Clydesdale fisher helps Scottish ladies to gold

Liz (59), of Dynsyre Road, Newbigging, and her 10 Scottish Ladies colleagues caught a total of 21 fish during a session running from 9.30am to 5.30pm at the recent International Fly Fishing contest against other home nations on Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water.

“We didn’t think catching 21 fish would be enough to win so we were absolutely delighted to do so,” Liz said.

“You expect to catch more than that in an eight-hour period.

“I think it was because there weren’t many fish in the water. I think they were put off by the fact that the weather on competition day changed from rainy – which it had been for the previous two weeks – to sunny.

“Fish are funny about changing air pressure, so a lot of them swam out of our range.”

Scotland’s total of 21 catches was four greater than the second placed Welsh team, with third place going to England and Ireland back in fourth.

The victory was the Scottish Ladies’ second in consecutive years and came seven years after Liz first took up fly fishing by entering a contest in the sport at Nestlers Pub in her home village.

For more on this, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette.