WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 18TH OF SEPTEMBER.

Autumn is arriving and those cooler overnight temperatures have helped to get those fish active and feeding, an incredible 479 fish were caught over 5 days with a rod average of 5.2! Brilliant sport considering that most of the week we had the challenges of flat calm and bright sunshine.

We have started to see those larger predatory fish chasing in the margins, we knew it would only be a matter of time before they started to make our anglers very happy, however even though the tigers have decided to play, those big browns are still proving to be illusive, with only one caught since the stocking went in.

The weekend was very busy, we welcomed the Vale angling club on Saturday, and then we had the 2nd qualifying round of the 2022 Burnhouse trophy on the Sunday, you can see how they got on after the top 20.

FISH OF THE WEEK –  The top spot go to MATT MCSPORRAN with tiger weighing 9lb! Well Done, Matt!

FLIES OF THE WEEK – The top 3 flies were BUZZERS, BEETLES, and DAIWL BACHS.

Other successful flies were midge, cdcs, shipmans, sedge, ants, f-fly, spiders, daddies, hoppers, klinkhammers, top hats, sedgehogs, floating fry, smokers, viva, muddlers, pheasant tailed nymphs, bibio, cormorants, black pennell, Peter Ross, cinnamon & gold, copper tom, bobs bits, ace of spades, king fisher butcher, teal blue & silver, Alexandra, Kate McLaren, baby doll, pearly invicta, damsels, yellow dancers, shimmies, Ally McCoist, apps, humongous, squirmy, eggs, fabs, pink lures, straggle cats, blobs, stalking bugs, snakes, fry imitations, fry poppers and claret bumbles.

TOP COLOURS –  Olive, yellow, chartreuse, and pink.

HOTSPOTS –  The far bank and the bridge shallows.

BEST LINE – Floating.

TOTAL NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT –  479

ROD AVERAGE – 5.2

THE TOP 20 RETURNS

  • TOMMY TURNBULL – Safely returned a phenomenal 24 fish using size 18 olive buzzers on a floating line.
  • DONALD FORBES – Safely returned 16 fish including rainbows weighing 6lb & 8lb using beetles, buzzers, pink apps and a humongous on floating and slow glass lines.
  • DAVIE SCOTT – From Vale angling club bagged up his 4 fish and safely returned a further 12 using shimmies fished static under a sight indicator.
  • DONALD FORBES – Safely returned 15 fish using buzzers and beetles on a floating line.
  • BRUCE DYSART – Safely returned 14 fish, he was practicing for the competition, so he was a little secretive with what flies he used.
  • PAUL PRICE – Safely returned 13 fish using pink and white squirmies and yellow eggs fished static under a sight indicator.
  • TONY STEEN – Safely returned 13 fish using a pink lure, buzzers, and a yellow shimmy on a floating line.
  • JOHN GILCRIST – Safely returned 13 fish using a goldie and mosaic cormorant on a fast glass line.
  • ROBERT BIRRELL – Safely returned 10 fish using mainly buzzers on a 4ft sink tip line.
  • WILLIE TURNER – Safely returned 10 fish to win the Burnhouse Trophy 2nd qualifying round.
  • ANDY MCHAULEY – Safely returned 9 fish while practicing for Sundays competition, unfortunately the fish didn’t fall for the same flies on the day of the comp.
  • NEIL ANDREWS – Safely returned 9 fish using dries, buzzers, and blobs on a floating line.
  • ALAN SMITH – Safely returned 8 fish using mainly dries, he claimed 2nd place in the Burnhouse Trophy 2nd qualifying round.
  • AARON KIRKWOOD – Safely returned 8 fish to claim 3rd place in the 2nd qualifying round. Time of first fish put Alan in 2nd
  • DEREK GRAHAM –Safely returned 7 fish using a pink squirmy fished static under a sight indicator.
  • RICHARD MCGOWAN – Safely returned 7 fish using an f-fly, pheasant tailed nymph and buzzers on a floating line.
  • ALAN WALKER – Safely returned 7 fish using dries and a fry pattern on a floating line.
  • GEOFF APPLETON – Safely returned 6 fish using muddlers, blobs, pheasants tailed nymphs and daddies on a floating line.
  • DONALD FORBES – Making the top 20 for the 3rd time this week, safely returned 6 fish using buzzers and beetles on a floating line.
  • GRAHAM BAIRD, MICHAEL MCKENNA & BRIAN MCCLUCKIE – All safely returned 6 fish during the 2nd qualifying round which claimed their place in the final.

