The weather at the Goldenloch has again been very varied but anglers have done really well, some having had their best fishing for a long time, we have also had a good few days at the weeds and should see that job finished soon, what is needed now is a really big wind, to blow the cut weed to the bottom of the loch, its hard work but very satisfying to see big areas getting cleared, this is the first time ever that I can remember having to clear weeds in October, very noticeable is the fact that as soon as the weed is dragged from a certain spot the fish go crazy feeding, it must be the bloodworms, etc getting disturbed, there have only been a couple of anglers complaining about the weed as most are still fishing with surface flies, dries, and small nymphs, best fly this last week is still a black / red diawl bach closely followed by a small Kate McLaren, Sunday saw some really good catches John Reid and Ian Wallace both from Kinglassie had a really good session with several fish each as did Henry Rohdes and John Simpson from Dundee, Dave Stewart, Newburgh 5 using nymphs and Tam Brown who only started fishing a few months ago using his home tied flies caught 7, The Otter situation seems to have settled down or at least for the moment, or they have moved somewhere else, but we have found out from a reliable source that they have been relocated from another area, and the neighbouring gamekeeper has informed us that they all have transmitters attached to them, my attempts to help relocate them have pretty much failed so far, it is very annoying that a government body are allowed move these animals from one area to another, especially when its next door to a fully functioning fishery, but a big thank-you to those that advise against trapping them I will have to just grin and bear them, on a totally different subject but equally as crazy is the saga of the Sea Eagles our government reputedly spends £100500 / bird to the Norwegians’ for these birds and then just lets them loose, and it would seem that we again this year, have yet another rather ill, Sea Eagle, on Saturday we spotted it sitting on a fence post, Anne and I managed to drive to within 20 feet of it, Anne, in charge of the video camera managed to press the wrong button whilst trying to film it, so no film, but like last year I am sure it will be back, however the others seem to be quite healthy.

To Book for Fishing Call John on 01337840355 or 07968006367.

or email john@goldenloch.co.uk

or visit The Goldenloch

As far as I'm aware it's illegal to trap otters in England, Scotland & Wales, and thus I wouldn't advertise the fact that this is your intention.

Hi Stuart, yea I think I am getting a bit caught up in this, but I am really furious to discover that these animals have been brought here, all I want to do is take them back from where they came, it seems that there has been a population explosion of them in the south of Fife, I have noted your comments and will be a bit more discreet

They are vermin and if someone is releasing them into ur fishery without your permission then meet fire with fire im afraid. as for sea eagles ... they are exctinct here for a reason lets keep it that way.

sick of bloody tree huggers

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I HATE BUNGS.........

I hope my point isn't being missed, Alex. This section is on the open forum, the fishery is identifiable and the activities are illegal.

post removed to save any arguments

Lets be quite clear about this, and it may be that I cant do anything about it, but the otters have be relocated to a neighbouring loch, which seemingly has a huge eel population, it is an SSI, and also has a management agreement with SNH, the farmer was approached by persons, he wishes to be keep anonymous, but it is a Gov body and was told that otters were being put down, my problem is that as the crow flies we are about 300m away from this other loch, which is not stocked, has pike, and obviously eels, but as far as I am aware no other fish species live in it, they used to put in 500 brownies now and again, any anglers fishing it only ever caught pike, and they are good big pike, the burn leading from this loch also runs into the man made Birnie loch, which is an old sand and gravel pit, now a wildlife reserve, its near here and gets poached regularly, the pike getting caught are known for their size, my main beef is that those people must realise that these animals are going to come here to forage and I personally think this whole scenario with the public loving the wildlife is getting totally out of control, especially when its birds and animals that are not part of our daily life, the forest next door is where they release the Sea Eagles, everyone is so chuffed and happy that we are putting these birds back into the environment, why?, there is nothing for them to eat, farmers dispose with fallen stock, the buzzers have eaten all the rabbits, small birds and animals, we watched one chase and catch a red squirrel, the wood above us has at least 6 or 7 pairs of nesting buzzers, which have eaten the woodpeckers that we used to have, also their used to be a good owl population but I cant say I have heard many recently, we also have a least 5 nesting pair of Osprey within a 5 mile radius again due to the public having an insatiable appetite for reintroducing birds of prey, when they come to eat its several times a day and its not just the fact that they take a fish or two, but its also the ones that get mutilated, a month ago we had young osprey trying to catch fish and again its just pitiful to watch the water turn red, + we can no longer control the cormorants, on a really windy day we can easily get 10+ visiting and all I can do is fire warning shots at them, why only warning shots because there are so many people out walking dogs and out running in the early hours, now the problems with feathers I cant do much about, but the ones with fur must have been trapped by persons unknown already, especially since they have little transmitters on them surely that must have been illegal, it wont be that hard to find out who did that, but getting them to take them back to where they came from might be. Honestly I cant afford to keep feeding all this livestock 20 years ago when a load of fish was £300 wasn’t so bad but now its £700 and the price of fishing in those years has per person gone up from £12 to £15 in 20 years it makes no sense,

I think licenses are granted for scientific purposes, hence the tagging. If they're tagged they're being monitored, and I would hate to see you apprehended because one of the tags has ceased moving and is tracked to one of your traps.

Stuart I am not going to bother trapping them, as I can see its not the right way forward, I think being honest we will have to apply pressure at a more diplomatic level, lobbying some of the politicians would definitely be more sensible, its just I am a kind of a guy that likes to get what I want, and I really hate seeing years of hard work going down the tubes, but I can see this ending in tears, there is no way of beating this new conception that Joe public get the countryside they imagine it to be, it is the one that’s ready for them when they decide to come and have their picnics, its just the same as going fishing, most lads nowadays expect to catch fish every time they go fishing, if they don’t they get pretty awkward, so they go somewhere that’s less challenging and easier for them to get their big bags and big fish, I can however see it from their point, its just they have only got a limited amount of time to go fishing, they want to catch immediately, they want to catch a big fish, they want to catch loads of fish, we can supply all of that, but we cant guarantee it, other places can make the odds more in their favour, take away the food and the space and it all becomes a lot easier, but the sport does need all types of venues, hard or easy ones, boat or bank, this has been a hard year I would imagine for most fisheries, but to be losing fish like we have this year to birds and animals is just to much, we will be doing some hard thinking in the next few months, I don’t think it will be the end of fishing here, but we need to think of something new and something to get youngsters fishing, without them the sport is finished, for years I have given free days to many of the Secondary schools in Fife and it works but it needs more and more help from the fishing fraternity it needs them to take youngsters fishing.

Yeah, persecution by man.