This week has been the busiest of the season and there has been some excellent catches despite very mixed conditions. After some warm days the previous week and a rapid rise in water temperature this week the temperature has dropped back to 14.5C. Large numbers of trout have been seen gorging on emerging buzzers mainly in the Road Shore and Carsaig areas.

The first heat of the Anglian Water Fulling Mill International was held on Sunday. The Shetland Fly Fishers team and Leven Fly Casters were out most days practising for the heat and found good numbers of fish in many areas with the best being Grahavie Bay and Beetle Bay. A Scottish Nationals semi-final will be held on this coming Friday and the results will be given next week.

John Stokoe from the Gartmore Angling Club had a brownie at just on 2lbs that was the biggest fish taken last week. Some of the clubs who did well last week included the Rowbank Angling Club, 6 boats, 27 fish for 23lbs 8oz – best rod Richard Anderson 8 for 9lb 6oz;

Loanhead Miners AC, 5 boats, 21 fish for 23lb 6oz – best rod Ian McNicoll jnr. 7 for 7lbs

Gartmore AC, 5 boats, 17 fish for 18lb 2oz – best rod Archie Whitehead 5 for 5lb 3oz. Locher AC, 4 boats, 14 fish for 13lb 6oz;

Cally Liners, 7 boats, 33 fish for 30lb 6oz – best rod Bobby Watson 6 for 6lbs 8oz

Good Companions, 7 boats,11 fish for 11lb 3oz.

The Anglian Water Fulling Mill International. The first Scottish heat of this competition, now in its 5th year, was held at Loch Venachar on Sunday evening. Top teams such as the Leven Fly Casters and Shetland Fly Fishers were out in force in the run up to the competition. David Chalmers of Leven Fly Casters said that on their 2 practice nights the team boated well in excess of 100 brownies, mainly from the Grahavie Bay, Grass Banks and Beetle Bay areas. The winning team was Leven Fly Casters consisting of Francie Jarrett, Craig Cowan, David Chalmers, Ian Wilson, Colin Smith and Craig Dalglish. The other 2 teams qualifying for the Scottish final are West Lothian FDG and Shetland Fly Fishers