Bracey on top as catches prove elusive
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Strong winds and heavy rain meant only four anglers recorded catches, with Toby Bracey following up his dominance of last year’s Watten competitions with two trout weighing 2.17lb to claim the President’s Quaich and 20 boat championship points.
The gap to second place (17 pts) was small as Alex Donald also had two trout (for 2.14 lb), with his best one at 1.17lb taking the two extra points for best fish. Third place (15 pts), with one at 1.06lb, fell to Tony Chalmers.
After predicting that one fish would secure a decent number of points, Bill Robertson secured 14 for fourth place with one at 0.60lb.
The club’s next competition is a bank one on Loch Toftingall on May 18 .
Tomorrow, four members – Toby Bracey, Jan Hughes, Bill Robertson and Peter Creasey – are entered to fish as two teams on Loch Watten in the Highland Area charity event organised by the Thurso Royal British Legion angling section.
Twenty-four teams from throughout the Highlands have entered, with the Thurso branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution the nominated charity.
n THE DFFA members who claimed the first three places in the President’s Quaich competition were in action on the Lake of Menteith, near Aberfoyle in the first round of the Scottish Fly Fishing Championship.
This event had over 380 entrants placed into 10 heats spread over five venues.
Toby Bracey and his Shetland boat partner had success in the first area they tried and he eventually finished fourth with 15 rainbow trout for 32lb 1.4 oz. Competitors kept their first three fish, then had to use barbless hooks and return fish for which they were credited at 2 lb each.
Tony Chalmers and Alex Donald didn’t find the same free-taking fish and finished with six each – Tony’s weighing 12lb 7.6 oz and Alex’s 12lb 4.2 oz.
With the top 28 going forward to the next round, Toby qualified easily but Tony and Alex just missed out in their foray, which was supported by Caithness Sports Council.
Another three Caithness anglers – representing the Harpsdale-based Frozen North Angling Club – were also fishing in the same heat at Menteith and all qualified for round two. Alan Porteous was 22nd with nine for 17lb 12.8 oz; Rob Hawken 24th with eight for 17lb 8.2 oz; and Kevin Porteous 27th with seven weighing 16lb 1.8 oz.
Alan came off the lake with a real fisherman’s story. His first trout on barbless hooks was over 5lb (for which he was credited 2lb) but it had two flies in its mouth – his own and a Buzzer he had given Tony Chalmers on the practice day. Tony had lost the fly the previous day when it broke after he hooked a big fish.
