Fishing: The Watch fishery brings all elements into play

It is the start of a new season with the bigger waters now starting to open up and the Watch near Duns was my first of the season.

It was a fundraiser for the Scottish Disabled team to help take them to Ireland for the home internationals and promised to be a good start.

However, being high up, the reservoir is prone to winds and we got just that and a bit more. That aside the anglers were just as keen to fish from the bank and made for all parts of the water. It was a question of getting it right as the majority of fish were up wind to the top end of the water.

Anglers who made the effort to get there were rewarded with plenty of fish, some into double figures. I persevered around the dam wall and pier area for most of the day with limited success. But around mid morning as the wind eased I got a real cracker of a rattle which was encouraging. A few moments later I was in to a nice fish of just under 3lb, and boy did I have a fight on my hands!

The rainbow took my hothead Damsel and shot off into deep water stripping me down to the backing several times before I could turn it.

After that I got a few more offers and pulls but could not land any more. Still it was not a blank and I could return to the weigh in not disgraced.