By Ken Bell, angling correspondent

ANGLERS ARE being given a chance to try fly rods made out of carrots in Fife this weekend!

A Just Cast Open Day is being held at STENHOUSE FISHERY north of Burntisland on Sunday between 10am and 3pm when anglers are being invited to try out the new Curran rods.

The rods, a combination of high-tech resins and carrots are made at the Super Cast premises in Burntisland.

The super-strong carrot fibres, it is claimed, help produce rods with outstanding balance, performance and power while protecting the environment.

Stenhouse fished well last week.

Emily Campbell, a 15-year-old from Dalgety Bay, is now firmly hooked on the sport after catching her first-ever rainbow—a 4lb fish from the bank on a Black Pennel.

Ian Jane (Kirkcaldy) had three for 7lb and the members of Balfour AC 16 for 31lbs and Cupar 39 for 79lb.

Anglers out on the opening day at LINTRATHEN enjoyed the result of the warm weather and the Lintrathen AC’s decision to start stocking in the middle of March.

Rainbow of up to 5lb have gone in and the fish have been seen moving all over the loch.

As a result, a number of anglers came off with limit catches, with the Yellow Dancer fished just below the surface doing well.

Sunday saw the competition for the club’s Opening Day Shield, fished for by the large number of anglers attending.

The winner was Alec Ewart (Lintrathen) with six for 13lb 8oz, taken on a floating line and GH Damsels.

Alec also had the best fish, a rainbow at 3lb 9oz.

And along with boat companion Keith Prior (Brax) he also took the boat prize.

Individual boat catches included: G Smith and A Low, 10 for 17lb 12oz; Keith Doig (Balbeggie) five, 8lb; Mr Dickson and guest 10, 14lb 6oz; J Furey two, 3lb; D Petrie and guest, five, 7lb 8oz; J Simpson and guest six 8lb 8oz, including two browns.

A few rods ventured out at BACKWATER where the reports were that half pound brown trout were giving good sport.

Backwater season tickets can be had from Jim Bowman (01382-610321).

LOCHORE MEADOWS, which is being stocked weekly, has seen some excellent fish coming off since it opened.

Boat anglers are doing very well.

In two visits Mr Maxwell (Ceres) had 10, 21lb 8oz and nine 19lb, while Mr McLelland had 10, 20lb and Mr Pakerz 10, 19lb.

Fishing on their own, C Davie (Cardenden) had five, 16lb; G Dickenson five, 10lb 2oz and D Horley five, 10lb 12oz.

Bank anglers are also doing well.

PIPERDAM saw fish coming off to CDC and dry fly at the weekend, and there was even a hatch of “Curly Bum” sedges, not normally seen until later in the year.

Fishing his regular casts of three Buzzer, this time black with a touch of red, Tom Melville (Blairgowrie) had six for 18lb, including one at 8lb, while George Milne (Alyth) had a 7lb 8oz rainbow in his four, 12lb 8oz taken on wee doubles—size 14 and 16 wet flies.

Raymond Howe (Alyth) used a Black and Green Fritz to tempt a 7lb 4oz in his five, 17lb.

Club returns included: Seafield (six boats) 57, 106lb; Kingfisher 20 (six) 36, 69lb 4oz; Brax (three) 25, 55lb 12 oz, with their best at 5lb 8oz and Bonnybridge (10) 56, 81lb.

An 11lb brown trout has been taken from BUTTERSTONE.

The fish fell for a size 12 Cormorant fished by Jim Hutchison (Luncarty) out with Stanley & District on Sunday.

And for good measure Alan Young had a 7lb rainbow in the club’s 56, 117lb 14 oz.

The same day D Winn (Dunkeld) landed an 8lb rainbow.

Although the bright weather caused a little trouble for anglers, the loch is fishing well.

Intermediates are the most popular line, but the floater is beginning to feature.

Successful lures are still early season black and greens—Viva, Montana, Damsel, Black Fritz, Cormorants, although the Yellow Dancer is also taking fish.

Those fishing floating line are having success to the Holographic Diawl Bach, either red or green as well as a variety of Buzzer.

