WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 20th NOVEMBER.

The wet and miserable weather on Thursday and Friday kept most of the anglers away, however these days produced some spectacular sport, rewarding the brave anglers with high numbers and arm aching fun! I know I say it all the time but some of the best sport happens in the worst of weather, so wrap up warm, get those waterproofs on and come out to play! Remember we have all the facilities to keep you warm this winter and now that there is a frost on the ground, on busier days we will light the fire in the BBQ hut giving you a warm and cosy escape to enjoy your lunch, all we ask is that this is kept tidy after use.

The winter big fish competition is back and this year it is even better than before!

At Burnhouse we always like to give something back to our anglers to show just how much we value and appreciate your custom, even more so over the winter months when the weather is miserable, and the comforts of home are more favourable! The winter big fish competition was a massive hit last year, with weekly prizes for catching the fish of the week; this year we have decided not only to give away weekly prizes but have an overall winner too. Theres £665 worth of tickets and pies up for grabs.

How it works

The competition is completely free to enter.

The angler who catches the fish of the week and is named in the weekly report will win an all-day c&r ticket and one of our scrumptious pies. This will then be entered into a leaderboard which can be found at the bottom of every report.

The angler that catches the biggest fish out of the entire winter big fish competition will win 5 all day c&r tickets!!

2nd 3 all day c&r tickets

3rd 1 all day c&r ticket.

THE RULES

*The competition will run from this weeks report until the first report in March.

*The fish must be weighed and photographed by a member of staff.

*If the angler is found to be using barbed hooks or in breach of any other fishery rule the fish will not count.

*If there is a draw for the weekly top spot this will be decided by overall performance (the angler that caught the most fish).

*If there is a draw for the overall winner this will also be decided by overall performance. On the leaderboard you will see BF followed by a number, this corresponds with the title of the reports and allows me to know which report to look back on.

*The c&r tickets won cannot be split into 2 visits and must be used by the named person only.

*The weekly c&r tickets must be used before the end of the competition (first Sunday in March)

*The overall prize tickets will expire before the beginning of next years competition (November 2023)

FISH OF THE WEEK –  This weeks top spot goes DEREK STEWART with a rainbow weighing 11.1lb. Well done, Derek! You are the first winner of the winter big fish competition; your all-day c&r ticket and scrumptious pie awaits you.

TOP 3 FLIES – The top 3 flies were BUZZERS, SHIMMIES, and CORMORANTS.

Other successful flies were sedgehogs, daddies, smokers, spiders, double humpy, grunters, hoppers, top hats, yellow owls, goats toe, diawl bachs, cormorants, crunchers, size 20 wet flies, nymphs, bibio, Kate McLaren, cutthroat cat, damsels, eggs, mop flies, yellow dancer, apps, orange dancer, rabbits, nomads, squirmies, stalking bugs, zonkers, humongous, dogs bollocks, ace of spades, Ally McCoist, mini lures, and snakes.

TOP COLOURS –  Green and yellow.

HOTSPOTS –  The bridge shallows and the cabin side bay.

BEST LINE – Floating.

TOTAL NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT –  322

NUMBER OF ANGLERS – 52

ROD AVERAGE – 6.19

THE TOP 20 RETURNS

  • DARREN BARCIK – Safely returned 21 fish including a rainbow weighing 9.3lb using diawl bachs, cormorants, and a cheese egg on a midge tip line.
  • CRAIG BINNIE – Safely returned 18 fish while his son Cameron returned 6 using fabs, buzzers and a squirmy on various lines.
  • SCOTT POZZI – Safely returned 17 fish including 2 tigers using cormorants, diawl bachs and stalking bugs on various lines.
  • DONALD FORBES – Safely returned 14 fish including rainbows weighing 7 & 8lb using buzzers on a floating line.
  • ALAN WALKER – Safely returned 14 fish using shimmies fished static under a sight indicator.
  • TONY DEEB – Safely returned 14 fish using a black squirmy and black zonker on various lines.
  • BRIAN SKINNER – Safely returned 13 fish using buzzers, shimmies, and a blue flash damsel on various lines.
  • TRACY ALLAN – Is on a mission to master the bung for competitions, watch out guys because she has done it! She safely returned 13 fish using shimmies fished static under a sight indicator.
  • ALAN WALKER – Safely returned 13 fish using shimmies fished static under a sight indictor.
  • GAVIN SHEARER – Safely returned 11 fish using various lures on sinking lines.
  • KYLE BURNS – Safely returned 9 fish using shimmies fished static under a sight indicator.
  • ALAN WALKER – Made the top 20 for the 3rd time this week, safely returning 9 fish again using shimmies fished static under a sight indicator.
  • DEREK STEWART – Safely returned 8 fish including the fish of the week weighing 11.1lb using nomads, eggs and shimmies on various lines.
  • TOMMY TURNBULL – Safely returned 8 fish using size 20 buzzers and wet flies on a floating line.
  • CAMPBELL MORGAN – Safely returned 7 fish using yellow owls and fabs on a floating line.
  • JIM ANDERSON – Safely returned 7 fish using a yellow dancer and shimmies on various lines. He also lost a large double right at the net that would have earned him the fish of the week.
  • BRUCE DYSART – Safely returned 7 fish including a 9lb rainbow using shimmies, a goats toe and a cutthroat cat on various lines.
  • RYAN BURNS – Safely returned 7 fish using buzzers and a yellow egg on various lines.
  • TONY SMITH – Safely returned 7 fish using a bibio and spiders on a floating line.
  • DEREK THOMSON – Safely returned 7 fish using damsels, ace of spades and cormorants on a slow glass line.

