-thaw out the old bones and dream of fishing days to come.
In a week or so time, fully recovered- hopefully,  I will be ready again once more to brave the elements on the banks of the River Clyde.