• Members Magazine with Reviews, Articles & Club News • March 2016 • Issue 61
E
sox cosse
PIKE ANGLERS
ALLIANCE
For SCOTLAND
Features
A FORCE OF NATURE, ADVENTURE ON THE EBRO, THE BONNIE BANKS....
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PIKE ANGLERS ALLIANCE FOR SCOTLAND
Tel: 0141 212 8880 e-mail: sales@fishingmegastore.com
Glasgow Angling Centre Unit 1, The Point Retail Park 29 Saracen Street Glasgow G22 5HT
www.fishingmegastore.com
Whopper Plopper
Mike the Pike Hard Body Lures
The Westin Mike The Pike Hard Lure is a wonderful imitation pike and is perfectly suited for trolling and casting for big pike. This plug is fitted with a beautiful paintjob and is fishies with an enticing ‘rolling’ action.
At River2Sea they were catching so many big pike, musky, big bass, both largemouth and smallmouth on the 19cm whopper plopper they had to downsize it to add into the arsenal! It operates at speeds from crawl so super slow you can’t hear the tail, only the tiny glass beads that sizzle inside as the head shakes back and forth with each rotation of the tail.Speed it up and it throws water like a swamp buggy and has the same deep, hollow, whopper-plopping-fish-catching sound of the original! 1 per pack.
NEW
Colour
9cm 11.5g
13cm 39g
19cm 78g
Blue Blood Perch Rainbow Trout
RS0062 RS0063 RS0064 £11.99
RS0034 RS0035 RS0036 RS0031 £14.99
RS0045 RS0041 £19.99
Fire Tiger Price
C WN0427 D WN0432
The Innovative line thru Y-system that allows you to put the hooks either on the back or on the belly, depending on how you want to fish the lure. When the fish attacks the lure and gets hooked, the lure shoots up the line and away from the fish – so the fish cannot use the weight of the lure to throw the lure!
Colour (E) Perch (F) Firetiger RRP Price
15cm / 35g (Slow Sink) SV15048 SV15049 SV15050 SV15051 £10.99 £7.00
15cm / 40g (Moderate Sink) SV15054 SV15055 SV15056 SV15057 £10.99 £7.00
20cm / 93g (Slow Sink) SV15060 SV15061 SV15062 SV15063 £13.99 £9.00
15cm / 35g (Slow Sink) SV15046 SV15047 £10.99 £9.99
15cm / 40g (Moderate Sink) SV15052 SV15053 £10.99 £9.99
20cm / 93g (Slow Sink) SV15058 SV15059 £13.99 £12.99
B
C
20cm / 98g (Moderate Sink) SV15066 SV15067 SV15068 SV15069 £13.99 £9.00
D 30cm / 290g (Slow Sink) SV15072 SV15073 SV15074 SV15075 £26.99 £17.00
F
30cm / 303g (Moderate Sink) SV15078 SV15079 SV15080 SV15081 £26.99 £17.00
Are you looking for something special, a kind of breakthrough in the shad market? You have found it the name is Spikey! Everywhere Spikey was shown it caused quite a stir. With its 264 spikes it produces micro vibrations, which are extremely attractive Only for all predators. 3 per pack.
The Fox Rage Replicant is one of the all-time classic soft baits that no selfrespecting pike angler could be without. Fox Micro Replicants measure 75mm long, weigh 11g, and come 2 per pack in a choice of colours. Code FO6893 FO6894 FO6895 FO6896 FO6897 FO6898 FO6899
Colour Firetiger Rainbow Trout Brown Trout Glitterbug Natural Perch Silver Baitfish Blue Shiner
Colour 12.5cm - 35g Rainbow Trout SV12860 Golden Albino Rainbow SV12861 Dark Brown Trout SV12862 Perch SV15137 Fire Tiger SV15138 Dirty Roach SV15139 RRP £9.99 Now £8.99
Only
£3.99
Floating £11.99 £9.99
E WN0430 Chopper Pike 140mm F WN0431 Crazy Coward 140mm
30g
Floating £11.99 £9.99
30g
Floating £11.99 £9.99
30g
Floating £11.99 £9.99
30g
Floating £11.99 £9.99
J-Braid X8 150m
Style Original Original Albino Albino
Length 20cm 30cm 20cm 30cm
RRP £13.99 £24.99 £13.99 £24.99
Code Model Price SV13909 Camera £119.99 SV13913 Accessory Pack £39.99 TY0023 16gb Micro SD £14.99
A B C D
/glasgowangling
NEW
Closer to Nature, Closer to People
blog.fishingmegastore.com
D
Underwater Camera A professional quality camera housed inside an aerodynamic marker float that transmits live video to your phone or tablet.
Sedona FE Capacity 170m/0.18mm 195m/0.20mm 240m/0.20mm 210m/0.25mm 260m/0.25mm
C
£249.99
.99
Model 1000 2000 2500 3000 4000
Price £29.99 £24.99 £24.99 £29.99 £11.99
AF7136 Only
£129
JOIN US ONLINE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE LATEST OFFERS AND UPCOMING EVENTS /glasgowanglingcentre
Code Model SV15291 Bottom Fishing Kit SV16386 Universal Fishing Mount SV16387 Vertical Fishing Mount SV16388 Universal Filming Mount SV16385 Lens Protective Cap
*
TU0050 Only
Code SU8072 SU8073 SU8074 SU8075 SU8076
£14.99
G
Now £12.99 £22.99 £12.99 £22.99
A unique Android and iOS compatible wi-fi fishfinder. Works with up to 5 devices at once! * Phone not included.
Code DW6993 DW6994 DW6995 DW6996 DW6997
£35.00
F
Water Wolf HD Underwater Camera
Code Size SV14463 S SV14464 M SV14465 L SV14466 XL SV14467 2XL
B/S RRP:£17.99 17.99 29lb RRP:£ 37.5lb Now Only 40lb 58lb
E
Innovative water sports camera developed especially for fishing. The Water Wolf UW 1.0 is waterproof to at least 100m and is also shock proof. Fully charged, it has four hours of recording which is equivalent to a 16GB Micro SD Card. HD Ready 720p wide screen format – 30 frames per sec for optimum light sensitivity. The camera comes with a smart, easy to rig, stainless steel stick that gives it perfect stability when moving through the water. Three different add-on weights give different sink rates and filming angles. Provided with the camera is an add-on float to film any bait fishing situation and a very smart EVA carry / strap bag that can be mounted in a number of ways. • Use for trolling, casting, float or bottom rig carp fishing • 4 hours recording • Tested down to 100 meters • Optional accessory pack includes: Suction A cup, ball joint, tripod connector, railing mount & adhesive ball joint mount. B Kit & Mounts
The reel body is small and light and houses the VARISPEED Il oscillation system, which give a perfect line lay even with thicker lines.
Code DW6998 DW6999 DW7000 DW7001
D
Line Thru Pike
By using ultra thin materials the J-Braid is super soft and smooth, which you will instantly notice when you feel it.
RRP:£69.99 Now Only
C
The perfect Jack Pike Imitation based on a 3D scan of a real Jack Pike, with incredible details and movement – for those periods where the big mammas want small pike! The innovative Line Thru system from Savage Gear allows you to put the hooks either on the back or on the belly, depending on how you want to fish the lure. When the fish attacks the lure and gets hooked, the lure shoots up the line and away from the fish – so the fish cannot use the weight of the lure to lever the hooks out! The swimming action of the lure is a close to the real thing as you can imagine – it literally swims like a live fish and it can trick even the most clever predator to attack!
Exciting, cool casual hoodie, perfect for freshwater fishing.
B/S 9lb 13lb 18lb 20lb 26.5lb
B
H
Luckylaker Wi-Fi Fish Finder
17cm - 80g 20.5cm - 103g 20.5cm - 120g 27.5cm - 225g 27.5cm - 275g SV12863 SV13924 SV12866 SV13080* SV13083 SV12864 SV13925 SV12867 SV13081* SV13084 SV12865 SV13926 SV12868 SV13082* SV13085 SV15140 SV15143 SV15146 SV15141 SV15144 SV15147 SV15142 SV15145 SV15148 £10.99 £12.99 £12.99 £24.99 £24.99 £9.99 £11.99 £11.99 £22.99 £22.99
Freshwater Zip Hoodie
Floating £11.99 £9.99
30g
Camera & Accessories
3D Trout Rattle Shads
* Shallow Runner
30g
140mm
Code SV13914 SV13915 SV15155 SV15156
Micro Replicant 2 PER PACK
£5
E
30cm / 290g (Slow Sink) SV15070 SV15071 £26.99 £24.99
Loaded Spikey Shad
Hot Red Salt n Lemon Size Olive Head Pepper Tiger 9cm 10g FO7288 FO7289 FO7290 FO7291 12cm 15g FO7292 FO7293 FO7292 FO7295
140mm
SPECIAL EDITION
A
3 PER PACK
.99
Pike
Crazy Soldier
G WN0433 Stamped Roach 140mm Red Tiger 140mm H WN0434
3D Line Thru Trout
Colour
NEW
Code Colour Length Weight Density RRP Now A WN0429 Crazy Firetiger 140mm 30g Floating £11.99 £9.99 Metal Pike 140mm 30g Floating £11.99 £9.99 B WN0428
3D Trout Line Thru swim bait – made from a super detailed 3D scan of a Real Trout. These superb lures are available in a limited range of colours - only while stocks last.
(A) Tench (B) Muddy Motor Oil (C) Zander (D) Smelt RRP Price
A
RRP £69.99 £74.99 £74.99 £74.99 £79.99
Ventura LHW Baitcaster Now £43.00 £45.00 £45.00 £45.00 £50.00
The high performance, low profile Ventura Baitcaster from HTO is built to handle the extremes of hunting that trophy Predator. Code Capacity TA2106 130yds/30lb
FREE POSTAGE ON ORDERS OVER
NEW Ratio RRP Now 6.3:1 £59.99 £39.99
£50
*UK MAINLAND ONLY
S 7 DAY 80 OPEN 212 88
CH
0141
SALERIST CATA MA LOGU S E
HERE SCAN OUR FOR
DEAL OF THE K WEE
Call for our FREE catalogues OPEN
01417 DAYS 212 8880 Follow
Visit
us
us online
faceboon facebook /glasg ok.com owang Follow lingce us on @glasg ntre Twitter owang Read ling our blog.fi Blog online usshingm facebook us onegasto Visit entre .com re.com facebook anglingc /glasgow
Follow
us on
angling @glasgow
Follow
re ing Cent ow AnglRetail Park, 5HT , G22 Glasg 1 The PointGlasgow Gla .com sgoUnit Street, egastore w Ang ishingm 29 Saracen sales@f Unit tore.com 6340 ling 1 The 331 Fax: 29 Sarac Point egas 0141 0141en Cen Retai Stree ingm 331 ww Fax: 6340 .fisht, Glasg l Park, tre w.f www ish sales@fishinow, G22 5HT ing me gmegastore gas tor .com e.co m
om gastore.c our Blog shingme blog.fi
Read
WE ACCEPT
WE
ACCEPT
PIKE ANGLERS
ALLIANCE
For SCOTLAND COMMITTEE CONTACTS CHAIRMAN Steve Tapley chairman@esoxecosse.com
GENERAL SECRETARY Stewart McMath gensec@esoxecosse.com
ASSISTANT SECRETARY **Position to be Filled**
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Brian Gerrard memsec@esoxecosse.com
MAGAZINE EDITOR Ciaran Wilson editor@esoxecosse.com
Inside Issue 61 March 2016 Committee Reports Branch Reports Glasgow Angling Night Adventure on the Ebro The Bonnie Banks Mug Shots A Force of Naure Wild Fisheries Reform -Latest News
4-6 8-11 14-17 18-21 22-28 30-32 34-38 40-42
18-21
22-28
34-38
40-42
TREASURER **Position to be Filled**
EVENTS MANAGER **Position to be Filled**
PRODUCTS MANAGER
Donald Murray products@esoxecosse.com
BRANCH CONTACTS CENTRAL central@esoxecosse.com GLASGOW glasgow@esoxecosse.com TAYSIDE tayside@esoxecosse.com
PAAS SENIOR FELLOWS
Mark Carpenter, Declan McCusker, Don McGurk, Ralston McPherson, Jim Morrice, Donald Murray, Derek Smith, Steve Tapley, Joe Toner, Ron Woods, Scott Kelly, Scott Lawrence.
