Fishing: Culbert happy to cast an eye over your technique

The Peebles-based expert will be there from 10am to 2pm and he is available to anyone fishing Loganlea with a permit on the day. His advice is free.

Recently, there has been good surface action with muddlers, hoppers and daddies on floating or midge tip lines all featuring in catch reports.

Nearby Glencorse Reservoir has recently enjoyed a great improvement in the catch rates.

Owner Bill Taylor said anglers have been commenting on the average size and quality of the fish and he reminds anglers that he will be closing for the season on Saturday, October 13 and will reopen in March. Bookings for next season have already started.

Bill’s other water is at Tweeddale Millennium Fishery near Gifford and catches have been “up and down” due to the adverse weather.

Anglers have succeeded on a variety of patterns including dry fly, buzzers and mini-lures with snakes fished on intermediate lines also doing well. This fishery is open most of the year – weather permitting – but closed over the festive period.

Harlaw Reservoir above Balerno in the Pentland Hills reports that some anglers are catching double-figures numbers including trophy fish which have remained largely uncaught until recently, probably due to the hot weather.

One of them was landed by day-permit regular Bryan Laidlaw. He said that there were plenty of caddis flies around so he put on a sedgehog and twitched it across the surface. The tactic worked. Incidentally, Harlaw bosses give away a free day permit every month by drawing from all the completed catch returns. Robert Ross, chairman of Malleny Angling Club, who run Harlaw and Thriepmuir, said: “This is a great incentive for anglers to complete a catch return and it is worth pointing out that one under-16 can fish free with every paying adult.”

Meanwhile, local man Tam Deverick is continue to celebrate after landing a personal best – a superb 14-lbs plus rainbow – at Morton Fishings near Livingston. The fish was hooked on a surface-presented muddler on a 6lb tippet.

Cramond Angling Club members have recently taken part in a clean-up on a section of their eight-mile stretch of the Almond. Chairman Adam Cross reports that the river is in good condition and there have been decent trout caught of around 31bs up-stream. Finnock (a young sea trout) have also been taken and there are reports of a few salmon being caught.

On the Tweed, a popular venue for Lothians fishermen, Peter Reith, secretary of the Peeblesshire Trout Fishing Association, reports that water levels are up and fish are rising, particularly around the Manor Bridge and Cardrona areas near Peebles.

Grayling are reported to be in good condition and suspending a small nymph from a dry fly can bring success as can a black gnat for trout fished in the evening.

In Edinburgh, you still have until September 30 to fish the Water of Leith. Permits are free.

Meanwhile, for those interested in coarse fishing, Heather Lauriston says she is starting match fishing on the first Saturday of every month at Magiscroft Fishery near Cumbernauld.

Magiscroft (postcode G67 4AF) is branded as Scotland’s premier coarse fishing venue and the competition is aimed at juniors, beginners and improvers. Coaching will be available during the match, but you must pre-book.