Angling: Fine fishing at Beecraigs

Aug 13 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

JULY on Beecraigs was once again a very wet month with an above-average 133.5mm of rain recorded.

Beecraigs anglers wrapped up well and got on with the task in hand and were well rewarded for their efforts.

A lot of good-quality fish have been caught, including many 10-fish limits.

Tactics used varied from days of floating lines and nymphs, of which diawl bach, buzzer and pheasant tail nymphs were best patterns, to days of intermediate lines and lures with dancers, orange fritz, black and green fritz and the infamous booby in its many guises all doing well.

Many fish have been taken in the top two feet of water and anglers are reporting they are proving difficult to come to the net.

Grant and Alec Smith from Stirling had a good outing on the loch and came in with 10 rainbows for 31lls 8ozs taken on the orange blob.

Baskets well over 20lb are almost a daily occurrence.

Fish-of-the-month goes to Broxburn angler D Chambers for a cracker of a rainbow of 10lb 13oz taken on a black and green fritz.

Mr Chambers wins for himself a £50 tackle voucher courtesy of the sponsors for July, Almond Cleaning Services of Livingston.

On the club scene, Bridge of Allan AC fished a late July evening session and came in with 30 good fish for 68lbs.

Penicuik AC enjoyed a mid-July outing on the loch and club members caught 43 fish.

Many of the fish were caught using the washing line technique on floating lines with buzzers and diawl bachs being the favoured flies.

The loch is still fishing very well at the moment and is well worth a visit.

Permits and enquires can be made at the information centre on 01506 844516.