The Chairman’s View A month of the New Year has flown past already and we have been inundated with flash flooding of the biblical type since early December last year and it really hasn’t let up yet. I viewed all the flooding horror stories from afar and felt the pain of those affected by rising water and flooded properties. I would like to think we are over the worst by now but we can never be that certain that the weather will ease off and stop dumping so much rain upon us. I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you all a very prosperous New Year. No matter where you were I assume you had a very festive time with your family and friends and that the fella in the red attire was good to you in many possible ways. New Year for me was a very noisy affair and only the rain could end the devastating assault on ones hearing for four hours solid, but regardless our party went on until the early hours of the morning. With New Year out of the way it was time to divert attentions to the goings on within the Club and keep a watchful eye on the Forum. There were a few subjects that have dominated the Committees attention including Club Events and the LLAIA and Loch Lomond, which I will cover a little later in this report. One such event was the Glasgow Branch’s Angling Night, held in November 2015, and what a great night that was meeting up with old friends and spending the night in great company. The guest speaker was none other than Gary Knowles. This lad has been about and done it on some of the toughest waters out there for the Pike Angler. If you weren’t there you missed out on a great night. This is the third talk I have heard from Gary and they have all been very informative and a great laugh along the way. My thanks to Gary for heading north and entertaining us once again; I thoroughly enjoyed your company. My thanks go out to the Glasgow Branch for maintaining the reputation of a great Angling Night, rounded off with an excellent Raffle. True, the Taysiders didn’t run away with the lion’s share of prizes, as we have done in the past so many times, but that’s the way it goes. I did manage three prizes and I got my money’s worth which is always nice to achieve. Since my last report the Committee have been busy trying to shore up events and I am pleased to inform the membership that the March Bait day on the Lake of Mentieth is full and a draw had to take place to decide who filled the boats on the day. We have also been working hard on the AGM; the Venue and the speaker for the event
4
have been confirmed. Eric Edwards will be doing a very interesting talk on Lures for part 1 and then he will be showing some videos he’s taken whilst fishing for the 2nd part of the talk. I would encourage the membership to attend this talk as this lad has caught 6 different 30 pound plus fish on lures and probably caught the biggest brace of pike in one day, one after the other and these fish weighed in at 41lbs and 37lbs plus respectively; quite some feat by my way of thinking! We have also been busy working on ways to rejuvenate interest in the Club that will involve all members and we are hoping that we have created one or two additions that might well get the membership talking and parting with their cash. Another great way for members to get involved in the Club and its activities is to join one of the Clubs Branches that are run by our very knowledgeable and experienced Branch Secretaries and their members. Why not give them a call and get along to one of their Branch meetings.
them to charge and supply Coarse Fishing Permits for angling on Loch Lomond. We now advise all our members to purchase either a season ticket (£52 paypal or £50 for normal application) or day tickets (£7 per day) before fishing the Loch. Permits can be purchased from various locations around Loch Lomond, see the LLAIA Website for exact locations for ticket sales.
The Half Yearly Meeting 2016
The rest of the day went very well with several members turning up and making some very worthwhile contributions and suggestions on many subjects and there will be a Meeting Minutes written and available on request to whoever would like a copy from Stewart McMath, PAAS General Secretary. The meeting was bought to a close by myself around 15.30 pm thanking everyone for making the effort and coming along to talk to the Committee and other members.
This was held at the King Robert Hotel, Bannockburn. The Committee met during the first part of the morning for Breakfast and then moved onto matters that had arisen since the last Committee meeting. Branch Secretaries were invited into the meeting around 10.15am as was Ron Woods with his SFCA hat on. We discussed the way forward for the opening of official business at 11.00am with Alan Armstrong, Pike Anglers Club Rep along with the LLAIA and Malky McCormick, Chairman of the LLAIA. Malky brought us up to date with some very useful back ground information since he became Chairman of the LLAIA. There were some excellent discussions and the leases PAAS had sort over the right to charge for Coarse Fishing had been provided previously to me as PAAS Chairman. After some discussion it was suggested these pieces of paperwork could be provided to PAAS Members on request under the assumption that all that was written in them was not made public in respect towards the LLAIA and the Lease Holding Estates. All parties agreed this would be a good idea and Alan Armstrong who has all the attachments re iterated he would be happy to do this upon request. The LLAIA are prepared to try and tackle the issues of the wider ban of Wild Camping on Loch Lomond and try to work with all parties involved just as PAAS have been seeking to do in recent talks with the National Parks and the Forth District Salmon Boards personnel, as reported back here not so long ago. The PAAS Committee now recognise that the LLAIA have the relevant paperwork that entitles
Moving forward the Committee would like to see some of those members that fish Loch Lomond volunteering to attend LLAIA Committee meetings. The volunteers would report back to the main committee on how things are run and would act as advisories alongside Alan Armstrong of the PAC on everything to do with pike angling on the Loch. I am sure Malky and his Committee would welcome further pike angling representation on the Committee to help with anything to do with pike angling. So if any Loch Lomond users want to get in touch with us that would be a great start.
The next event for PAAS is our two days on Harelaw Fishery on 20/21st February, 2016 and then the bait day on the Lake of Mentieth in March 2016. I wish all those participating in all the events the best of Luck and hope you all catch a PB busting fish. Our next Public Relations exercise will be the Glasgow Angling Centre Weekend in March. I am hoping to be there but once again that is job specific. We will be attending the weekend with our PAAS stall and I hope as many of you can come along and visit the stand and show your support to the attending Committee/ Members manning the stall over the weekend. The event will be run from Friday through to Sunday. After this event the next Club outing will be the AGM on Saturday 28th May, 2016. This promises to be a great day and I am looking forward to seeing as many people there as possible.
Steve Tapley Chairman, PAAS.
General Secretary’s Report I hope you all had a great time over the festive period and managed to wet a line during the holidays. Firstly I would like to say it's great to be back and thank you for the warm welcome and best wishes that I have received. When I contacted the committee to offer help and possibly return I was very pleasantly surprised how welcome they were to the idea so a big thanks to them for making me feel as if I never left. HALF YEARLY: We had the half yearly meeting at the King Robert hotel on the 30th of January, where we had as our guests for the morning Mr. Malky Mackay of the LLAIA and Mr. Alan Armstrong from the PAC & also the LLAIA committee. The purpose of the meeting was to finally put to bed the coarse fishing permit issues on Loch Lomond. Mr. Mackay gave us an outline of the work done by the LLAIA but most importantly produced the leases purchased from the riparian landowners proving their right to charge for coarse fishing on Loch Lomond. As a result, we recommend to our members that you should purchase a permit before fishing Loch Lomond; there are 17 outlets where they can be purchased and you also can do it online. AGM:
The AGM this year will be held on the 28th May in The Iron Horse pub, home of the Glasgow branch of PAAS. We felt that a more accessible location would be more beneficial to the members as it has been mentioned more than once that the King Robert wasn't easy to get to unless you drive, with public transport to the venue not the greatest. We hope the change in venue will be more suited to most of our members; if the King Robert was on your doorstep I apologize for the change of venue. Looking ahead to the AGM and referring to Section 9 of the Constitution, we have given a minimum of 28 days’ notice of the AGM date. If anyone would like to submit suggestions for changes to the Constitution, please contact me no later than 21 days before the AGM to do so. Lastly, the Committee will put out the Agenda a minimum of 14 days before the date of the AGM. GUEST SPEAKER: I am delighted to announce that our guest speaker on the day will be Mr. ERIC EDWARDS, who, will talk to us on lure fishing. Eric has six 30lb fish to his credit, including a Scottish best of 32lb plus and has the biggest brace of lure caught pike, with fish of 37.08 and 41.08. The second half of his show will be a video montage of pike being caught on lures up to 28.08, I am sure it will be a talk not to miss! MEGA RAFFLE: We are holding a MEGA RAFFLE this year with the prize being a four day guided pike fishing trip to
Ireland with top guide KENNY SLOAN, all expenses paid, five nights’ bed & breakfast and ferry fares paid & the trip can be booked whenever it suits the winner. Tickets are £5 each and further details can be found in the Editors Report. INCENTIVES: We are going to introduce a couple of incentives for new members and for current members who are renewing. During the forthcoming Glasgow Angling Centre Open weekend in early March, all new members joining PAAS throughout the weekend will be put in a draw for two prizes. 1st prize will be a £100 GAC tackle voucher and 2nd prize a £50 GAC voucher. To reward the continued loyalty of our existing membership, all current members who renew before the AGM will be put in a draw for a free boat on the lake of Menteith bait day in November. Before I sign off I would like to thank a few people; firstly Steve, Ciaran, Brian and Donald for having me back (crazy fools) and also to Chris Sharp for his ongoing help with the magazine - I know Ciaran can't speak highly enough of Chris! I would also like to thank all of our advertisers and to you the members for your kind messages on my return. TIGHT LINES FOR 2016
Stewart McMath General Secretary
Products Report First of all, I’d like to wish all our members a Happy New Year and I hope you have every success in 2016. Since my last report in Esox Ecosse, there has not been a lot of change to be honest. The Products department is still very quiet. We now have the Zip Hoodies, and the Softshell jackets on the website. I must admit, I do personally like the Zip Hoodie especially for the summer months on the bank. We have also cropped a few items from the website, due to the fact that they are just not selling. Some items are a minimum order from the suppliers, and we don’t
want stuck with these for years on end. If anyone has any ideas for a product that would sell with our logo on it please feel free to get in touch. Our AGM in May is fast approaching, and as normal we will have products on sale at this event. I don’t have a lot of clothing in stock, so it has been agreed at committee level that I will purchase a variety of clothing goods for sale on the day. All items with our Logo will be for sale to members only for obvious reasons. All members were issued with products and order forms via the last issue of Esox Ecosse. This was mainly aimed at members without Internet access, so feel free to contact me if you require
another sent out. In my opinion, every member should be wearing the PAAS colours and promoting your club. So lets pay a visit to our online shop at www.esoxecosse. com Products Contact : Tel 01738 637586 email products@esoxecosse.com Regards
Donald Murray Product Secretary
5
Editors Report Welcome to Issue 61 of Esox Ecosse,
wonderful opportunity for some lucky Pikers to experience the trip of a lifetime.
Well, 2015 left like a lion and 2016 has entered in pretty much the same fashion; windy, wet and thoroughly unpleasant!
You will notice that, included with this issue are 2 tickets for the Draw, which will take place at this year’s AGM, Saturday 28th May at the Iron Horse Bar in Glasgow.
