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It's Cofirmed. Colin Whyte has the Scottish Record for Roach.
Who Says Course Fishing in Scotland is Not
First Class? Put 'em Up!
Scotland is not one of the places that are automatically associated with good course fishing, if you don't count the pike which are world class but Colin Whyte has just moved the goal posts. Scottish records generally loiter below those from England and Ireland, maybe because fishing pressure in Scotland is so relatively low. The tonnage of ground bait alone going into the course fisheries in England must account for a fair proportion of the big fish landed south of the border.
Quality fishing does exist in Scotland. Some days, off course, when you go fishing the unexpected can and often does happen as it did to Colin Whyte when he went to Culreuch Castle Loch for a days carp fishing. The buzzer went the fish was on and as Colin describes in his own words,
''I was fishing at Culreuch Castle Loch with another Scottish Carp Group member [Steven Pepperdy] fishing for carp and tench, mainly carp. I was using squid and octopus boilies topped off with rubber maize, a small amount of hemp and prepared maize as groundbait. After over 6 hours with nothing on any of our 6 rods [3 each] I was just checking the two closest rods to my bivvy when I heard a single bleep from my indicator on the third rod. When I got to it the line was very tight but no line was being taken. I lifted the rod and something was on but not fighting just a slight drag, as it got closer Steven [thankfully] ran over lifted my net and put it under the fish. We couldn't believe what we were looking at! It was a roach which weighed in at at 4lb [with the net taken into account] which was photographed and safely returned. It turned out to be a new possible Scottish Record and is only 4oz short of the UK record'.
Ciolin Whyte has confirmed that the fish is a genuine roach and that the weight is correct and states; 'I am pleased to say that after all evidence gathered by myself and expert opinion from Dr Mark Everard the fish was recognized as the new Scottish Record as from the date of capture. At the claimed weight of 4 pounds.'
The importance of Colin's catch is emphasised by the fact that the existing Scottish record is just 2lbs 11ozs taken by P Russell in 1987 at Strathclyde Stillwater. Colin's fish smashes the Scottish record by an amazing 1lb 5ozs and is just 4 oz short of the British Record fish caught by Keith Berry in Ulster lake in 2006 which weighed in at 4lb 4ozs! Colin's fish puts Scottish coarse fishing firmly on the map where it belongs and since he is now a personal friend of the fish I maybe he will be back for a social meeting with it when it is 5 or 6 ounces heavier.
What
more can you ask from day out with the rod and line, the catch of a life
time, nothing better. Fact is that it is no surprise that a fish of such
excellence has at last been taken in Scotland and there must be many more
out there. The growth in course fishing in Scotland has been significant in
recent years and it is fantastic to see fish of the calibre Colin took at
Culreuch. The fish has yet to be verified as a record but the picture speaks
for it's self - pure quality!
To try for this fish you need to be a member of the Scottish Carp group or a guest of the hotel to obtain a permit.
Congratulations must go to Colin for a job well done!
Any more stories of big fish being caught in Scotland please e mail be your story, Spinfish is here for all angling disciplines.
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