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Night fishing at Newhaven during the second round of the Edinburgh Winter Shore League. Picture: Gus Brindle

The double date confirmation ends a four-year campaign to get a team off the ground and captain Joanne Barlow stressed the door is still open for other women to boost the pool in a bid to make the Tartan team even stronger.

Brighton-based Barlow said she shed a tear when the seven women got together at a complex near Lancaster for a training weekend which confirmed the squad.

And the skipper said that the team will continue their training until the tri-nations match against England and Wales in early March in which The Army will also be involved.

Scotland's ladies carp team last weekend during training at their base at Wyreside Lakes Fishery and Campsite near Lancaster. Back (left to right): Ruth Cormack, Eleanor Mitchell, Catherine Robertson, Margo Robinson, Gill Coutts. Front (left to right): Niki Wildman, Joanne Barlow

Then, Scotland's squad will continue to sharpen up their technique until the world event in France in the last week of September, a week after Scotland's men are expected to take part in their competition.

Barlow, Australian by birth but with a Scottish mother, said: "At last, we have a team. It's taken four long years but we are now here and we are all looking forward to next year. This is a huge step for us."

The return of Ruth Cormack to the group after a gap of several years plus the addition of Largs-based Gill Coutts, recruited from Scotland's, silver medal-winning women's sea fishing team, has made a massive difference.

The pair join captain Barlow, vice-captain Catherine Robertson, Margo Robinson, Eleanor Mitchell and Niki Wildman.

George Howie with Maisie the sturgeon who tipped the scales at over 38lbs when she was introduced to the water. Picture Chanelle Maver

The septet enjoyed a training session at their base at Wyreside Lakes Fishery and Campsite in the Lake District last weekend when plans were finalised and Gus Brindle, chairman of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, has given the green light to the women being capped.

Barlow said: "Ruth is back on board after taking time out from competition angling but she has still been fishing and working hard on her technique and Gill, who I know from the sea fishing squad which won silver in the Home Internationals at Weymouth earlier this year, joined us last weekend for the first time.

"She spent some time with my husband David over the weekend learning about casting, bait, rigs etc and she, to use a cliche, was hooked so now we are seven. The chemistry between us all is tremendous.

"We are all looking forward to next year and this is an exciting time for us all however we would love to hear from other women who may wish to become involved and we will guide them along the way."

She added: "Yes, there is a lot of hard work to do before next year, but the Scottish girls plan to get together on a regular basis and Eleanor and I will meet regularly as we both stay in the South of England."

Barlow explained that international matches involve three pairs and reserves and added: "Gill is an experienced sea angler, and she understands match angling, but carp fishing is different. Casting, for example, has to be so accurate and that is a different style to sea fishing.

"Rigs are also different and there are so many bait permutations out there. All that must be learned, however, it is amazing to think that after four years of hard work that we have a team.

"I admit to shedding tears of joy when Ruth and Gill said they were in and I can't explain to you how much this means to myself and the rest of the girls. We will be on the world stage, wow, and be capped for Scotland.

"I'm having to pinch myself that this is happening and it is so exciting."

She added: "It is a big ask to be in the world championships but, if we work as a team and stay strong, we will be OK and there is a comparison here with what I experienced with the sea fishing team last summer.

"I am a carp angler but decided to join the sea fishing team. I went to training and listened to what I was told and, because I knew how to fish, I was able to adapt to the sport and I ended up winning a silver medal."

Meanwhile, Edinburgh-based David Cooper hooked into 29 fish and earned 647 points to win the second leg of the Edinburgh Winter Shore League at Western Harbour, Newhaven, in Edinburgh.

Scottish international Mike Kyle was second with 28 fish and 637 points and he lost a whiting between the rocks which could have tipped the balance. Chris Cooper was third with 23 fish for 554 points and Chris had the longest fish, a 32cm coal fish.

David Cooper has now won the first two of eight legs and is in pole position but only five of the eight scores count and organiser Ian Campbell said: "There are still plenty of opportunities to catch David and win vouchers sponsored by Edinburgh Angling Centre and the Fishingmegastore."

A total of 29 anglers fished, including Gus Brindle, chairman of the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, who came a creditable eighth, learning a lot, and the wind, thankfully, dropped down for the event to make it more comfortable for anglers who fished on a mild night on an ebb tide.

Elsewhere, the fourth leg of the Bass Rock Shore Angling League's winter series will be held on Wednesday, November 23, and the venue will be confirmed tomorrow (SUN) on the club's Facebook page.

Sean Biskup (North Berwick) won the third leg fished around Dunbar with two fish for 2lb with Shaun Gardner (North Berwick) second with a fish of 1lb 3oz and Barry McEwan (Port Seton) third with two fish for 1lb 1oz.

Conditions were flat calm with a light south/west wind and James Ogilvie (Haddington), the organiser, was fourth with two fish for 12oz, Chris Empson (Dunbar) fifth with one 9oz fish. Gardner had the heaviest fish and species caught were codling, rockling and flounder.

A reminder that Stewart and Mike's Winter Open is at Elliot Beach near Arbroath on Saturday, November 26 with fishing from 2pm to 7pm with registration from 12.30 to 1pm at Bally's. This is a pegged event and is strictly pre-book only.

Entry is £15 and there is a size limit of 18cm for the competition which is on a catch and release basis. Call Stewart on 07759 379978 or Chris on 07872 944807.

Meanwhile, anglers from the Lothians are heading for The Northumbrian Open on Sunday, November 27. Fishing is from 9am to 1pm with a weigh-in between 1.45pm and 2.30pm at Bank House Club in Newbiggin NE64 6NU. Newbiggin is near Ashington and south of Amble.

The heaviest bag prize is £400, heaviest fish first and second prizes will be confirmed on the day and there are prizes for juniors with the 40th prize in the raffle being a Sonik rod.

Boundaries are between Tynemouth Pier and Seahouses Breakwater and all estuaries and piers are excluded. Entry is £12 adults and juniors are free with an adult and tickets are available in all local tackle shops and the competition HQ between 7am and 8am. Contact Steve on 07888 674873 for full details.

And Iain Reid's, two-day, memorial match is on this weekend. Saturday from 1pm to 5pm at Kirkcaldy beach and Sunday 1pm to 5pm at Leven. Registration both days is from 11am to noon at the East End Car Park at Kirkcaldy Promenade, near Morrison's, from 11am to noon. Lugworm and mackerel baits only.

On to coarse fishing and Maisie the sturgeon has been caught for a second time at Drumtassie. George Howie was the first to hook into the fish which weighed-in at over 38lb. Now, Steven Myles has become the second angler to land the big fish.

He tempted Maisie on his second visit in two days to the fishery near Blackridge. His first session produced a 17lb 2oz mirror carp and also a 16lb 11lb common carp.