For weeks now I have been keenly watching the weather forecasts, hoping for a decent Saturday and each and every time those hopes have been dashed. Needless to say, it has been a long time since I have had the chance to get any fishing done but with the additional time on my hands, I’ve busy working away on our magazine and a few other projects too! On that note, I am pleased to formerly announce our Grand Prize Draw! We are offering the chance for 2 anglers to travel to the legendary Western Loughs of Ireland for 4 days guided Pike Fishing with highly respected guide, Kenny Sloan. Kenny is no stranger to the pages of Esox Ecosse, having submitted a few articles in the past but for any of you unfamiliar with Kenny and the superb fishing he has to offer, check out his Facebook page: https://facebook. com/kennysloan2 The prize will include 5 Nights B&B Accommodation for both anglers plus the Ferry (car + driver & passenger) so this really is a
If you wish to be included in the draw, please complete the tickets stubs and return, with payment to Address: 48 Torphin Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0PF, no later than Friday 27th May 2016. There are no limits to the number of tickets you can purchase. Likewise, the Prize Draw is open to all so if you have any mates, colleagues or family members who might like to purchase tickets; please do not hesitate to contact either myself or any of my fellow committee members who will happily supply you with more. So, with the admin out of the way, what is in store within issue 61 of your Esox Ecosse? Our very own General and Membership Secretaries, Stewart & Brian, recently enjoyed a productive trip to Spain, in pursuit of the legendary Catfish of the River Ebro. In conditions a lot more pleasant that what we are currently experiencing here in Scotland, the guys had some great fishing with a few new PB’s along the way. It has been a particularly busy start to the year in terms of Scottish Pike Fishing Politics and not
only will you find a run-down of events from the half yearly meeting, our Chairman Steve Tapley has written a balanced account on how the club has come to reach a decision to support the LLAIA in their issuance of permits for Coarse Fishing on Loch Lomond. You can also read updates from Ron Woods on the matter of the LLAIA Coarse Fishing Permit, the Wild Fisheries Review & also details of how members can help with a forthcoming survey on Loch Ken. Elsewhere, as well as being active on several fronts concerning club business, Steve has found time to fit some fishing in and has been noticing a few trends in his results lately that have left him considering the impact that external forces might be having in the feeding habits of Pike in his area. Lastly, I’d fully encourage our members to support all our sponsors, who in many cases have shown great loyalty to our club over the years. Tight Lines,
Ciaran Wilson Editor
Membership Report Hi membership and welcome to 2016! I hope you all had a lovely time over the festive season. I have included a hard copy application form for the up and coming membership year, which begins on the 3rd of April. There will be great benefits open to the membership, details of which were made available at our half yearly held on the 30th of January, and we hope more will be available at our AGM, taking place at the end of May. I would encourage all members to renew their membership and to continue supporting the club and help us protect our favourite species. We have a number of topics ongoing, including discussions on the LLAIA permits, the Loch Lomond camping ban and the Wild Fisheries Review and you can
6
read about these elsewhere in this magazine, so I won’t dwell here other than to remind you that without strong membership numbers and the voice that give us, we wouldn’t be able to fight on so please guys, get the forms filled in and spread the word.
Contact - Scott Miller at bigscottyfishing@yahoo. co.uk
Members are also encouraged to attend branch meetings where they can meet fellow minded people from their local areas and attend monthly outings. Contact details are as follows:
I will sign off by saying that I hope to see all of you guys in May at the AGM which will be held in the Iron Horse bar in Glasgow. I am confident that this will prove to be a great venue and we look forward to welcoming our guest speaker Eric Edwards. No doubt you will all enjoy his talk!
Glasgow branch meet in the Iron Horse pub, Glasgow on the second Thursday of each month. Contact - William Edgar at glasgow@esoxecosse. com Central branch meet in the Oxgangs hotel, Grangemouth on the first Tuesday of each month.
Tayside branch meet in the Old Reid Park bar, Forfar. Contact - Donald Murray at tayside@ esoxecosse.com
Tight lines guys,
Brian Gerrard
Membership Secretary
Grand Prize Draw Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland are Proud to Announce:
Western Loughs of Ireland
Pike Fishing Adventure 4 days Pike Fishing with highly respected guide Kenny Sloan
Tickets: ÂŁ5
Winner to be drawn at the AGM, Saturday 28th May 2016 @ The Iron Horse Bar, Glasgow Prize Includes: 4 Days guided fishing for 2 including all bait and tackle (as required), 5 Nights B&B Accommodation for 2 and Ferry for car and 1 Passenger. See PAAS Members & Committee for Tickets
7
GLASGOW BRANCH
November 2015 Branch Meeting With just over 2 weeks to go until our Annual Angling Night and pretty miserable weather on the night, 22 members made it along to the meeting. A large part of the evening surrounded our Angling Night with the attending members being given a final update on the agenda. Several members brought along raffle prizes and offered there help and support on the night in question, which was very much appreciated and just goes to show the overall spirit that exists with the Glasgow Branch. Chris Sharp came along to his first Branch Meeting and also joined the Branch on the night. Great to have you onboard Chris.
8
November 2015 Branch Outing Our original choice of venue to Dumfries & Galloway was cancelled on the night because of extremely high water levels. Therefore it was decided by the attending members to change the venue to a more accessible water, given that the forecast for the majority of the Country was for rain, rain and more rain. This saw the Branch head back to one of Scotland’s largest wild waters for the second time during 2015. For most it was very hard going with a few jacks making a welcomed appearance, but for Stewart Mortimer it was well worth the trip with a FANTASTIC pike of 25lb 4oz. Earning Stewart £30.00 worth of Glasgow Angling Centre vouchers. Well done Stewart
December 2015 Branch Meeting
No Branch Meeting takes place in December. December 2015 Branch Outing No Branch Outing takes place in December.
January 2015 Branch Meeting 24 members turned up for the first meeting of 2016. This was just what the committee wanted given some of the agenda points that we had to cover on the night. Confirming venues for the 2016 Monthly Branch Outing Calendar took up a good part of the night, but we got there in the end. This now leaves the entire Calendar confirmed for 2016. (well done to all involved)
2016 Main Club PAOTY Branch Participant Draw took place with the following lucky members being drawn out… 1. Martin McNeil (Thomas Duffy Shield) 2. William Edgar (Claymore Trophy) 3. Tony McTaggart (Islander Pairs / Esox Humongous) The Branch took another fantastic step forward by adding another 3 members to our already healthy membership base. So welcome onboard Kevin Lawlor, Brian Gerrard and Stewart McMath. Your now part of the Mighty Glasgow Branch.
January 2015 Branch Outing With temperatures dropping fast and snow forecast across the majority of the Country a Trossachs Loch was agreed on the night for the first Branch Outing of the year.
Stewart Mortimer 25lb 4oz
A number of members fished the outing over the course of the weekend with only 2 small jacks to show for their commitment and efforts. Biggest of which was caught by Tony McTaggart and weighed in at a whopping 2lb. Earning Tony £30.00 worth of Glasgow Angling Centre vouchers. Well done Tony. Until next time…
William Edgar
Branch Secretary
9
CENTRAL BRANCH
Greetings from Central Branch - We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The Christmas dinner went down a treat and was enjoyed by one and all. Thanks to everybody who came along and made the evening a very enjoyable one. Also, a big thanks to all who donated prizes for the raffle.
The highlight of the day was the carpool karaoke, driven by Doreen (aka James Corden) and sung by big Colin Campbell (aka Donnie Osmond) what a laugh it was! I just wish there was a video going about‌.
The usual suspects attended the January meeting and among other topics on the agenda was the next outing, which was for the winter shield. Thanks to all who turned up on a crappy night.
Our February meeting was again enjoyed by the members who turned up. We don't take things too seriously at Central and this was proven when Darren announced his new nickname, "Doreen the catch." When asked what he had caught the previous weekend he replied, "I blanked," - enough said! Still, we look forward to the February outing and hope to see a good turnout. Tight lines from all at Central
The January outing was a blustery one, with four hardy souls participating and although the weather (and the walk) was hard going, they were awarded with some nice fish. Well done to Darren Inglis who won the winter shield with a total weight of 28.04.
10
TAYSIDE BRANCH
Branch Outing 20th December. This outing was scheduled to be our last League outing of 2015 with the title pretty much wide open to a few members to grasp on the last outing. Four of our members were due to fish this until on the morning of the event, I ended up at the Accident and Emergency Department of Perth Royal Infirmary. Not being able to breathe was a major scare but after a few tests turned out to be a torn muscle in my back. None of us fished the event, so it was a no go on the day.
Quiz Night.
We held our annual quiz night on Tuesday 15th December, hosted by our very own Jim Morrice. A good few brain teasing questions I can say, but overall a great night.
Results. Team A Donald Murray, Arran Murray 17pts Team B Paul Phizacklea, John Phizacklea 37pts Team C Chris Williams, Bill Rollo, Dylan Rollo 51pts
local Loch. It was agreed before hand that this outing would double up as our last league outing, after the cancellation of the aforementioned outing. John, Paul, Arran and myself fished the outing with John the only angler to bank a fish at a whopping 1lb 7oz. After the result of this event, John scooped the Christmas Cup and pipped Paul to the Angler of the Year League Title. So, well done to John Phizacklea on lifting the 2016 Tayside Branch Angler of the Year Title.
AGM
The Tayside Branch Annual General Meeting took place on Tuesday 9th February in Forfar. This was basically an evening of sorting out various things within the Branch for the coming year ahead. The “Election of Office Bearers” was on the agenda for 2016. It was my intention to step away from the Branch Secretary’s position and let someone else run with the Branch. Well my intentions were a waste of time, and I was talked into staying put, so there’s no change in the office bearers at Tayside.
Well done to Team C on your victory, and a big thanks to Jim for time spend organising the questions for the night.
Branch Secretary Donald Murray.
Christmas Cup.
Treasurer Jim Morrice.
The Christmas Cup is an outing that we fish annually between Christmas and New Year, weather permitting. This took place on Tuesday 29th December at a
Assistant Secretary Paul Phizacklea.
A big thanks to these guy’s for continuing with their roles.
Looking Forward. Branch Outing
Our first Branch outing of the 2016 campaign is to be held on the weekend of the 6th March.
Next Meeting. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 29th March, at the Osnaberg Bar in Forfar for a 7.30pm start. This meeting will be our presentation of Trophies and Mega raffle. That’s all from Tayside…..
11
THE LAKE OF
MENTEITH
Privileged access
Morning Lure Event Venue: Lake of Menteith Date: Saturday 11th June 2016 Times: 04.30 to 09.00hrs Charge: £16 per person Please Note: This event will be electric outboards only (not supplied)
Evening Lure November Bait Events & Lure Event Venue: Lake of Menteith Date: Saturday 30th April 2016 Times: 17.30 to Dusk Charge: £16 per person Venue: Lake of Menteith Date: Monday 23rd May 2016 Times: 17.30 to Dusk Charge: £16 per person
Venue: Lake of Menteith Date: Saturday 12th November 2016 Times: 08.30 to 16.30hrs Charge: £62 per Boat (£31 per person) Please Note: If oversubscribed, a draw will take place at the AGM.
Venue: Lake of Menteith Date: Monday 4th July 2016 Times: 17.30 to Dusk Charge: £16 per person
Application forms for these events are included with this magazine. Please send completed forms with payment to Brian Gerrard. Alternatively, successful applicants can pay through PayPal.
PAAS PRODUCTS
OFFICIAL PIKE ANGLERS ALLIANCE FOR SCOTLAND MERCHANDISE
CLOTHING
Add Extra Ecosse Logo £5.00 Red and Yellow Logos Available
Double thickness fleece lined with a huge front pocket and a big hood
BADGES
PAAS Hoodie £26.00 PAAS Sweatshirt
£23.00
Double thickness fleece lined
PAAS T-Shirt
Cloth PAAS Badge £3.50
Cloth badge for sewing onto clothing
£15.00
Pewter Keyring 1
100% cotten in seceral colours
£2.50
High quality pewter, beautifully crafted.
£18.00
Pewter Keyring 2
100% cotten in seceral colours
High quality pewter, beautifully crafted.
PAAS Fleece
£30.00
Pike pin 1
£2.50
For personalisation of your contact Donald Murry for prices.
High quality pewter badge with solid pins
Pike pin 2
£2.50
PAAS Zip Hoodie
£27.00
High quality pewter badge with solid pins
double thickness fleece lined material and full length zipper and a big hood
Pike pin 3
£2.50
PAAS Light weight Softshell
PAAS Logo Keyring
£2.50
PAAS Polo Shirt
£32.00
PAAS Heavy weight softshell £46.00
£2.50
High quality pewter badge with solid pins Keyring showing the PAAS Badge
PAAS Enamel Bange
£2.50
PAAS enamel badge with solid pin
PAAS Car Sticker
£1.50
HATS Bronx Beanie Peaked Beanie Standered Beanie Baseball Cap
£12.50 £12.50 £12.50 £14.00
PAAS PENNANTS PAAS Triangle Pennant PAAS Banner Pannant
£7.50 £7.50
TO PLACE AN ORDER OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT DONALD MURRAY: TEL. 01738 637586 EMAIL. products@esoxecosse.com
GLASGOW BRANCH
– 2015 Annual Angling Night With the 28th November at The Iron Horse Pub Glasgow confirmed as the venue along with predator angler Gary Knowles as our guest speaker, all that remained was to organize the prizes for the mega raffle and make sure people turned up on the night. SIMPLES as Aleksandr would say.
