anglersmail.com 9 JULY | 15Changing
Scottish scene
I WAS thinking back to the old
days of the 1980s and ’90s
when I used to send in match
reports from Scotland, and how
things have changed.
Most matches were on
natural venues such as the
Forth and Clyde Canal, the River
Clyde, Monklands Canal and
Strathclyde Park.
Over the years, coarse
fisheries have been popping up
here and there, bringing new
blood to the sport.
But I somehow got drawn
back to some of these old
venues, and am surprised to
see the quality of fish. There
are roach over a pound in the
canals. Bream, tench, barbel
and dace in the Clyde, gudgeon
in Strathclyde Park, a great
wee day ticket water, and then
there is Eliburn, with its big carp,
bream, roach, chub and perch.
I have heard folk say that the
Eastern European anglers have
killed these venues. Far from
it, I say. So far this year I have
been lucky on these venues and
caught bigger fish than there
used to be in the waters.
I’ve been told of waters that I
have never heard about before,
and am going to make an effort
to try them.
Our natural waters are getting
better – could it be lack of
pressure from matches that are
now held at fisheries such as
Broom, Magiscroft, Springwater
and Orchill? One thing is for
sure, they are getting better.
Some of these fisheries
open their doors to
angling, promoting the sport,
but for a challenge try our
canals, rivers and lochs, where
fish are not always guaranteed
but the rewards when you do
catch them, for me, outweigh
that of catching fishery fish.
Tony Hamblin, via email.
A-Wey the mole!
MAURICE PLEDGER’S article
‘Sharing swims with animals’
(AM, June 11) reminded me of
an incident in my teenage years.
I was fishing the River Wey
and had stuck my rod rest into
the soft soil of the bank.
After a while, I noticed the
rest starting to wobble in
response to some disturbance
underground. Some moments
later, it (and thus my rod)
fell over, and a mole’s head
emerged briefly from where the
rest had been.
Over the years I’ve had to
protect my tackle from dogs,
sheep, cattle, geese and swans,
but this is the only subterranean
assault so far on my set-up.
Martin Diggle, via email.
A
Les Stewart: this catfish. The
little girl loves fishing, so we
took her on her first overnight/
weekend session, and we hooked this
36 lb cat. It’s not a monster, but for
her this was mind-blowing. She
recorded the fight on her Go Pro, and
I could watch the video all day, as her
reaction was epic. We can’t wait to do
it again soon.A
Darren Moore: two catches
at the same place. My
daughter Jessica, six, beat her
bream PB again. Last year it was
10 lb 5 oz, this year 10 lb 12 oz
(pictured). We’re seen here with
my boy, George, too.A
Gav Man: me and my
daughter (the fishing
princess) seen here on a long
weekend away at the lake.A
Alex Oaks: this 25 lb albino
grass carp out in France last
year. My daughter Sophia, aged
eight, loves coming fishing,
especially in France on holiday.A
Martin Blackmun: my
wonderful wife Wendy
Blackmun showing the boys how
to stalk, with a 3 lb 4 oz crucian on
the Isle of Wight.WEEKLY QUESTION
Q
Mail fans have millions of years of
experience, and answer a weekly
question. This week...What is the most memorable
fish you have caught on a
family holiday?
NEXT WEEK: what fishing
product that you’ve bought has
been the biggest waste of money?A
Mark Whitaker: I get more
pleasure watching the kids
catch fish. These pictures were a
couple of years ago when I went
with Finley and Lola to Hua Hin
Fishing Lodge, in Thailand, a great,
family-friendly venue.