Angling: Boats frozen off Beecraigs

Mar 5 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

FOR the third month in a row angling on Beecraigs Loch was on ice with the water completely frozen over.

It was not until February 17 that the boat fleet — which now includes four new Coulam 15-foot Defenders — could finally sail and it wasn’t long before anglers were weighing excellent baskets with many doubles recorded.

Tactics used have been the usual for this time of year, deep and slow with best lines being fast glass down to a Di six or seven.

The road shore was holding a big concentration of fish and a number of boats congregated in this area.

Successful flies and lures have been the Dancer, Cats Whiskers, black and green-based lures, the Damsel and, of coarse, the Booby in its various colours and guises.

Fife anglers David Wright and Bill Barnes took a hefty 10-fish limit for 38lbs 7ozs all on a small orange and white Booby.

Included in their catch was a cracking triploid rainbow of 18lbs 6ozs for Bill.

Bo’ness brothers Morris and Arthur Tully had a fine day’s sport and retuned with 10 rainbow trouts for 39lbs 10ozs — all hooked on a green Fritz.

Morris took a good rainbow at 14lbs 8ozs and returned three days later to take another at 14lbs 11ozs.

Jimmy Lowe and Paul Costello from Kirkcaldy weighed in 10 good fish for 29lbs 8ozs all on the Yellow Dancer.

Jimmy Morton from Grangemouth weighed in a fish at 15lbs 6ozs completing a week where nearly every day saw double figured fish recorded.

A special mention this month must also go to 13-year-old Alistair Brodie from Kirkliston who caught his biggest-ever trout on Beecraigs Loch.

The fish was a beautiful rainbow of 8lbs and gave young Alistair quite a tussle before it was safely netted on a Bunny Leech.

The weather at the moment is very mild and both water and air temperatures have risen considerably, meaning the trout are feeding well.

The start of longer day sessions began on March 1 with the Loch now open from 9am to 4 pm.

Permits are available from the Park Centre on 01506 844516.