THE GLASGOW BRANCH OF THE PIKE ANGLERS ALLIANCE FOR SCOTLAND
ALL WELCOME
GARY KNOWLES
TICKETS
INVITE YOU TO:
AN EVENING WITH SPECIALIST ANGLER
ON PIKE & PREDATORY SPECIES
£10 on the Door Free Raffle Entry with EVERY TICKET
FEATURING
Mega Raffle Free Buffet Licensed Bar Annual Prize Giving Competitions
CONTACTS William Edgar 07818046448
Graeme Arnott 07799890490
David Hendry
WHEN
Saturday November 28th 2015 Doors Open @ 7.00pm for a 7.30pm Start
07889192788
Tony McTaggart 07971184784
WHERE
The Iron Horse Pub (Function Suite) 115 West Nile Street Glasgow G1 2SB
Leading up to the Angling Night… With the summer BBQ out of the way, the Committee’s attention now turned to the open actions that surrounded the Angling Night. Things were kicked off with Graeme Arnott creating an eye catching flyer, myself and Tony McTaggart promoting the evening as much as we could within the piking community and David Hendry starting the massive task of pulling together prizes for our mega raffle on the night. Although everything was going to plan the Committee still felt a meeting a couple of weeks before the Angling Night was needed just to ensure nothing had been missed or overlooked. And I’m pleased to say that, everything was on track…we just needed people to turn up on the night.
On The Night… Between personal issues and heavy rain on the M6 Gary was a little late in arriving at his hotel, which made things a little tight for having a beer and a bite to eat before the doors opened at 19:00pm (definitely one we owe you Gary). As the down stairs function room started to fill up with members and nonmembers, it was clear that the work done promoting the night had certainly paid off. Even to the point it was getting a bit crowded with almost 60 turning up on the night With the room settled, everyone was thanked for coming along on the night
14
(it really was a great show of support towards the Glasgow Branch). This was followed by some general introductions and a quick run through of the agenda.
Entry Ticket Raffle… The Entry Ticket Raffle was won by Stefan Jensen. This won Stefan a box of Rheuben Heaton Hooks and a PowerSolve Portable Power Bank (worth £80.00)
The Talk (part 1)…
The Talk (part 2)…
The first part of Gary’s talk focused on some of his remarkable pike captures over the years, the venues they were caught from and his trials and tribulations along the way.
With everyone fed and settled Gary got started on the second part of his talk. This stepped away from pike fishing and looked at some of the other predatory species that Gary has target over the years.
From the outset, it was clear to see that Gary had caught some fantastic pike over the years. Not just because of the venues he has fished but for the sheer determination and meticulous approach he puts into his fishing.
From 3lb+ perch at Blithfield to monstrous sturgeon in the cold waters of Canada, Gary certainly does get around and in amongst those specimen fish of all species and sizes.
During the talk the audience were shown breath taking pictures of big pike from Chew, Rutland and Blithfield to name but a few. All of which prompted many questions during the talk and at the Q&A at the end.
As pike fishing goes, Gary has certainly been there, done it and bought the T shirt as they say.
For me, it was the perch that Gary has consistently caught over the years from various still waters and river venues that really captured my interest. Truly impressive on their own merit.
Interval (Buffett & Refreshments & Guess the Weight Competition)… As the break kicked in, the staff at The Iron Horse served the buffett. At times, it seemed a bit hectic but I think we got there in the end. During the break there was also a last minute push to sell more entries for the Guess the Weight Competition before it closed and the winner announced. With only a few ounces separating several entries, Colin Campbell (Central Branch) was the closest. Colin won a brand new Grey’s Prodigy Rod for his efforts.
The talk finished with a great round of applause for what was deemed a great all-round predatory species talk. As a thank you, the Glasgow Branch presented Gary with a bottle of single malt whiskey. Enjoy Gary ;) Unfortunately, Gary couldn’t make the day’s fishing that the Glasgow Branch Committee had planned for him on the Sunday. But we’ve agreed to take a rain check on that and he is more than welcome to call it in anytime he wants a break from those southern softies ;)
15
Trophy Presentations… Next up was the 2015 Trophy presentation. These are a series of cups and trophies fished for throughout the year by Glasgow Branch Members at various venues across Scotland. The winners being… Claymore
• Thomas Duffy Memorial – Martin McNeil (well done Martin) • Islander Shield – Rory Fitzpatrick (well done Rory) • Islander Pairs – Tony McTaggart & Greg Walker (well done Tony & Greg) • BBQ Boat Bait – Tony McTaggart (well done again Tony) • BBQ Boat Lure – Scott Kelly (well done Scott) • BBQ Bank – Johnny Maxwell (well done Johnny) • Claymore Trophy – William Edgar (well done me) • Esox Humongous – Tony McTaggart (ffs…well done again Tony) • PAOTY – David Hendry (well done David…100% deserve it mate)
Pike Angler of the Year
Esox Humongous
Islander Pairs
BBQ Boat
Islander Shield
Mega Raffle… Last but not least was the eagerly awaited Mega Raffle. Prizes such as custom made lures, outdoor clothing, boat fishing vouchers, tackle accessories, electrical equipment…through to guided fishing trips on exclusive waters were all up for grabs on the night.
16 Thomas Duffy Memorial
Staying true to form, I wasn’t very lucky on the night. But for some, they clearly had lady luck on their side. I honestly can’t recall anyone not getting in amongst the prizes to some degree or another. Which just goes to show the scale of the raffle prize table.
In Summary… Overall the evening turned out to be a great success with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. A massive thanks to Gary Knowles for kindly doing our talk. I’d personally like to thank everyone for coming along on the night, it really wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of you. See you all again next year. Special Thank You… I’d like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to the following individuals (in no particular order)… David Hendry – Again, another outstanding job on the raffle prizes. Mark Carpenter & Johnny Maxwell – For coming up from Dumfries & Galloway. Really appreciated guy’s. Scott Kelly – A raffle ticket selling machine. My hat is well and truly taken off to you. Scott Lawrence – For his help with the Mega Raffle draw.
The Companies who donated prizes – Without them it would not have been the success it is year in year out. The individuals who donated prizes – Very very much appreciated guy’s. Just goes to show how much the success of the Glasgow Branch mean to you all.
Bobby Milne – For his help with selling raffle tickets.
The Iron Horse Pub – For allowing us to use the downstairs function suite and the first class buffett (but we want upstairs next year)
Central Branch – For both their support on the night and the Maga Raffle prize donation. Very much appreciated guys.
Until next year…
Tayside Branch - For both their support on the night and the Mega Raffle prize donation. Very much appreciated guys, I’m sure it ended up being a late one for you.
William Glasgow Branch Secretary
17
Dave Lumb's
12 Wilson Close Tarleton Preston PR4 6DE Tel/Fax: 01772 812036 dave@dlst.co.uk
D.L. Specialist Tackle www.dlst.co.uk PARTRIDGE TREBLES
LURE RODS
BAIT RODS
Chemically sharpened points, black nickel finish, 10 Per pack.
AXIOM 7013 - £165.00 7ft, casts 28-84g Lightweight, fast action multi-purpose lure rod.
X-1 - £190.00 12ft, 3lb A stepped up version of the P-1 on a new woven blank.
AXIOM 6824 - £165.00 6ft 8in, casts 56-112g
P-1 - £185.00 12ft, 2.75lb All round predator rod with crisp progressive action.
X7 Modified Limerick bend Size 2, 4, 6 - £7.35 X6 Round Bend Size 2, 4, 6 - £8.40
AXIOM 6235 - £165.00 6ft 2in, casts 84-140g
P-2 - £180.00 11ft, 2.5lb Drain/river pike rod.
(For Fuji SiC rings please add £40)
TREBLE HOOKS Eagle Claw 974 2X straight point - 10pk Size 6 - £1.80 Size 4 - £1.80 Size 2 - £2.00 Size 1 - £2.00 Size 1/0 - £2.40 Size 2/0 - £2.60 Size 3/0 - £3.00 Size 4/0 - £3.60 Size 5/0 - £4.20
STAY-LOK POWER SNAPS £2.99 (Per 10) Size 1, Size 2 (Per 9) Size 3, Size 4 (Per 8) Size 4.5, Size 5
TOOLS AND STUFF
FOOLER - £130.00 6ft 6in, casts 28-70g - Top selling all-rounder
Long Reach pliers (straight): £7.50 Debarbing/crimping pliers: £4.95 Lazer split ring pliers: £11.50 Precision trace wire cutters: £4.95
Size 2 - £2.99 per 12 Size 3 - £2.99 per 10 Size 4 - £2.99 per 10
SLEDGE-HAMMER 66M - £145.00 6ft 6in, casts 56-112g
P-3 LOCH TAMER - £185.00 10ft, 3.5lb - Boat pike rod supreme. Nuff Said! P-4 LOCH TAMER LITE - £180.00 10ft, 2.75lb - Lighter action boat pike (and zander) rod.
SLEDGE-HAMMER 60H - £145.00 6ft, casts 70-126g. TRICKSTER H - £150.00 7ft 4in, casts 28-84g Two-piece, fast action multi-purpose lure rod. TRICKSTER L - £150.00 7ft 4in, casts 28-70g Two-piece, medium action multi-purpose lure rod.
POWER SWIVELS Size 14, 12, 10, or 8 £1.00 per 10
LUREWEAVE MESHES To fit 42” triangular or 36” round frames.
£24.00 Size 14, 12, 10, or 8 £4.25 per 50 Swivels size 5 £1.25 per 10
FASTACH SNAPS
SLEDGE-HAMMER 70L - £145.00 7ft 0in, casts 42-98g
Size 5 £5.25 per 50 Size 2 £2.00 per 10
To fit 36” triangular or 30” round frames.
£22.00
NEW STUFF Stainless Steel Split rings 6mm - £2.00 Stainless Steel Split rings 8mm - £2.00 Stainless Steel Split rings 10mm - £2.00 Quick Links - £2.00 All 20 per pack
P-5 - £185.00 11ft, 3lb - Multi-purpose boat/bank rod. Much recommended all round pike rod. BAIT BLASTER 1 (BB350) - £185.00 12ft, 3.5lb Big bait/long range predator rod.
RIG STUFF Popper Beads 18mm - £2.50 per 10 Popper Beads 25mm - £2.50 per 6 Rigid Boom Tube - £1.40 per 5 Deadbait Elastic - £1.00 30lb DLST Trace Wire - £2.99 per 30ft Crimps - £2.50 per 100 AFW Surfstrand 30lb - £3.95 per 30ft Twidling Stick - £2.00 each Low Temp Shrink Tube (size 1) - £1.70 Low Temp Shrink Tube (size 2) - £1.70 Low Temp Shrink Tube (size 3) - £1.70 Rubber Beads (6mm) - £0.85 per 10 Rubber Beads (8mm) - £0.85 per 10 Plastic Beads (5mm) - £1.50 per 100 Plastic Beads (8mm) - £1.50 per 100 Large Eye Swivels - £2.95 per 50
Lead making swivels per 50 - £3.00
CARRIAGE AND DELIVERY Orders under £25.00 please add £3.00 towards postage. Rods are sent by carrier at a cost of £15.00 per order. All rods built to order. Please enquire about build times—average is around four weeks. ALL OTHER UK ORDERS OVER £25.00 POST FREE Overseas carriage on rods (including Eire) by arrangement, other overseas orders please add 10% All weights and measures approximate. Prices correct as of 05/07/15. E&OE
Cheques/POs payable to D.L. Specialist Tackle please 18
VISA/MASTERCARD and PAYPAL ORDERS WELCOME Shop On-Line @ www.dlstshop.co.uk
PIKE ANGLERS ALLIANCE FOR SCOTLAND
AGM May 28th 2016 Guest Speaker:
ERIC EDWARDS
"Captor of 6 lure Thirties, the UK’s biggest lure caught brace & with Scottish fish to over 32lbs, Eric will discuss his approach to lure fishing, including video footage of fish to 28lbs"
FREE ENTRY FOR ALL
MEGA RAFFLE & PRIZE DRAWS GUESS THE WEIGHT COMPETITION TRADE STANDS SECOND HAND STALL THE IRON HORSE BAR
115 W Nile St, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G1 2SB
DOORS OPEN - 9AM
09.30 - 11.30 - Club Business including WFR up date from Ron Woods 11.45 - 12.45 - Break for Lunch 13.00 - 14.30 - Guest Speaker 14.30 - 16.00 - Raffle Prize Draws
ADVENTURE ON THE EBRO !
