Due to roadwork's on the A9 at BANKFOOT Butterstone suggests that anglers add another 30 mins to their journey time and leave earlier to compensate these works are due to run for an estimated 22 weeks.

Butterstone's opening weekend was a great success with all boats landing fish on both days. Unfortunately the winds that were forecast for the Saturday did materialise and by lunch they were averaging 33mph and gusting to 60mph. Most anglers called it a day and departed after their BBQ but there were two or three diehard boats that tackled the winds right up to the end of the session. They had managed to get up to the top end of the loch and anchor up by Osprey point and the lilies, watching them drift back down to the harbour even with the anchors set you could almost have water skied out the back of the boats!! Water temp at the moment is 7.4 ‘C on the surface and 6.8'C at 3M and clarity is nominal after the windy conditions. The optimum line and flies would be an intermeadiate with a team of mini lures and small nymphs.

The fish are well spread out this year and are not all congregated around the road shore and Nether Cardney cottage as per previous years. There were pockets of fish found down the North shore and along the shelf just outside the harbour right round to the south shore. They were even found to be up in the top bay which at this time of year is usually unheard of.

The average size of fish this year is around the 2lb mark with some lovely mid- sized fish ranging from 3 lbs – 10lbs also as Keith Doig was to find again when he landed a lovely 8lb 5oz rainbow. He had taken a private boat again on Saturday and had a great morning before the winds increased they kept 9 fish for 25lb 9oz. Over the two days there were 7 large fish caught all around the 7 – 9lbs mark. Also doing well were P Grubb's boat that weighed in 12 fish for 27lb 8oz, T Black 6 fish for 16lb 3oz and the Winn brothers 12 fish for 32lbs including a 7lb 4oz rainbow and Duncan McLean over the two days weighed in 21 fish for 48lbs 8oz. On the club front Stanley AC 51 fish for 106lbs for 12 boats, the Rainbow AC 31 fish for 72lbs including a 7lb 7oz caught by Scott Pozzi for 5 boats, Balgay AC 36 fish for 84lb 3oz for 3 boats and Perth Ex Service 36 fish for 94lbs 2oz for 6 boats.

The forthcoming weeks forecast is looking good. Sunny intervals with light winds around 2 – 10mph with barometric pressure remaining stable at around 1026mb temperatures on the cool side around 6 – 12 ‘C

Important Messages:

Butterstone is now giving anglers the choice of two start times on a Sunday Morning either the usual 9am - 5pm or alternativly a slightly later 10am - 6pm.

Due to roadwork's on the A9 at BANKFOOT Butterstone suggests that anglers add another 30 mins to their journey time and leave earlier to compensate most jurney delays are between 5 and 10 mins but you can at time be delayed far longer these works are due to run for an estimated 22 weeks.

Butterstone's opening week has been fantastic with anglers having great sport with intermediate and floating lines both working. The intermediate teamed up with a mixture of mini lures and nymphs like the Black & Green, White Cat, Black Tadpole, Yellow Dancer and the Cormorant are catching fish in the cooler mornings whilst the likes of Nymphs, Diawl Bach's and Buzzers are doing the trick in the warmer afternoons. The predicted forecast for a change was spot on. As predicted the winds were light around 5- 6 mph and days were warm, averaging around 15'C or for my older anglers 60'F. Water Temp at the moment is still averaging 7.4'C in the morning and a slightly warmer 8'C by the end of the afternoon. Clarity is still poor at .5M after Sundays change in weather as the winds increased to gusting 44mph.

The fish are well spread out this year and are not all congregated around the road shore and cottage bay as per previous years. There were pockets of fish found from the dead tree at Osprey point down past the lilies down the road shore along the North shore and on the shelf just outside the harbour right round to the south shore. There are a lot of new names areas on Butterstone so if you don't know the areas there is a new map on the Butterstone website.

The average size of fish this year is around the 2lb mark with some lovely mid- sized fish ranging from 3lbs – 10lbs as Messrs. Dunlop and Mitchell found out when they hooked into a 5lb Rainbow. Throughout the week the loch has been producing a small number of larger fish just to keep anglers appetites wetted. Also included in the catch returns have been a few of last year's stock that have managed to over winter and escape the clutches of the cormorants due to the large extended time the loch was frozen over the winter.

Included amongst those who did well last week were Messrs. Dunlop and Mitchell who landed 11 fish for 28lb 4oz including a the 5lb 1oz Rainbow, Mr. Hutchison's boat weighed in 8 for 17lb 4oz and returned a further 5, R Eddie & Mr Campbell returned an estimated 30+ fish and Mr Martins boat returned 10. D Pozzi and S Page weighed in 12 for 27lbs and returned a further 37 fish.

On the club front Stanley AC 97 fish for 216lbs 12 oz and a further 42 returned for 10 boats, Heriot FP AC 35 fish for 77lbs 6oz for 6 boats, Edinburgh Civil Service AC 35 fish for 84lb 8oz including 2 Rainbows 1 at 5lb 12oz for Stuart Lees and 1 at 6lb 4 for Bob Perrett for 3 boats and finally Leslie & Glenrothes AC 44 fish for 107lbs 5oz for 8 boats.

The forthcoming weeks forecast is looking les good than last week with it being predominantly wet and moderate to high winds 10- 18mph with Thursday topping 25mph with barometric pressure falling as the week progresses to around 990mb temperatures on the cool side around 6 – 11 ‘C.