Lake of Menteith 17th
October 2011

6ft Water Temp – 11 C, Clarity (Secchi disc) 2.1m

Peter does it again. Peter Auchterlonie from Crieff
became the second angler to twice win the Scottish
Clubs Champion of Champion’s Title. Peter netted
14 trout (his boat partner had 4) from the Heronry
and Sandy Bay Drifts – 6 fish ahead of his nearest
rival (in terms of fish numbers), Jimmy McBride
who finished in 3rd place. In second place was Mike
Willis from Bridge of Allan with 7 (larger) fish.
Peter’s tactics were the midge tip line with diawl
bachs (4 fish) and a cat booby (10 fish). Peter, who
had two days on the Lake prior to the comp, said
that the fishing had been hard during his practice
days, and that he had only managed 7 fish on the
preceding day. The 57 anglers weighed in 127 fish
for 372lbs and returned a further 56 (rod av. 3.2,
av.wt. 3lbs).

The Lake has fished a bit harder this week but a top
up of 236 three pound blues on Monday (last of the
fish from the pens) and a further 400 trout going in
on Friday should help to take the edge of the
weather as the season draws to a close – and for
next year. We took the decision to leave the fish
pens in place this year, to allow a few fish to grow
on into double figures, as per a few years back. The
majority of resident fish soon move out when the
cages are empty, and this has shown up in a spate
of good fish being landed recently.

Watch BBC Scotland’s Programme going out at
10.35pm tonight entitled Scotland’s Fishy Secrets. It is concerned with the negative effect of fish farms on wild
salmon and sea trout and will be of interest to many of us. It is about time the Scottish Government used its
powers to create substantial Marine Protected Areas (protection from salmon farming and commercial fishing) to
support the economic potential of Scotland’s recreational sea and freshwater angling as well as to ensure the
sustainability of our commercial fish species.

Stuart Hamilton (left) took this 8lb 8oz fish at
Gateside and Murray Hunter landed this 7 ½
pounder at the Plantation on a yellow fab.