Burnhouse Lochan Fishery – Weekly Report: 30/04/21 – 07/05/21

WEEK OVERVIEW

The weather has been so unpredictable this week the weather forecasters  can’t even get it right! Who would believe that we are in May and we are still seeing snow! The constant change in the weather, temperature and air pressure meant a complete mixed bag of results with no hour the same as the next!

There is a stir amongst anglers with the return of the deer! This year we have the juveniles at the fishery, they are young, curious, playful, and adventurous. What a great sight it is to watch them graze the banking and explore their new surroundings. However cute they are though we ask that anglers do not try to clap or feed them.

FISH OF THE WEEK – This week’s top spot goes to JONATHAN MCDONALD with a stunning 10.5lb Tiger. This was not the biggest fish of the week, but it was the biggest weighed fish and as the first double figure tiger to make it to the net for months, we say a massive well done!

Remember to get those big fish weighed so you do not miss out on the top spot!

FLIES OF THE WEEK – This week’s top 3 flies were BUZZERS , DAMSELS and FABS,

Okey dokey, daiwl bachs, black pennell, eggs, yellow dancers, squirmy worms, olive nymph, klinkhammers, blobs, black dancer, floating fry, bunny leech, wotsits, shammies, cormorants, apps, yellow owl, adams, cats whiskers, pink lures, black rabbits, black & green tadpole, covid, shipmans, pheasant tailed nymphs, bibio hopper, sedges, double humpy, single yellow humpy, and a pink lure.

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

  • SCOTT MORTON – Safely returned 3 rainbows caught using a pink fab, okay dokey and buzzers on a floating line.
  • LARRY FINDLEY – Enjoyed his first day fishing since before lockdown! He weighed in 2 beautiful rainbows for 7.5lb caught using daiwl bachs on a floating line.
  • BILLY HOEHLE – “This fish just won’t come in!” After quite some time the fish finally showed itself, a stunning 6.5lb tiger! He was delighted! A black pennell on a floating line scored him his first ever tiger.
  • JOHN KERR – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using buzzers on a floating line.
  • JOHN KERR JNR – “I love it here!” He safely returned 3 rainbows including his new P.B weighing 8.5lb, all were caught using buzzers on a floating line.
  • KEVIN ROONIE – Safely returned 2 rainbows, 1 blue and a beautiful wild brown using damsels on an intermediate line, okay dokey and buzzers on a floating line.
  • ROBERT PATON – Safely returned 6 rainbows caught using a pink fab and buzzers on a floating line.
  • CHRIS DRAKE – Safely returned 2 rainbows caught using buzzers on a floating line.
  • LEON MASON – Weighed in 2 fish for 10.19lb and safely returned 8 rainbows and 1 5lb brown using a yellow dancer on an intermediate line, later in the evening changing to a floating line.
  • SAMMY TOMINEY – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using a yellow dancer on a floating line.
  • BRIAN SKINNER – Safely returned a 6-7lb tiger caught using a green squirmy worm fished static under a sight indicator.
  • NEIL MCINTOSH – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using an olive nymph on a floating line. While his friend Michael practiced his long distance catch and release lol.
  • ALAN SMITH – Safely returned 9 rainbows caught using an olive hopper, olive klinkhammer and buzzers on a floating line. On a return visit he safely returned 5 rainbows caught using various dry flies.
  • PETER WEAVER – “ Was my first visit to Burnhouse… had an epic day! 16 cracking, hard fighting fish from 3lb – 8lb landed! I’m definitely going back, if you haven’t been before get yourselves along, you won’t regret it!” Thank you for the excellent write up Peter!
  • TAM WILSON – Safely returned 15 rainbows and dropped a good tiger, he was using various eggs, blobs and fabs on a floating line.
  • CHRIS HARRIS – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using a black dancer on an intermediate line.
  • ROSS MORRISON – Safely returned 8 rainbows caught using a klinkhammer and f fly on a floating line and a damsel on an intermediate line.
  • JAMES CRAIG – Safely returned 2 rainbows caught using a hot head damsel and buzzers on an intermediate line.
  • LEWIS KIDD – Safely returned 2 rainbows including 1 weighing 9.5lb using damsels and a bunny leach on a floating line.
  • COLIN MARSHALL – “First day back at Burnhouse Lochan since lockdown, I finished 4 hours c&r with 5 cracking trout, 2 into double figures and what a fight! My arm is aching! Big thanks to Maisy for a brilliant fishery!” You are more than welcome Colin, thank you for that write up.
  • GEOFF APPLETON – Safely returned 3 rainbows using a hot head damsel on a floating line and a yellow wotsit on a di3.
  • GREGG MARSHALSEY – “Burnhouse is by far the best fishery around!” He safely returned 2 rainbows 1 weighing 9lb caught using a floating fry on a floating line and a damsel on an intermediate line. He also lost count of the amount of offers and fish dropped.
  • DREW MILLER – “ Had a smashing day at Burnhouse” He safely returned 11 rainbows and blues, using bugs, eggs and shammies fished 6ft under a sight indicator.
  • ANDY RICHMOND – “ Crazy days fishing, place was bubbling when we started!” He safely returned 18 rainbows including 1 double, 1 blue and 1 stunning wild brown. He changed his lines and tactics to meet the variable weather. On floating and midge tip lines he caught using size 14 buzzers, cormorants, fabs and a blob. Under a sight indicator shammies and a peach egg. “Had loads of chases using a tequila blob ripped back at 100mph!”
  • DECLAN WINTERS – Safely returned 6 rainbows caught using an olive cormorant, olive fab and a purple apps all on a floating line.
  • JOHNNY PORTEOUS – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using a dry fly on a floating line.
  • GLEN SCOBBIE – Safely returned 5 rainbows caught using a yellow apps and yellow dancer on a floating line.
  • KIERAN JOHNSTON – Safely returned 3 rainbows caught using a yellow owl and a yellow dancer on a floating line.
  • COLIN ANDERSON – Safely returned 2 rainbows caught using a red apps and a gold damsel on an intermediate line.
  • JIM WATSON – Weighed in 4 rainbows for 11.69lb and safely returned 2 caught using a yellow dancer and dries on a floating line.
  • WULLIE CARR – Safely returned 4 rainbows caught using an Adams and buzzers on a floating line.
  • ROSS ANDREW – Safely returned 3 caught using a cats whisker on a floating line.
  • AARON KIRKWOOD – Safely returned 8 rainbows and 1 6-7lb tiger caught using a golden damsel and a blob on a midge tip line and a pink lure he calls a stinky pinky on fast glass. He is a very jammy man! He caught his tiger without even trying, whilst changing his dropper flies the tiger took his golden damsel as it dangled in the water in front of the podium. That is why I always nag at people to bring their flies right in and hang them, the fish are often right at your feet!
  • DAVID DUNN – Caught his new P.B weighing 7.8lb caught using a lure on an intermediate line.
  • JOHNATHAN MCDONALD – Safely returned a 10.5lb tiger and 5 rainbows caught using yellow owls, black rabbit, double humpy, and buzzers all on a floating line.
  • ALAN HOGG – (ALAN FLY GUY) From the Fly-Fishing Guy UK Stillwater & Rivers Facebook page safely returned 2 rainbows and 1 wild brown using a black rabbit and a daiwl bach.
  • NEIL LESTER – Safely returned a beautiful brown weighing approximately 5lb caught using a black & green tadpole on an intermediate line.
  • JOHN GEMILL – Safely returned 1 rainbow and 1 brown estimated to be around 7lb using a peach egg fished static under a sight indicator.
  • JOHN GILCHRIST – The original creator of the covid flies, safely returned 6 rainbows and 1 brown caught using a covid and a tequila fab on a floating line.
  • JIMMY JONES – Waited all day for a bite, but the wait was well worth it when he landed “a fish of a lifetime!” A rainbow weighing 12-14lb! Using a yellow dancer on a floating line, he initially thought he had caught a snag, until that snag made his reel scream! Well done, Jimmy!
  • ANDY MCALPINE – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using a damsel on an intermediate line.
  • SANDY KIRKWOOD – “I’ve had such a great day!” He safely returned 3 rainbows all of a good size using a damsel nymph on a floating line.
  • DONALD FORBES – “Another brilliant day!” He safely returned 11 rainbows and 1 blue caught using a green & black fab and size 12 buzzers on a floating line.
  • STEVE CONAHAN – Safely returned 1 rainbow caught using a yellow owl on a floating line.
  • SCOTT MCKILLOP – Did not know Burnhouse existed, but he is “glad he has found it now!” He safely returned 2 rainbows the biggest weighing 9.5lb and the smallest 5lb, using a floating fry on a floating line and a lime green wotsit fished static under a sight indicator.
  • GREG RUSSELL – Also enjoyed his first visit to Burnhouse, he safely returned 2 rainbows weighing 5lb and 7lb caught using a fario bung fly and a shipmans on floating line.
  • IAN DON – Safely returned 1 blue caught using buzzers on a floating line.
  • ALLAN DOWNIE – Safely returned 1 blue caught using pheasant tailed nymphs on a floating line.
  • MAY ANDERSON – Safely returned 12 rainbows, 1 blue and 1 tiger caught using a black pennell, buzzers, bibio hopper, a yellow humpy, pulsefire damsel and a black rabbit all on a floating line.
  • RICHARD TAYLOR – Safely returned 18 rainbows and blues caught using a double humpy, sedges, shipmans, olive klinkhammer and buzzers all on a floating line.

 

SAFE CATCH AND RELEASE PROCEDURE

  • Only use single, barbless hooks. Strictly no multiple hook snakes, double or treble hooks. Not just for catch and release but for kill tickets too.
  • Due to the size and strength of our fish we ask that ALL anglers use a minimum of 8lb line, this is to reduce the number of fish being lost and over played.
  • Bring the fish to the net as quickly as possible. Over playing a fish causes stress and exhaustion and decreases the chance of survival.
  • Unhook the fish as quickly as possible, keep the fish in the water. Never bring the fish onto the banking or podiums as this removes the protective slime, increasing the chances of infections and diseases.
  • If you have to handle the fish do so with wet hands, never with gloves on, this avoids removing the protective slime.
  • If the hook is too deep to be removed, cut the line as close to the hook as possible.
  • Avoid squeezing the fish as this can cause damage to internal organs.
  • Take time to recover the fish, be patient as this can take some time especially in warmer weather. Support it gently until the fish is strong enough to swim away from you.
  • If you are struggling to recover a fish, please call the bailiff for assistance, the decision to kill any fish whilst on catch and release must only be made by the bailiff.

 

Tight lines for the week ahead!