 BIG FISH

  • HEATHER LISTER – Missed out on the fish of the week due to Derek catching more fish, she safely returned a rainbow weighing 11.1lb.
  • ALAN SMITH – 10.5lb rainbow
  • GEORGE BROWNLEE – 10.2lb rainbow.
  • DARREN BARCIK – 9.3lb rainbow.
  • BRUCE DYSART – 9lb rainbow.
  • DONALD FORBES – 8lb & 7lb rainbows.
  • EDDIE HUNT – 7.3lb brown.
  • BILLY HOEHLE – 7lb tiger.
  • COKER WILSON – 6.2lb brown.

THE WINTER BIG FISH COMPETITION LEADERBOARD

1st – DEREK STEWART – 11.1lb rainbow. BF1

2nd – HEATHER LISTER – 11.1lb rainbow. BF1

3rd – ALAN SMITH – 10.5lb rainbow. BF1

A massive THANK YOU to all of the anglers that have joined us this week, without your support and custom there would be no Burnhouse. We look forward to welcoming you back.

TIGHT LINES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD!

FISHERY RULES

  • FLY FISHING ONLY.
  • BARBLESS HOOKS ONLY, NO DOUBLE OR TREBLE HOOKS, THIS RULE ALSO APPLIES TO ANGLERS ON KILL TICKETS.
  • ALL ANGLERS MUST USE THE FISHERY NETS ONLY.
  • NO LITTERING. ALL RUBBISH, CIGARETTE ENDS AND USED LINES MUST GO IN THE BINS PROVIDED.
  • NO FISHING FROM THE BRIDGE.
  • EVERY TICKET ENTITLES ANGLERS TO FISH ONLY 1 ROD AT A TIME.
  • NO BOOBIES, DOUBLE HOOK SNAKES OR SPIN FLIES.
  • A MAXIMUM OF 3 FLIES TO BE FISHED AT 1 TIME.
  • NO LURES FISHED STATIC UNDER A SIGHT INDICATOR.
  • NO SPLIT SHOTS OR WEIGHTS.
  • GROUND BAITING, THE USE OF BAITS AND SCENTED DIPS ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.
  • ALL FISH OVER 8LB, TIGERS AND BROWNS MUST GO BACK, UNLESS IN POOR CONDITION. THE DECISION TO KILL THESE FISH MUST ONLY BE MADE BY THE BAILIFF.
  • BAG LIMITS ARE ACHIEVED FROM THE FIRST FISH CAUGHT, NO SELECTIVE KILLING. FISH MUST BE KILLED IMMEDIATELY AND SHOULD NEVER BE KEPT ALIVE IN KEEP NETS UNTIL THE END OF THE SESSION.
  • ALL RETURNS MUST BE RECORDED WITH THE BAILIFF BEFORE DEPATURE, EVEN IF IT’S A BLANK.
  • ALL ANGLERS ON KILL TICKETS MUST REPORT TO THE CABIN FOR WEIGH IN BEFORE GOING TO THEIR CARS.
  • ANGLERS MUST NOT AID OTHERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR BAG LIMITS.
  • CATCH AND RELEASE ANGLERS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO KILL FISH, KILL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE FISHING.
  • WHEN FISHING CATCH AND RELEASE THE FISH MUST BE KEPT IN THE WATER AT ALL TIMES, NEVER ON THE PODIUMS OR THE BANKING AND STRICTLY NO HANDLING.
  • IF ANGLERS FIND THEMSELVES ON A HOT SPOT, PLEASE MOVE ON ATLEAST 2 PODIUMS AFTER 5 FISH, WITH NO RETURN TO THAT PODIUM WITHIN 2 HOURS.
  • ANGLERS MUST NOT STAY ON THE ONE PODIUM FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS, UNLESS THEY REQUIRE TO DO SO DUE TO MOBILITY.
  • ANGLERS MUST RESPECT OTHERS AROUND THEM; NO INSULTING OR ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR WILL BE TOLERATED.
  • NO PODIUM HOLDING, IF ANGLERS ARE LEAVING THEIR PODIUMS OTHER THAN FOR TOILET BREAKS, THEY MUST TAKE THEIR BELONGINGS WITH THEM.
  • THE BAILIFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PERFORM BAG CHECKS.

ANYONE FOUND TO BE IN BREACH OF THESE RULES WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE, NO REFUND WILL BE ISSUED AND NO RETURN VISITS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

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 over played or snapping anglers line.
  • 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. It is strictly forbidden for anglers bring the fish onto the banking or podiums as this removes the protective slime, increasing the chances of infections and diseases. Fish cannot breathe out of the water, any time spent out of the water drastically reduces the survival rate!
  • 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 or unhook 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.