Stirling International Angling Festival
What can I say about this. good idea, great video, poor use of social media, bad idea to charge £5 ( OK £3 plus a program for parking) and a bit of a flop, I felt.
I hear the competition angling that went on round it, went well and it was a good idea. The “hub event” at the cattle market behind Angling Active though, I have to say was a bit atmosphere-less. It looked like it was getting busier as I left on Saturday but it all felt a bit “awkward”. In my opinion the charge was the main problem, no clear social media published itinerary ( that I could see). In fact, the “Event” had a fB page but I don’t think I seen more than a couple of posts from it in the lead up. When you have these things you need to really fire on all guns, loads of posts really build on what attractions are to be there, maybe a few competitions that the prizes would be announced at the show- I dunno, just a thought. The 5 nations competition too was a bit distant. Why not stream pictures of the anglers in competition back to the “hub”. You might think that would be hard but honestly I don’t think it would, it could probably have been done for buttons via YouTube with a couple of wifi enabled HD camcorders and some decent data connections on phones. We do have EE4G in patches here so not impossible, 3G would be fine for non real time transmission. Even if it was streamed back and someone edited it into highlights in near real time. Not impossible. You have the resources of Stirling Council and its IT department to help…… or maybe that’s the problem- Stirling Council?
I was speaking to Stella from LaSAC at the show and they couldn’t even get power for the stand that was set up, despite I am told promises from the organisers. A few manufacturers had set up big displays, noticeably Wychwood, Daiwa, Patagonia and I think it was maybe Vision ( sorry if that’s wrong). But here is the rub, I can go into an angling shop and see all that stuff for free so why £3?
And as the £3 affected only car drivers, presumably the fee wasn’t to cover the costs of the event as imagine if bus-loads of folk had turned up and entered on foot from the foot of the road, they wouldn’t be turned away I presume?
Watching top Spey caster in Andrew Toft in action
So I had a wander round, felt a bit uncomfortable, had a lovely wee dram from the Deanston Distillery ( really must give it a visit), and a very nice steak Ciabatta roll- and watched Andrew Toft do a bit Spey casting demonstration, like Hywel he makes it all look so easy. When AA has its annual open day the place is busier than the event….. I wonder why? I hope they try again next year but they really need to pack the day with events, get more stands and really use social media to drive people there…… oh and drop the £3.
Fishing
So the plan was do the show above and if it wasn’t up to much head up to Pendreich for a couple of hours if I could, ( been a wee bit sore of late- especially my old feet). However as I left the show it was utterly tipping down and there was a bit of a stiff breeze so I headed for home. I have been going a bit stir crazy not being able to get out, partly due to work, partly due to stuff happening at home, the aches and pains to a slight extent, and mostly the weather. The weather for this weekend again looks pants and guess what? I have “won” another week with the pager so will need to temper my outings accordingly. I decided though it was really very windy to head over to old Swannie for a couple of hours on the wee ponds just to wet a line. The main loch was almost out of bounds for all but the strongest casters as the wind was howling in and I think everyone seemed to be gathered round the Meadow Pond. So I tackled up and went down to the Mill Pond. Its been a bit weedy of late, Alistair was saying that no sooner do they cut the weed back, than its back the next day. A cast with my three cast team of Shipmans buzzers and nymphs on a 4lb leader- the water is gin clear and I soon came a cropper. My first cast recovered a clump of weed on the point fly, and a few more I felt the tug tug of a fish but my top or middle dropper was clearly snagged in weed and I couldn’t connect properly with the fish. I suspect it took the point Shipman’s tied on a barbless hook and was able to shake it in the time it took me to free the line.
There was nothing really showing but I moved further down the pond where it was a little less weedy and put on a black parachute dry fly with two tiny wee buzzers on the dropper. Despite the lack of surface activity my first cast got an offer but the fish didn’t take. I fished on and was just thinking about a change when there was a nice rise to the dry, I lifted not too sharply ( 4lb line on a 6# rod) and was able to bring a fairly small blue trout of about 1 and a half pounds I would guess, in to the net, I despatched it as the freezer is a bit low on trout for Boston.
A Blue and a Rainbow from the Mill Pond
I fished on but nothing else was interested and in fact the fish were having a look but the merest twitch was making them very spooky and they would dart off. So another change, I put on a CDC sedge on point, a wee glass buzzer on the middle dropper, and a Yellow owl on the top dropper. First cast and the fish were under the fly looking, I seen four all around it but none took. Second cast I had a rise to the fly but again no connection. They were definitely looking up. A few more casts and finally a take. This was a better fish, it put up a great fight and I played it out fully rather than try to get clever and horse it in on the lighter nylon. I eventually netted it but being on the top dropper my lower flies were in a right mess. The fish, a nicely coloured Rainbow was very long, had it been fuller figured it would have been an easy 3lb’er but in the event it was about 2 and a half with a very full tail. Maybe it had been in a while. I noticed it had fairly white flesh when I cleaned it later so I don’t think it was a recent stockie.
Good fun, plenty sport and I went home happy, but its fair getting dark at nine thirty now.