Water temp is at 13C with water clarity at around 1.5 metres.

Some good evening rises have been seen, and evening sessions will commence on Monday.

The East shore around the harbour mouth is still holding the most fish, but large pockets can be found along the shelf from the south bank to past Nether Cardney Cottage.

On the North shore fish are being found through the reeds to the lily bed near the top bay.

Monday saw Messrs Stewart and Johnston take 12 fish for 27lbs on the Ace of Spades, while Mr Paddon had six, 11lb to a White Boobie, and R Eady and C Johnston returned four taken on Buzzer on the floating line.

Later in the week Mr Melville had six, 11lb to the Damsel, and Sid Malcolm also had six on Wednesday.

Out with IBM Freshwater on Saturday, Ian Earle had a full tailed rainbow of 9lb 12oz in the club’s 55, 107lb for 10 boats.

Tapshop (six boats) took 61, 113lb 9oz with J MacLean landing a rainbow of 7lb 2oz and Ferry FF (seven) 46 for 88lb 3 oz.

The warm weekend saw many rising trout at FRANDY as the insect life picked up. The bulk of the fish taken are lying between the start of the dog-leg to the dam wall on both the North and South shores.

Among last week’s individual returns were Mr Forrest (Aberuthven) three, 6lb 8oz; Stevie Nicoll (Crook of Devon) five, 9lb 8oz; Robert Pedan (Kelty) five, 10lb; Mr Broadbent (Oakley) five, 10lb; Mr Woolley (Cowdenbeath) five, 9lb; Mr Bold (Luncarty) four, 8lb 12oz and John Robertson (Auchterarder) two, 4lb 4oz.

Club returns included Townhill 42 for 72lb 6oz, Kelvinside Academicals 10 for 18lb 12oz, Catch 22, 18 for 33lb 12oz, Broxburn 42 for 84lb 6oz topped by an 8lb 4oz rainbow.

Successful patterns included the Olive Damsel, Cats Whisker, Ace of Spades, Kate Maclaren, Black Buzzer and Bloodworm.

Good sport is also reported from LEDYATT where in the evening the fish are regularly taking flies from the surface. As a result anglers are doing well with the Diawl Bach, Black and green Buzzer, Olive Damsel and Yellow Dancer.

Fishing a sporting ticket recently Dave Black (Dundee) caught a fish of 11lb 8oz, one of seven he put back.

Other returns included: Jim Mackie (Perth) four, 15lb 4oz, best 6lb; Ed Knowles (Alyth) three, 14lb 12oz, best at 8lb; Dave Cormack (Scone) four, 13lb 8oz; Ronnie Rodger (Dundee) two, 9lb 4oz best at 6lb 4oz; Norrie Gray (Dundee) two, 7lb 4oz; Sandy Craig (Dundee) a rainbow of 5lb 4oz

Favoured flies include Diawl Bach, Black and green Buzzers, Olive Damsel and Yellow Dancer,

Paul McAndrew, (Laurencekirk) won the Troutmasters Competition at LOGIE FISHERY, Stonehaven, with a catch of 23 fish and will represent Logie at the National Final next month.

An 8lb 6 oz rainbow was taken on a yellow Fritz was a great catch for 14-year-old Ian Aitken, (Stonehaven), and the next day W Begg (Inverbervie) had one at 8lb.

Christian McKenni (Aberdeen) had 15, J Grierson, (Biggar) 10, R Lauder, (Inverbervie) nine, D Wilkinson, (Inverbervie) eight, while the furthest travelled visitor, Sam Murray from South Australia, had two on a green fritz.

Yellow and orange are the successful patterns at this east coast fishery.

The salmon are pouring through the fish counter at Faskally—which may account for the drop in catches further down the system! Or maybe the falling water level—now at its lowest this year—is partially to blame.

By Monday around 200 fish were into Loch Faskally.

Pitlochry AC members are reporting some good fish.

Steve Watt had a sea-liced fish of 12lb on devon and John Stewart returned a 10lb salmon taken on fly.

Earlier Dave Stewart returned a fly-caught 20lb fish and another of 8lb.