!
It all started when the phone rang whilst I was sitting having lunch with my daughter Ashley; “Awrite mate, Gary has broken his ankle and canny make the fishing.”
M
any of my best fishing trips over the years turn out to be the last minute ones; Ireland, Wales, France and this trip to Spain was to be no different. When Brian called that Tuesday afternoon I was telling Ashley how I was fed up with work and how I would like to get away for a few days. That call was music to my ears; "Where you off to?" I asked. "The Ebro mate, fancy it?” I thought at first Brian's comment was a bit tongue in cheek. "Yeah, I'm up for that mate," I replied. "Ok mate we leave tomorrow." "Ok, I'll phone you when I get home," and at that I hung up saying to Ashley "he is at it!”
20
During the next hour a dozen or so text messages passed between us. Turned out Brian was not at it as I put it, he really was leaving the next day and as it turned out all I had to do to join him was change the name on a plane ticket. Believe it or not this cost more than it was to purchase the original ticket but heh, it was duly done and the next day I would be on a Ryanair jet to Barcelona. As I said before, so many of my best fishing trips have been arranged last minute, often leaving within hours of being asked to go. Thankfully, I have a very understanding wife, although she has often said she loves the peace and quiet when I am not around! Wednesday morning, I packed the necessary gear that Brian had advised me to bring; shorts and t-shirts as all fishing gear was to be supplied by our guide. A 55 minute drive to Prestwick airport and then a 2hour 15 min flight saw us land at our first port of call, Barcelona, before a short bus ferry to our car hire company (€40 for four days) and we were on our way to Xerta. Xerta is a charming little town in the Catalonia region, 192km (119m) from Barcelona and it would take the best part of two hours to get there. The journey itself was very pleasant with some stunning scenery along the way. The accommodation was out of this world. We booked a holiday rental home called "CASA DE XERTA,” a four bedroom house with all and more that we would require for our trip.
This included an underground garage where we parked the car, only to set eyes on it again when we were leaving, the house only a 5 min walk from the river. The town of Xerta is a beautiful place with its old buildings and narrow streets. When I say narrow, you can see more than one scrape from cars on the corner walls. It has a cafe and a pub, where the food is not only cheap but very tasty also (T-bone steak was €9) and after a hearty meal we went for a look at the river. Words cannot describe how the river looked and we couldn't wait for the morning to come so we could get out and into the fishing. The mighty river Ebro is 930km (578m) long and starts its journey in Fontibre, finally discharging in a delta in the Mediterranean Sea close to Amposta, in the province of Tarragona. It is a spectacular river and the few miles we were going to fish, as I said before words don't really do it justice; beautiful, stunning, wonderful amazing? Yes all of the above and more! The river was alive with fish, standing on the jetty looking down into the water we could see carp to 50lb plus zander, roach and bass and as amazed as we were watching these fish we couldn't wait to get fishing for what we came for, the mighty Ebro catfish! We arranged to meet our guide Alberto (nicknamed Al for short) at 9 am, a little late we thought but he assured us there was no particular feeding spells to set your watch by. Often the first
cast of the day produced a fish and likewise, just when you’re packing up would produce also. Our boat was 16ft long with a 70 hp engine on the back, handy for getting from swim to swim in no time. The first swim we stopped in was on a bend in the river, 30ft deep and very clear. We anchored in 13ft casting into the deeper water, four rods were set up; two with 25mm halibut pellets and two with chicken carcasses, without doubt the weirdest bait I have ever used! It was the skeleton of the chicken with no meat just bits of skin hanging from it but Al assured us it would catch fish.
As the sun beat down on us, a very nice 25c, one of the reels started clicking. As it turned out this would be a regular occurrence over the next three days. "Channels," Al told us. These were a smaller catfish of which a 20lb fish would be huge. Al was in the process of throwing out free
21
offerings when one of the reels started screaming. Brian lifted the rod and Al explained the strike technique to him; “Lift the rod, point it at the fish and switch the runner off. When you feel the fish pull the rod out of your hand, strike." Brian followed the instructions well and a few minutes later a small channel cat was in the boat. After such a short time fishing it was a very welcome sight and more importantly, we were off the mark, The rest of the day proved uneventful with just the attention of the small channels in the swims we tried. We stopped fishing about 6pm with the sun still shining and a pretty good feeling about our first day. We went for a meal and a few refreshments, chatting about our hopes for the next day. The next day we met Al at 9 am and this time he was armed with a bag of frozen chicken carcasses and an ice box with a dozen beers in it; "We will offer our friends a drink," he said and off we set. We again started on the bend swim where we had the channel the day before, anchoring up and casting the four rods out, this time all baited with chicken. The clicking started on the reels with the channels nibbling the bait but after a couple of hours Al got 4 beers out from the cool box and handed myself, Brian and himself one and then proceeding to pour one into the river; Crazy, or so I thought. Now whether it was Devine intervention or luck I will let you decide but within seconds a rod screamed off. Brian grabbed it and after a short fight he had a 30lb plus catfish in the boat. We were delighted however the rest of the day was pretty uneventful, apart from the usual clicking from the channels, so we finished the day and went for some dinner. After dinner we went a walk down to the jetty to see if the big carp were about and sure enough, under the lights we could see them milling around. Brian had a light travel
22
spinning rod with him and a few jigs, as to catch a zander was on his bucket list. After a couple of casts he shouted, "Got one!" Not the biggest zander but his smile said it all! After a few photos it was carefully released and we went to the pub for a celebratory beer, happy with our efforts for the day. The final day we arranged to meet Al a few hours earlier as we had to be away by 5pm to catch our flight home. Again we headed to the corner swim that had produced for us previously. We had been fishing for a few hours when I suggested a move but Al said "give it ten mins." He then got 4 beers from the cool box and handed them out. No way, I thought, but again he poured a full can into the river. It wasn't as instant this time but about 15 minutes later two reels screamed into action. Brian grabbed the right hand rod and I grabbed the left and we struck almost instantaneously. I felt a solid resistance immediately and began to tussle with whatever was on the other end of my line. I looked round and Brian was landing
another fish which looked in the 30lb class, which he released quickly before grabbing the camera to start filming my battle. After ten or so minutes the beast surfaced and it was huge, an amazing sight! Al tapped it on the head and it dived into the depths once more. Al said "wind hard" which I duly did, giving short winds of the reel while pulling the rod up, putting the 60lb braid to the test. A minute or so later she was beaten and Al lifted her into the boat. I was gob smacked! 110lb’s Al shouted what a fish, a truly incredible creature. We duly took the photos and returned her back to the depths, not caring that I was covered in her crap. I hugged Brian (as you do), Al opened a beer and we toasted our success. The rest of our time slipped away and soon it was over. We shook hands with Al, thanked him and said our goodbyes. We were packed and away and before we knew it we were home, our adventure over. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a trip that we vowed to make again in the future.
23
ON THE BONNIE BONNIE BANKS OF
LOCH LOMOND
24
A
s a result of a positive meeting with the LLAIA at the Half Yearly, the PAAS Committee now recognise that the LLAIA are in possession of the required leases enabling them to charge for Coarse Fishing on Loch Lomond and as such, will be advising all members to buy a permit. However, the process that has led us to this latest development is certainly worth consideration and I hope the following article will give the membership some idea of the issues the various PAAS committees have faced, relating to this matter over the many years it has been in discussion. The Introduction - Loch Lomond (in Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is the largest expanse of freshwater in Great Britain and is second only in water volume to Loch Ness. Crossing what most geologists class as the Highland Boundary fault, the loch contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest Island found within any watercourse in Great Britain. It is approximately 24 miles (39 km) long and between 0.75 miles (1.21 km) and 5 miles (8.0 km) wide, with an average depth of about 121 feet (37 m) and a maximum depth of about 620 feet (190 m). Its surface area is 27 square miles (70 km2), and it has a volume of 2.6 km3 (0.62 cu mi) The Lochs’ Prime Purpose - There are many rivers that enter Loch Lomond but only one exit river, that being the River Leven at the Southern end. The Loch Lomond Water Supply Scheme, started in the mid 1960’s, was completed and opened on June 29th, 1971. The scheme includes a barrage on the outlet, the River Leven, which can control loch water levels in accordance with the Loch Lomond Water Board Order 1966. The Leven’s exit point from the Loch is 8 meters above sea level, so seven sluices were installed, each sluice weighing about 6 tons each, designed to be operated electronically and automatically but which are in reality controlled manually. The Loch is key to the Central belt of Scotland’s water supply and the water board have been given permission to abstract about 100 million gallons of water per day, providing the loch does not drop below 6.7meters (22feet). Before the barrage was completed,
sea-going boats could navigate their way into and out of Loch via the river, approximately six miles away, thus making the loch navigable by definition. (We will return to this matter later). Leisure on the Loch - The Loch, now part of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, is a very popular leisure destination for many activities including hill walking, camping and boating and has also featured on numerous TV documentaries and ‘Soaps.’ It also once held the British Pike Record, a fish caught by Tommy Morgan in July 1945 weighing a massive 47lbs 11ozs. It took 6 years to achieve recognition from the British Record Fish Committee and was allegedly caught from a weed bed near the East of Portnellan Farm. This was not the only big fish hooked in this area; according to accounts in another book a few years later, the late Richard Walker and friends fished a weed bed by boat at Portnellan and a huge fish was hooked and lost on a big roach bait. By all accounts, this fish was said to be massive as two anglers from another boat clearly saw the massive black back of the Pike as she broke the surface during the fight. In 1934, beside the mouth of the River Endrick the body of an enormous Pike was discovered. The head was taken and subsequently preserved and ever since has drawn interest and discussion. Noted anglers such as Dick Walker and Fred Buller, angling historian and author of The Domesday book of Monster Pike and Pike and the Pike Angler, speculated that the complete fish may have weighed 70 pounds or more. Others are more conservative, though few think the fish could have weighed less than 50lb. Of course, we will never know for sure, but should you be in Glasgow then you can take a look for yourself because the preserved head is exhibited at the Kelvingrove Art
Gallery and Museum. The Law - As we know, Scotland abounds with rivers and freshwater lochs. In many areas, the principal species will usually be brown trout followed by Pike. Fish diversity increases significantly the further south we travel with waters supporting species such as Grayling, Perch, Dace, Chub, Carp, Barbel, Bream, Minnows and Roach. The law relating to brown trout and these other species is basically the same, however there is often a great deal of confusion regarding the rights relating to fishing, particularly trout fishing, in Scotland. ‘Freshwater fish’ are defined as: ‘any fish living in freshwater, including trout and eels and the fry of eels but exclusive of salmon and any kind of fish which migrates between the open sea and tidal waters’. But the terms ‘trout’ and ‘freshwater fish’ are often used interchangeably. Freshwater-fishing rights are an incident to property rights. Therefore, if you own the banks of a river or loch you will also have a right to fish for freshwater fish on the adjoining water. There is no common right of fishing for freshwater fish available to the public. Assuming that you have the permission of the landowner, defining boundaries of where you can fish is not always straightforward and indeed this is where the Law becomes interesting and, In particular, can be confusing for the Loch user; Rivers: Where two different proprietors own the banks, each will own the riverbed up to the halfway point known as the ‘medium filum’. Anglers may cast over the full width of the river. Lochs: Where there are two or more proprietors (Riparian Owners) of a loch, each has a right of navigation over the loch that includes the right
25
to fish. Thus, permission from one proprietor means the angler may fish over all parts of the loch. This right can only be exercised from land belonging to the proprietor or by boat launched from that land over the whole surface of the loch. If a landowner finds someone fishing without permission, the only option he has exists under the common law of trespass whereby he may turn the poacher off his water. If the poacher is a repeat offender, the landowner may seek a court interdict. With Exemptions - There are exemptions to this rule, as it does not apply to Salmon. Salmon fishing rights are historically vested in the Crown as a heritable title (excluding Orkney and Shetland). No one may fish for salmon in rivers, estuaries or the sea within territorial limits without permission of the Crown or the party vested in the Crown rights (i.e. the owner of the salmon fishing’s). Fishing without the permission of the owner here is a statutory offence and freshwater fishing rights must not be used in such a way as to interfere or injure the salmon rights. So it would appear the Crown sells the ‘Salmon Rights’ to the Riparian
Owner and with this title the Riparian Owner now owns the right to fish for and take Salmon from river bank or Loch side. The Salmon fishing rights in Scotland are private heritable titles registered separately from land and as such, these titles can be bought and sold like any other property. The Right to Charge for Coarse Fishing - The Right to Charge for Coarse Fishing now belongs to the Riparian Owner/Estate. If there is only one Riparian Owner/Estate, then they can charge others to fish the Loch for coarse fish or grant permission with no charges if they so wish to do so. When there are more than one Riparian Owner/Estate they can only charge or grant permission if the angler fishes or gains access to boat fish from their water frontage. The angler can then gain access to fish the whole of loch as he is entitled to do so. However, this is where it can get tricky for any party wishing to rent the fishing’s from the Riparian Owners. In order for an Angling Club or Association to charge for fishing they must have the sole right to charge and the leases to prove it, i.e. a legally binding agreement between the two parties that clearly shows the entitlement to charge for fishing.
