It was on a gorgeous sunny morning that 14 pupils (4 from Stronsay JH and 10 from Kirkwall Grammar) jumped on the bus and headed for the Kirbister Loch.  Kirbister wa chosen as the venue for the competition as it usually offers anglers plenty of chances to hook trout. However, with bright sunshine and lack of wind, the conditions could be very tricky…

At 10:00, flies and baits hit the water and fish were very active on the surface, feeding mostly on midges and slightly out of casting range. The young anglers persevered and after a couple of hours, it became clear that baskets would be very light and that one fish could make all the difference at the weigh-in…

When the whistle blew at 2:00 to signal the end of the competition, the weight of the baskets didn’t do  justice to the anglers’ skills displayed during the day. However, technique and perseverance paid off for Craig Stout who won the Junior Fly section (3 fish), Jason Cook, winner of the Senior Fly section (3 fish) and Steven Newlands in the Junior Bait section (1 fish). Also a special mention to Keith Holland whose casting and retrieving technique has improved so much, who managed to bag a fish in the last half-hour of the competition which granted him 2nd place in the Junior Fly section. Daniel Carter was a lot more successful the day before, during practice and the same can be said for Kevin Kent who managed to catch a trout on the Harray Loch on his first cast!

Congratulations to all and a very big thank you to the OTFA volunteers who came to help the youngsters and to Norman Irvine and Ken Kennedy who organised the weigh-in.