THE VALE ANGLING CLUB

  • DAVIE SCOTT – Weighed in 4 fish for 11.8lb and safely returned 12 fish.
  • DARREN JOHNSTON – Weighed in 4 fish for 7.3lb and safely returned 1.
  • MATT MCSPORRON – Weighed in 3 fish for 5.8lb and safely returned a 9lb tiger.
  • JOHN CAMERON – Weighed in 4 fish for 8.46lb.
  • CHAD KILBRIDE – Weighed in 4 fish for 7.8lb.
  • GEORGE MURDOCH – Weighed in 4 fish for 7.3lb.
  • B MCGEE – Weighed in 4 fish for 7.3lb.
  • STUART MCGEE – Weighed in 4 fish for 6.7lb.
  • IAN WATSON – Weighed in 1 fish for 2.29lb

Thank you to vale angling club for choosing Burnhouse, we very much enjoyed having you here and we hope you enjoyed your day in the sunshine.

THE 2022 BURNHOUSE LOCHAN TROPHY

25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

With the high numbers caught on Friday and Saturday, the fishing slowed a little for the competition. The fish were chasing, rolling over flies, nipping, teasing, the anglers also appeared to have shared a batch of rubber hooks. It did not dampen the spirits of the anglers though and the fun and laughter echoed throughout.

The morning got off to a flying start with 3 fish landed before the first minute ticked over, the first by Bruce Dysart.

When the wind dropped, the entire cabin end became flat calm, the best sport then coming from the ripple in the far bank and the bridge shallows, this continued throughout the day, with only a few caught in the cabin side bay, gorse bay and the sluice. Anglers fishing the margins and using the weed beds to their advantage had the better returns.

THE RESULTS

TOP 12 QUALIFY

1st – WILLIE TURNER 10 fish including a big tiger.

2nd – ALAN SMITH 8 fish.

3rd – AARON KIRKWOOD 8 fish.

 GRAHAM BAIRD 6 fish.

MICHAEL MCKENNA 6 fish.

BRIAN MCCLUCKIE 6 fish.

BRUCE DYSART 5 fish.

GEORGE MURDOCH 5 fish.

JIM ANDERSON 4 fish, including a big Tiger and a big brown.

GREG HOWE 4 fish, including a big tiger.

CHRIS MELVILLE 4 fish, including a big tiger.

BOAB MC 4 fish.

ROSS MORRISON 3 fish.

CHRIS ALLAN 3 fish.

IAN SCOTT 3 fish.

JOHNNY PORTEOUS 2 fish.

ALLAN MELVILLE 2 fish.

BRIAN DEMPSY 2 fish.

WULLIE CARR 1 fish.

TRACY ALLAN 1 fish.

JONNO MCDONALD 0

DOUGIE HUGES 0

ANDREW MCAULAY 0

DEREK SAVAGE 0

87 fish were caught, with a rod average of 3.62.

A massive Thank you and well done to all of the anglers, it was not an easy day but there were still some great fish caught, cracking banter and a feast you won’t forget!

Well done to the top 12 who qualify to the final on October the 9th, if for any reason you cannot make the final, please let me know as soon as possible. For those that did not qualify it is not over for you yet, if a finalist cannot take their place, it will be offered to the angler next in line.

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.