The Solicitors Advocate Opinion on Loch Lomond as requested by the Scottish Federation of Coarse Anglers - I have kindly received permission from the SFCA to reproduce quotes to further illustrating this article in paragraphs rather than to reproduce the document in full. These quotes appear in bold and Italics purely for better definition. In the past, the Scottish Federation of Coarse Anglers asked a Solicitors’ Advocate to pass a discerning eye over this subject, asking for his opinion on the matter. Given that said person was, at the time, a member of the Federation it could be said that he simply told the concerned angling fraternity what they wanted to hear, as the case was solely based on Loch Oich’s navigability. The case merely passed reference to Loch Lomond, purely because of its size in relation to the other 5 Lochs mentioned and because it carried so much boat traffic. One opinion in the original case found in favour of Loch Lomond falling under the same ruling but that was only an opinion from a Senator sitting in on the hearing originally. Below are some of his opinions on the subject.
THE DEFINITION; Freshwater fish are “res nullius”, or in other words they belong to no-one until captured. They then belong to the captor. The legal right to take freshwater fish belongs to the proprietor of the land contiguous to the river or loch in which the fish are found1. In applying this proposition, the following rules must be considered:
1. No-one has the right to trespass on the land of another for the purpose of fishing. 2. If someone has the right to have access to the bank of a river or loch it does not follow that he is entitled to fish it. 3. Members of the public, having neither right nor title, cannot establish a right by any usage for even a very long period against a proprietor having title to the land on which the loch sits or through which the river flows. Where separate proprietors own land adjoining a loch (often referred to as “riparian owners”, which simply means owners of the banks of the loch), they all have a right in common to the whole water in the loch and therefore the right to fish in any part of the loch2. The above principles apply in all cases where the water is private.
26
Public waters. The exception to the above is where the loch or river is “public”. The requirements for a water to be public are that it must be: a) Navigable; and b) Tidal. Non-tidal waters which abut onto lands owned by any person are generally to be regarded as private. In general, to be public, both a) and b) should apply, subject to a 19th Century case which I will discuss below. There is a public right to fish a tidal water from the foreshore ie the part of the bank between the high and low water marks. There is however substantial inland navigation on the loch itself, although no access can be gained to any other water course from the loch. Therefore, for our reference before the barrage was built the Loch was
deemed Navigable for many years. The effect of the Macdonell case. In the case of Macdonell v Caledonian Canal Commissioners (1830) 8 S 881, the Inner House was concerned with an application relating to the building of the Caledonian Canal through the Great Glen and in particular the right to navigate Loch Oich, which lies in the lands of the Glengarry Estate. The decision of the court was that Loch Oich was private citing as the basis for this the fact that it lay wholly in private land and the lack of evidence of any proper navigation. In so holding, Lord Cringleth compared Loch Oich to Lochs Ness, Lochy and Lomond3. He took the view that these 3 were “undoubtedly” public. By this he could only have been taking account of their navigability as none of them is tidal at all. Only one of the Senators made that reference, and it is not an opinion offered or adopted by either of the 2 other Senators.
The case has not been overruled and its ratio decidendi4 would bind any court dealing with the issue on Scotland unless the Inner House consisting of 5 judges or more, or the House of Lords. Discussion. It is my opinion that the Macdonell case is authority for the proposition that waters may be public though not tidal provided they are navigable. It must however be noted that reference to Loch Lomond does not form part of the ratio but is rather obiter dicta5 of one of the judges. It may however be that his Lordships’ opinion still is highly persuasive if not strictly part of the binding aspects of the case. The above requires to be very heavily qualified, however, in my view. The case does not at all deal with the issue of fishing. It is solely concerned with navigation. Perhaps therefore it not surprising that the Court put a great deal of faith in the question of navigability. If the Court had been
27
asked to consider the issue of bank fishing perhaps they would have placed a great deal of reliance on the tidal foreshore. If I were arguing against this issue I would suggest that Macdonell can be distinguished from the present question and need therefore not be followed, on the grounds of fishing not being mentioned anywhere in the case. The case is very old and indeed much has changed since it was decided. The boat traffic created by the Caledonian Canal would now suggest that Loch Oich is today very navigable and therefore public! However, it must also be considered that at the date of the case there was an uninterrupted navigation route from the Clyde Estuary to Loch Lomond via the River Leven. Nevertheless, there is no case to contradict the opinion of Lord Cringleth, and as such it would be tactically advantageous to coarse anglers to rely on the case as authority for Loch Lomond being a public waterway. I take the view that once a water is public, both the right to navigate and to fish, follow. I do not consider that the 2 can be severed. There is no authority to suggest that a water may be public for ship traffic, yet private for fishing.
28
It follows that if the water is public then the public has a right to fish it provided they can lawfully gain access to the banks to fish or to launch a boat.
If the Memorialist wishes me to clarify or expand upon any of the matters referred to herein I would be happy to discuss the matter further at consultation.
Conclusion.
Solicitor Advocate. Glasgow; 10th November 2003
I consider that Loch Lomond is a public water, on the basis of the volume of boat traffic which uses it. This entirely accords with the view of the Court in Macdonell as it did not apply to Loch Oich in the early 19th Century. Much can be made of the unequivocal and assertive view of one of the Court on large freshwater lochs, including Lomond, as being public. Account must however be taken of how old that opinion is and that the case was not concerned with fishing at all. Nevertheless, I am of the view that public fishing must follow where a water is shown to be public by dint of volume of navigation. If I am correct in the above, it follows that the public is entitled to fish the loch for freshwater fish without the requirement of a permit scheme. I should also add that I consider that this rationale must similarly apply to that part of the River Leven upstream of the barrage at Balloch to the point where it enters the loch, this being a navigable stretch of river.
So, could this ruling be tested if an individual was charged for fishing without a permit? To push such a claim would without doubt cost an incredible amount of money and time without actually knowing what the outcome might be from a legal point of view. The Solicitors Advocate clearly says in his view, nothing has been tested by a Court of Law and that rulings would need to be reaffirmed by the Judges presiding the case. The whole point of this has been to illustrate the complexities of the issues that the original discussion centred on. As I have reiterated previously, the case has never been tested and I doubt it ever will unless someone is caught fishing the Loch and the LLAIA press for prosecution and they have sufficient money and time to see the case through. The Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association (LLAIA). The first angling records on the Loch were documented away back in 1858
and by the end of the turn the century the LLAIA was in existence. The exact date as to when they started to run the Salmon Fishing on the loch for the Estates or Riparian Owners isn’t that clear. However, since the late 70’s and early 80’s and right up until the present day the LLAIA have claimed to own the sole right to charge for coarse fishing on the loch. In those early years, the Association were challenged on quite a few occasions to prove that they had the right to charge for coarse fishing on Loch Lomond. The LLAIA maintained that they had the right and were in possession of the leases to back up their claims. However, since those early days, like most Clubs and Associations they have been through some major political changes, albeit in this case for the better. The Association also does a mountain of other work, such as work parties to clear the River Leven on a seasonal basis and the removal of rubbish from the river is of the typical urban villains’ clutter i.e., shopping trolleys, old bike frames, garden machinery and so on. They look after the banks and maintain the bankside vegetation, keeping it under control and eradicating invasive
plant species, such as Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed. I have been dealing with the LLAIA and Malky McKay, the Chairman since stepping into the PAAS Chairman’s position. The history on this matter has always had baggage to carry, and levels of expectation but the LLAIA have maintained their position on the right to charge to fish. However, the LLAIA’s stance has also been that they are policing and providing a service for the Loch users including the pike angler and providing at least two regular bailiffs in order to do so. PAAS, to my knowledge have never said that LLAIA are not carrying this action out to the benefit of pike anglers. There are many Pike Anglers that do pay to fish the Loch; that is their choice and PAAS endorses their way of thinking. Throughout, All PAAS has asked for is the proof that they can indeed charge anglers to Coarse fish on the whole Loch and I believe now that we are extremely close to this final outcome. The easiest way and one that PAAS has been pushing and asking for is for the LLAIA to get signed lease agreements from all the Riparian Owners that have frontage to the Loch, stating that the
LLAIA have the sole right to charge to fish the water for coarse fish. There has been over two and a half years of e-mailing between PAAS and the LLAIA about this matter. In fact, at the 2013 AGM the LLAIA Chairman was invited to address the matter and he gave the attending members assurances that these documents would be sourced and passed onto the PAAS Committee when available. In fairness to the LLAIA, it now seems that gaining these documents has not been as easy as stated at the AGM but we are now hopefully in the final stages of gaining these leases, clearly stating that the four Riparian Owners agree in principle for the LLAIA to produce a permit and charge for coarse fishing on Loch Lomond. PAAS Half-Yearly Meeting 2016 Prior to this meeting, the LLAIA had presented to the Club some paperwork that looked vague but that did state the Riparian Owner/Estate had granted the rights to the LLAIA to charge for Trout, which, by the 2003 Consolidation Act, also covers Coarse fish. Malky kindly attended the meeting with the Committee and Branch Secretary’s and gave us some interesting background knowledge on how things had moved on from the
29
old LLAIA to its new present form. He described being left with 9 bin bags of paperwork, neatly jumbled up before being handed over to him by one of the old Committee members, who then wished him good luck sorting it all out. As they moved on, they started unravelling this paperwork and eventually got the Association back onto a footing that everyone appears to be happy with. At the meeting, Malky presented maps that clearly define the boundaries of their fishing rights with the major estates around the loch. He also stated that he had finally received the Lease form the Montrose Estates, meaning that
30
the Association is now in possession of all four leases. Although he did not actually have the leases on him, I have seen the initial three in attachment from and I can confirm that they do say, in a very legally written way, that they have been granted the rights to charge for Coarse fish.
can contact Alan Armstrong, PAC representative on the LLAIA Committee and he will send them to you in attachment form under the assumption that no one else is to see them due to the privacy of the said leases and the confidentiality with the Estates.
As a result, the PAAS committee now recognise these Leases and will be advising all members to buy a permit before fishing the Loch, from either the bank or boat. If PAAS Members want to see these leases for themselves, they
Elsewhere, Malky also covered the mountain of work the LLAIA were doing on the loch with smolt tagging programmes, the refurbishment of Salmon spawning beds and clearing blockages in rivers preventing the returning Salmon from getting up the river to spawn. He also explained
that well over 65% of the LLAIA‘s annual revenue was being spent on bailiffs’ wages and materials to help the bailiffs with their work around the Loch.
