Strangely quiet at the Lake of Menteith these days due to the travel restrictions and catch details from 2020 are scanty due to the pandemic limiting catch recording. Our most recent visitor had over 20 on the bung and bug. This being the preferred winter method these days – as well as the snake. 
For anglers that like to test their skills/enjoy the big social side of angling we are pleased to confirm that we are hosting the Scottish National Championships, the Scottish Club Championships, Sierra Pairs Heat, Anglian Water Heats, Police Scottish and UK Championships, Menteith Boat League and the Scottish Open Fly Fishing Championships.
We are busy getting ready for a hopefully busy season in 2021, vaccinations permitting. The 2021 season opens on the 20th March. In the mean-time, the boats and engines are getting their required maintenance and we are catching up with all the other winter jobs. Most of are stock trout are now bedded in for the winter and they look lovely as always. The main message for our visiting anglers is that our online booking system will be open to the general public at www.menteith-fisheries.co.uk for boat booking purposes from 1st January 2021. This is reservation only and no prepayment is required. We hope to allow payment at the permit office in the new season but if covid necessitates prepayment – there will be a system in place to allow for this. If you are a club (3 boats or more on a single day) or an individual wanting to book 10 boats or more please email bookingonline@menteith-fisheries.co.uk, as these bookings can be processed before the new season portal is made available online. Please contact the fishery at this email address if you wish to enter the ballot for an opening day boat.
We are still waiting to hear from many clubs with respect to their bookings for 2021 and we are emailing these club secretaries to let them know that we have provisionally held a booking similar to their 2019 booking (we didn’t use 2020 bookings as there were so many cancellations and re-arrangements) and that this will only be held for a limited time.
We were saddened to hear of the recent loss of Sam Montgomery. Sam had fished at the Lake for many years and was well known in the angling scene. Maz has been in touch to let us know that his funeral will be tomorrow.
Sam and I shared a love of things fishy but I especially enjoyed our talks about skiing and the Alpes, another shared passion.