All-night angling contest at Loch Watten casts new light on boat league
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A total of 18 anglers gathered at the Brown Trout Hotel in Watten for the weigh-in of Dounreay Fly Fishing Association's all-night competition.
Their boats were launched last Friday at 10pm, when the wind was light to calm from south-west and light rain started to fall as first lines were cast.
The rainfall later increased and continued until visibility improved after 2am and by lines up at 7am the sun was burning off the early morning mist.
DFFA chairman George Robertson was first to put fish on the scales, and he set a high mark for those following him.
After spending most of the night on drifts from the Targets and past the Island into Railway Bay, George put four trout forward for a total of 6 lbs 3.5 oz.
This turned out to be the best of the night and gave him the Hugo Ross trophy and 18 Boat League points courtesy of a Rebel Dabbler fly on his favourite Courtland Blue Intermediate line.
James Simpson maintained his good form on Watten with second place and heaviest fish giving him a total of 17 points. His brace of trout weighing 4 lbs 7.5 oz were caught in the Oldhall area using a 6-foot Fast Tip line with Gorgeous George and Diawl Bach flies. James’s bonus point fish tipped the scales at 2 lbs 11 oz.
David Cormack shared the winning boat, and a pair of trout turning the scales to 3 lbs 10.5 oz gave him third place and 14 points. He had employed Rebel Dabbler and Green Tailed Kate MacLaren flies on a Midge Tip line.
Completing the top six were Ian Cannop with two for 2 lbs 15.5 oz and 13 points, Robbie Hawken’s 2.25 lbs fish was worth 12 points and Alex Donald double-hooked pair weighed 2 lbs 2 oz and took 11 points for sixth place.
Others weighing in were Scot MacColl, Toby Bracey, Kevin Imlach and John Campbell.
The Boat League now has James Simpson leading with 33 points, and George Robertson second on 29. William Plank sits in third place on 25 with David Cormack fourth on 23, Kevin Imlach fifth with 22 and Ian Cannop sixth on 21.
The club's next event is a Boat League counter on Loch Calder on Saturday, July 1.