LLAIA Committee. I got the feeling that Malky and his Committee would welcome more Pike Fishing representation on their Committee, to guide them on best practices for pike and pike fishing.
Moving Forward - Our aim now as a club is to get some form of representation on the LLAIA Committee. In order to achieve this, the PAAS Committee would like to hear from anglers who fish the Loch on a regular basis and would ask these anglers to think about volunteering to become additional Pike Angling representatives on the
Malky stated clearly that all this work had been rewarding because it made the LLAIA get in touch with the Lease Holders to determine the right to charge for coarse fishing. However, it is rather sad that by the looks of things they have had the rights all along but, for one reason or another, have not been able to produce said paperwork as proof they could
charge. It is a pity that the old regime, when challenged to produce the leases did not do so, thus saving an awful lot of grief in the meantime for every party involved with angling on the Loch.
So, in conclusion, a rough history of the reasons why there were such issues over the years leading up to the current position in 2016 where a more promising future now exists for all of us, should we choose to work alongside the LLAIA.
31
MUGSHOTS
1
3
2 5
4
32
7 6
10
8
9
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Darren Inglis Tony McTaggart Mark Wishart Mark Wishart Tony McTaggart Dougie Loughridge Stewart Mortimer John Gallacher Darren Inglis John Gallacher
33
34
Stefan Jen s
“A new pb o f
record!)
34lb 12oz from fisheries (New Lake f
harelaw
I
en
am very happy m and a big an thank yo u to Da McInally fo vid r helping me land it !�
35
36
NEW
ORDER FORM Quantity
MY RED LETTER DAYS By Matt Hayes My Red Letter Days is a collection of short stories and a celebration of Matt’s many years on the bank. Matt had this to say about his new book: “From pursuing chub, pike and barbel to landing exotic species from around the world, this is a collection of some of my most memorable fishing trips and I hope it inspires you to take on new challenges. My Red Letter Days is sectioned into 52 chapters, some of which were first seen in my early writings in Angling Times. I’ve really enjoyed putting together the book and reliving great memories, and a fair few disasters, alongside anglers such as Mick ‘The Duke’ Brown, Ed ‘Two Scoops’ Brown, Stewart Allum and my business partner, Rich Lee. “Trying to decide what stories to include, and what to leave out, was a tall order, but I think I’ve got the mix right and I’m already planning a second version of the book. There’s a very limited first edition run on the book, so please order today to ensure you get a copy.”
£20.00 plus £3.50 p&p
*
Name (must match debit/credit card): Address: Post code: Contact No: Email: Please debit my card for the sum of £ Please find enclosed a cheque for the sum of £
Card details Issue number:
Valid from:
/
Expiry:
/
CVV:**
Please tell us where you saw this advert: * Delivery costs are for UK mainland only. Check website or call for overseas postage rates ** CVV is the last three digits of the security code printed on the signature strip on the reverse of your card. To order fill out the above slip and send, with cheque if necessary (made payable to Carp Fishing News Ltd.), to: Carp Fishing News Ltd., Newport, East Yorkshire, HU15 2QG. Please allow 14 days for delivery. If you do not wish to receive further information from Carp Fishing News Ltd. or other angling related companies, please tick here E&OE.
ORDER ONLINE gifts4anglers.co.uk OR CALL THE ORDER HOTLINE:
01430 440624
ORDER FORM Quantity
THE SCALES DON’T LIE
HARDBACK
NEW!
Terry Knight is one of the UK’s most successful specimen hunters. A fisherman for more than 60 years, he has caught some of the biggest fish that swim, including a giant 43lb 13oz pike – among the heaviest of the species ever recorded. By his own admission, pike are his first love, but among the chapters on Llandegedd, Lomond, Windermere and Blithfield, you’ll also find stories about huge carp, tench, bream, catfish and more. Supported by stunning photography, ‘The Scales don’t Lie’ is a lavish adventure that spans six glorious decades. Enjoy!
£29.99 plus £3.25 p&p
*
Name (must match debit/credit card): Address: Post code: Contact No: Email: Please debit my card for the sum of £ Please find enclosed a cheque for the sum of £
Card details Issue number:
Valid from:
/
Expiry:
/
CVV:**
Please tell us where you saw this advert: * Delivery costs are for UK mainland only. Check website or call for overseas postage rates ** CVV is the last three digits of the security code printed on the signature strip on the reverse of your card. To order fill out the above slip and send, with cheque if necessary (made payable to Carp Fishing News Ltd.), to: Carp Fishing News Ltd., Newport, East Yorkshire, HU15 2QG. Please allow 14 days for delivery. If you do not wish to receive further information from Carp Fishing News Ltd. or other angling related companies, please tick here E&OE.
37 ORDER ONLINE gifts4anglers.co.uk OR CALL THE ORDER HOTLINE:
01430 440624
FORCE OF NATURE
How many fishing authors of late have tried to persuade readers that the Moon, through its phases, has a direct effect on the way fish either behave or feed at certain times of the day? The way that fish live and behave in their environment is the focus of this article, to get the reader to think a little further outside the usual box and to consider other natural forces that may have a direct link in some form on how nature behaves inside the Earth’s environment. After all, the Earth’s environment is something that everything on this planet has to adapt to in order to live and survive. There are a few natural forces to consider and the first we should think about is gravity. We know from Isaac Newton and his law of gravitation that any two objects
38
in the Universe exert a force of attraction on each other. This relationship is based on the mass of the two objects and the distance between them; the greater the mass of the two objects and the shorter the distance between them, the stronger the pull of the gravitational forces they exert on each other. Gravity is an internal and external force that has a huge influence on the existence of all Earths creatures. According to science in its most simplified form, it was the Earth’s gravity that pulled the moon into place many billions of years ago as it passed by. Now the two combine, pulling and pushing on one another to create tides. The force of gravity caused by an object gets weaker as you move farther away from that object. The Moon pulls more strongly on the side of the Earth facing
it than on the side facing away from the Moon. Because the gravitational force on one side of the planet is different from that on the other side, we experience something called a tidal force. However, inertia -- the tendency of a moving object to keep moving -- affects the earth's oceans too. As the moon circles the earth, the earth moves in a very slight circle and this movement is enough to cause a centrifugal force on the oceans. (It's centrifugal force that holds water in a bucket when you swing the bucket in an overhead arc.) This inertia, or centrifugal force, causes the Oceans to bulge on the opposite side of the Earth facing the moon. While the moon's gravitational pull is strong enough to attract oceans into a bulge on the side of the earth facing the moon, it is not strong enough
to overcome the inertia on the opposite side of the earth. As a result, the world's oceans bulge twice; once when they are on the side of Earth closest to the Moon and once when they are on the side farthest from the moon. Because neither the Earth nor the Moon are perfectly round and are neither perfectly rigid, they deform when subjected to such tidal forces. They deform as if they are being pushed from the top and bottom seeing a bulge form on either side of the planet; these two bulges are called tides and can actually be seen - ocean water rising high along a beach, twice each day. With this brief description of what and how a tide is formed we might be able to see the relationship a little better, if indeed there is one? Can this happen to large expanses of fresh water on Earth as well? How large does an expanse of water have to be before the forces described above have an effect on it?
1. Gravity So, how does Gravity affect our fishing? A lot has been said about Moon rises and setting times, Full Moons and New Moons and there are lot of facts and figures that should be taken into account. From my limited experiences and data I personally think that there is something of a relationship between the rising and setting of the Moon. There have been too many times when, after sitting there all day with nothing happening, a run will appear out of nothing. Granted there is the chance that the fish just wandered across this bait but I record the time regardless and then research the Moon’s position at that time. Sometimes it’s not only one run but maybe three of four runs to different rods within a short space of time. I am sure something somewhere has acted as a trigger for these fish to move and feed and although I can’t say for certain, the coincidence is all too familiar with the moon starting to rise. Scientific thinking clearly says that the relationship between the earth and moon happens when it appears in the sky, the moon side starting to have an effect as it faces the earth and the dark side having a negative effect as the gravitational pull wanes. Is this pull, as it appears on our sky line, enough to start a trigger in a fresh water system? I am not sure but something causes the fish
to feed or move. Day light does the same and a rising New Moon always coincides with dawn and sun rise. I knew of one big fish, 28lbs plus, from a Loch that I fished that was always caught on a New Moon rise at dawn without fail. It’s true it could all be a very pleasing coincidence but thinking otherwise might just put an odd extra big fish in the net for that person who records their captures and joins the dots as they go along. A full moon is in the sky a lot longer and the gravitational pull will have a longer effect throughout the time it is facing the earth. Whereas a new moon rises at dawn and will set pretty quick after that, it’s time facing the earth is limited to just a few hours during this phase, lengthening as the moon increases in size and travels through its Lunar cycle, a cycle repeated every 29.3 days. In addition, the height of the tides can also vary during the course of a month because the Moon is not always the same distance from the Earth. As the Moon's orbit brings it in closer proximity to our planet its gravitational forces can increase by almost 50%, and this stronger force leads to higher tides. Likewise, when the Moon is farther away from the Earth, the tides are not as spectacular, another possible piece of the jigsaw during a Moons lunar phase. I worked with Americans for 4 years and all they talked about was hunting and fishing and they would swear by a full moon, despite my own experiences of poor fishing in such circumstances. I would have thought a full moon might have been great to hunt at night by but from what the Americans said it was the prey that moved most at night and not the hunter, unless it was carrying a gun of course, sitting waiting in a hide for the prey to appear! Perhaps the prey fish move around a lot more at night and if we are near the prey fish an active pike might just be there as well, possibly explaining why some anglers do get lucky on a full moon.
2. Atmospheric Pressure. Barometric pressure (also known as atmospheric pressure) is the force exerted by the atmosphere at a given point, known as the "weight of the air,” a
measurement which can be expressed in millibars (mb) or in inches or millimeters of mercury (Hg). Normal pressure at sea level is 1013.3 millibars or 29.92 inches of mercury. Fluctuations in barometric pressure are usually a sign of imminent weather conditions; a rise in pressure usually means improving weather while falling pressure may reflect impending inclement weather, albeit barometric pressures will also vary with altitude and moisture. Air pressure is a force exerted on us by the weight of tiny particles of air (Molecules). Although these molecules are invisible, they still have weight and take up space and since there is a lot of “empty” space between air molecules, air can be compressed to fit a smaller volume. When air is compressed it’s said to be under “High Pressure.” Air at sea level is what we are used to; in fact, we are so accustomed to it that we have forgotten it exists around us and that we are actually feeling it all the time. Weather forecasters measure air pressure with a barometer (now you can see where this heading, I hope?) and barometers are used to measure the current air pressure at a current location in “inches of mercury” or as we know it in millibars (mb). 1013.3 millibars is equal to 100 pascals or (14.7 psi in layman’s terms) and 14.7 psi is said to be atmospheric pressure of 1 Bar which is the standard air pressure at mean sea level. Hopefully by now a picture is beginning to come together of one or two more threads that affect the earth’s surface and by taking these additional forces into account we may build a slightly more accurate picture of how things react to changes within the Earth’s state or environment.
3. Hydrostatic Pressure in a liquid (Water). This is defined as the pressure at a given depth in a vertical, static column of liquid. No matter how long or wide the column, fluid pressure only relates to the columns height and the density of the fluid within that column. Freshwaters density is measured in pounds per gallon (PPG) or Pounds Per Thousand Feet (PPTF). Pounds per gallon are easier to
39
24lbs 9oz work with for this article. Freshwater weighs approximately 8.3 ppg, so for every gallon of fresh water you have in a bucket it should weigh 8.3 pounds. We can turn ppg into psi per foot of depth by multiplying Freshwater 8.3 ppg by 0.052, giving us 0.4316 psi per foot of columned water. So, every foot of water depth will exert a pressure of 0.4316 psi, from the surface to the Loch bed. We also have to take into account the air pressure (atmospheric (14.7 psi)) bearing down on top of the column fluid. Now, in theory if we had a 30 foot column of freshwater we would be able to calculate the amount of hydrostatic pressure exerted on any living creature that lived down at 30 feet deep. So if we work on the equation for a 30 foot Column of water Water depth 30 feet x 0.4316 psi per ft = 12.95 psi pressure exerted at that depth. This is constant pressure at this depth. Now if we add the 14.7 psi Atmospheric pressure at mean sea level to the hydrostatic pressure, gives us a sum of the following; 12.95psi + 14.7psi = 27.65psi at 30 feet deep. We can now begin to appreciate what this means to anything down at that depth. As an example, 30 psi is the standard pressure for most car tyres and that is a considerable amount of pressure on a
40
soft tissue such as skin. If a fish were to go deeper so the pressure they experience will get greater. 4. Atmospheric and Hydrostatic Pressure. In his books on Pike, the late Dr Barrie Rickards suggested that a change in the weather could be the trigger to make fish feed, favouring a rising barometer in all the articles on the subject I have read. So how do we apply nature’s natural forces to his theory of a rising barometer? May I take liberty here and suggest the following might just happen; We have calculated the figures for a Pike resting in 30 feet of water. It’s body mass has 27.65 psi squeezing against it’s body/ skin under normal barometric pressure (1013.3 millibars 14.7psi) at zero sea level. Now what if a low pressure system is going to swing over the area we are fishing and what will this do to the pressure on the fish? Well, for example, the pressure exerted on the fish will decrease as the air
pressure drops to around 975 millibars. The actual pressure drop on the fish will be very small, approximately 0.551 of a psi but how small or big does it have to be before a fish recognises the changes? I would suggest it’s not that much at all. It is said that lateral lines of fish can pick up movement from some considerable distance so it’s possible fish would feel this pressure drop considerably. Half a pound of pressure on soft tissue could be considered as a significant pressure drop. So our pike has regulated his body to get used to this pressure difference and then suddenly the barometer starts to rise as a high pressure system moves in over where we are fishing. The high pressure system is going to rise all the way to 1040 millibars, a swing of 75 millibars which equals 1.1 pound per square inch pressure rise. As the pressure suddenly rises our pike feels this change coming and it goes on the feed before the final, over-exerting pressure takes a toll on its body surface area. In short, our Esox goes
The River Spey on the feed before this change is felt and concluded. I will add just a couple of examples that may makes us think hard about what happened during a natural event; About 2 years ago I fished with a friend in some very high winds and we caught fish. During the mini storm my anchor line managed to come unattached from the anchor. I hadn’t tie wrapped the shackle pin to stop it from backing itself out under the constant wave motion and it subsequently became unattached from the chain and anchor at the most awkward time. Two days later the weather was getting better so off I went to get the anchor and 10 foot of chain back as it was resting in about 9 feet of water. A very high pressure system was expected over
Scotland so after recovering the anchor I went off lure fishing, not really paying any attention to the weather which was only considered with hind sight. With the high pressure approaching, on this day I experienced many follows and landed several good doubles to just under 16 pounds on small lures in just a few hours fishing. I departed early as I wasn’t intending to fish for that long, as I had other more pressing commitments, however with good weather promising to hang over Scotland I was back there again a couple of days later and flogged the water to nearly a foam and never saw a fish follow the lure, let alone take it. What had happened to all the action? Could it be now that the high pressure was settled over Scotland perhaps the pike didn’t feel like feeding anymore due
to the extra pressure against their skin, choosing instead to rest after eating their prey? Interestingly, I did however have action on dead baits that were hard on the bottom and not moving in anyway. The second account happened on the River Tay many, many years ago. Fishing with a mate in a favourite spot the weather report was to be horrendous and not conducive to good fishing but like many anglers we did not have time on our hands to be picky or selective and off we went. The wind was strong and a very deep low depression was gathering throughout Scotland during the day. Once in our spots I flung out a live bait just off the bank in about 8 to 10 feet of water on
41
YOU GET...
›› Four issues of the amazing full colour ‘Lure Angler’ magazine ›› The chance to fish at exclusive access, members only events ›› Free Liability insurance ›› Amazing discounts off many of the top predator tackle retailers ›› Access to the ‘members’ section of the LAS online forum.
Adults: £20, Juniors under 16: £10, Senior/Disabled £14, Family £26, Mainland Europe £28, Rest of the world £30.
a 2ozs paternoster. Not long had passed when the back biter on this rod hit the bank stick with a resounding clunk, the float was gone and the fish was taking line. After a spirited scrap the first fish of the day was unhooked and weighed at 16lbs 4ozs. That was result and on a live bait in a very deep low pressure system, very uncharacteristic according to the books we’d read. Another bait was lobbed out and 10 minutes later it had been taken, a fish that weighed in at 16lbs 12ozs - two decent fish on live bait. Next up was my mate who was further down the river and had one at about 7 to 8lbs, again on live bait. Whilst getting my mates fish out of a tree for him while he held the rod I heard a shout from Rhys saying the float had gone again and that line was being taken
42
off the spool, this fish turning out to be 15lbs 10ozs. 4 fish on live baits and it wasn’t even lunch time yet! The last fish of the day fell finally to a dead bait and weighed in at a hefty 21lbs 10ozs, just on lunch time. What a result on a day we very nearly changed our minds because of the weather… the moon phase for this unusual day was indeed a new Moon with a plummeting barometer to boot. So, a lot to consider for the angler who might want to take their fishing that little bit further and takes time to understand what I have illustrated in this article. I know there are many out there that will just go fishing and I wouldn’t suggest otherwise because most of us cannot be choosey when we fish. I once thought and
relied on what I imagined to be the right circumstances and probably missed out on some good fish because of this way of thinking. I now enjoy my fishing whether I catch fish or not, however I will without doubt glance back at what the weather and moon were doing, during a day’s fishing that just flickered into life after hours of nothing, to see if there is a link because personally, it just adds to the fun! Tight Lines
Steve Tapley Chairman
Summer 2014
LURE ANGLERS SOCIETY
JOIN TODAY!
›› Quarterly magazine in print and digital format, full of articles and information on lure fishing, and competition prizes to be won! ›› Generous discounts from many tackle suppliers. See forum for details. ›› Competitions and events throughout the year all around the UK, many with generous sponsored prizes. ›› Local chapters around the country where you can meet like minded anglers for informal and friendly fish-ins.
The Journal
Issue 81
ON E AS SU SER IS PE
EN OPUM B
29/05/2014
d 1
LA81_001_COVER.ind
›› Free liability insurance.
Visit us at www.lureanglers.co.uk and join us today! Under 17’s FREE! (includes e-magazine only), Adults: £20, Juniors under 16: £10, Senior/Disabled £14, Husband & Wife/Partners: £30, Mainland Europe £28, Rest of the world £30.
lers Society of the Lure Ang
09:38
WILD FISHERIES REFORM
LATEST NEWS Things are moving fast on the Wild Fisheries Reform programme (WFR), and we are now reaching a crucial stage in the process.
44
B
y the time you read this article, a draft Bill and associated consultation paper will have been issued by the Scottish Government. These will put forward proposals for major changes to Scottish freshwater fisheries legislation, for a new national Wild Fisheries Strategy, and for the shape and scale of the new fisheries management organisations (FMOs) that are to be created in support of WFR. Check out the WFR section of the Scottish Government website: (http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/fishreform ) for up to date information on the consultation. At the time of writing it’s not possible to say what the draft Bill and consultation paper will contain. However the proposals have been developed through a highly participative process in which SFCA has been actively involved at all stages and I’m confident that we can expect most of what emerges to be benign from the coarse angling perspective, and hopefully to address our concerns over the lack of a level playing field in the law protecting coarse fish. As always SFCA will respond in detail with the aim of promoting coarse anglers’ interests as far as possible. In the first instance I’ll be putting a brief outline of our proposed position onto the SFCA website (http://www.sfca.co.uk/ ) with an invitation for clubs and individual coarse anglers to comment and offer their own suggestions. Once people have had the chance to get back to me (I’m afraid there will only be a short deadline for that) I’ll be drafting a full response for agreement by the SFCA Committee before submitting that to the Scottish Government. On the basis of past experience I anticipate we will subsequently be invited to give oral evidence to the Rural Affairs Climate Change & Environment Committee at the Scottish Parliament, though this might be some months later. The WFR process can be a genuine game-changer for everyone involved in Scottish coarse angling – none more than pike anglers, who are the biggest group of users of truly “wild” fisheries here. It’s absolutely vital that we make the best of the opportunity not only by contributing views to the SFCA response but also by replying individually. You really can make a difference - typically only a couple of hundred replies are received to consultations like this, so even if just 20% of PAAS members (as well as the club itself, of course) submit responses our voice will be substantially stronger. Please take a little of your time to read the material I’ve mentioned above and comment by email to: ron.woods@ntlworld.com or on the SFCA Facebook page. We need your input and support.
Loch Ken Survey Work I've recently been contacted by Jamie Ribbens, the senior biologist at Galloway Fisheries Trust, to explore how the coarse angling sector might become involved in some work the Trust is hoping to carry out on Loch Ken in the near future. I've known Jamie for some years and have a very high opinion of him. Among other things he's an occasional pike angler, but most important he has a real appreciation of and concern for the problems we encounter on Loch Ken with, for example, crayfish and pot hunting. Jamie tells me that the development phase for a Council-led Lottery funding proposal for various linked environmental projects in the Dee catchment has now been approved. Work to finalise the whole package is still ongoing but among the items concerned is a proposal for GFT to survey the fish populations in Loch Ken and liaise with other stakeholders with the aim of compiling a management plan and forming a steering group to help manage the fishery of the Loch if all parties agree this is desirable. This has support from SNH and Jamie is keen to work with the coarse angling community to develop more detailed ideas for what can be done and how best to achieve it. Needless to say he also sees a place for coarse angling interests in any management body that emerges in the longer term. This is an extremely positive development, and very much in tune with the direction of the WFR. I only wish we saw more like it, and am keen to support it both on a personal level and on behalf of SFCA. The first phase of the project will be to establish a picture of the fish community and status of stocks in the loch. Some of that can – and indeed must – be done via non-lethal sample seine netting exercises, and small scale trials have recently been taking place to establish how, when and where that should be carried out. However a large part of the information required can best be collected by obtaining catch returns from the anglers who fish the loch. This note is firstly to reassure you that if you see people from GFT undertaking sample netting on the loch there’s absolutely nothing sinister behind it; and secondly to ask you to help by getting involved in the catch returns scheme that will hopefully be launched later this year. At the moment it’s not certain how that will operate, but there may be both paper and online versions to allow you to choose the most convenient option. All information collected will be treated in strict confidence and data will not be published in a form that identifies you or your favoured fishing spots. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to get back to me, or contact Galloway Fisheries Trust direct via their website (http://www.gallowayfisheriestrust.org/contact-galloway-fisheriestrust.php) or by email to: mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org
45
LOCH LOMOND COARSE FISHING PERMITS As a general rule, it is a legal requirement in Scotland to have written consent to fish for freshwater species from the riparian owner (or a person renting the fishing rights from them). The law in this respect is exactly the same for coarse fish as for brown or rainbow trout. Nevertheless, as with many other waters, coarse angling on Loch Lomond was historically treated as free and no permits were issued. Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association (LLAIA) has controlled the salmon and seatrout fishing on the Loch for over a century, but a few years ago they also started to issue permits for coarse fishing. At that time SFCA, PAAS and PACGB approached LLAIA to establish whether they actually held the rights to fish for coarse fish and brown trout (which are legally separate from those for migratory fish) on the Loch and were therefore entitled to issue those permits. Following lengthy discussions we have now been provided with written evidence which confirms that LLAIA have current leases for the brown trout and coarse fishing rights covering virtually the whole of the riparian land around the Loch, including all of the popular bank fishing and boat launch sites. To the best of our knowledge none of the small number of riparian owners outside the scope of the LLAIA leases issue their own permits, so the LLAIA permits are the only form of written consent available to people wishing to fish the Loch for pike and other freshwater species. We would therefore urge anyone intending to go coarse fishing on Loch Lomond to buy an LLAIA coarse permit in advance. Day and season tickets are available from tackle shops and other outlets in the Glasgow area and around the Loch – see http://www.lochlomondangling.com/permits.html for details.
46
48