The Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club made a successful debut at Drumtassie Match Lake, with notable catches, section winners and a programme of future events
The Edinburgh and Lothians Coarse Angling Club (ELCAC) launched its season with a memorable first match at the newly developed Drumtassie Match Lake near Blackridge in West Lothian. Club social media correspondent Bruce Lawrie reported that despite a few anglers being intermittently pestered by leftover trout from the lake’s previous use, the mood was upbeat and the general view was that the venue has excellent potential.
Lawrie emphasised the club’s optimism about the planned stocking programme and said members felt privileged to be among the first to contest a match on a water still maturing into a top-class match lake.
Lake layout and membership
The Match Lake is laid out with a generous number of permanent positions: 21 pegged platforms with room for an extra four if necessary, and two islands that create attractive tactical options. The right-hand side contains the deeper water with the central four pegs measuring approximately 9ft to 10ft at extended ranges near 11 metres, and additional zones of about 6ft to 7ft.
The left-hand bank provides the shallower pitches, varying from under 2.5ft to 4ft at one end up to 4ft to 6ft at the opposite end. For clarity, the term peg is used here to mean a marked fishing position on the bank. ELCAC currently lists 23 active members, excluding two honorary lifetime members, Geoff Lowe and Bill Hamilton.
Competition format and calendar
The club kept its established format for the Summer League: a ten-match series in which anglers discard their four worst results, supplemented by the Knockout Cup, a Pairs event and a Rod and Reel competition. The next round was scheduled for May 16, which also signals the beginning of the Knockout Cup phase. Organisers welcomed three newcomers for the opener—Alexander Kerr, Robert Bartusik and Bartek Kolowski—and expressed hope that turnout will increase for subsequent rounds as more anglers sample the new venue.
How the opener unfolded
Seventeen anglers were drawn into four sections for the inaugural contest. Statistics from the day suggested an uptick in performance compared with recent openers, where 21lb took Match 1 in 2026 and 32lb did so in 2026. This time every winning section produced double-figure weights, signalling stronger backing weights across the board. Expectations of a low-weight event proved wide of the mark as several competitors found productive lines and baits. The match showcased a spread of approaches including short pole work, tip-rod fishing and tactical use of pellets and expanders, illustrating how anglers adapted quickly to the new water.
Sections A and B
In Section A the new member Alexander Kerr dominated with 21lb 14oz, fishing successfully on maggots. Lawrie finished second with 7lb 9oz, describing a bright opening phase of four straight fish followed by a run of trout interference. Roz Cassidy took third with 3lb 6oz, largely small carp, while East Lothian angler Simon Clynshaw managed a solitary early carp weighing 1lb 14oz. Section B was won by Mark Gleave with 32lb, who favoured expanders and micros, and edged out club chairman Darrin Ferguson, whose 18lb 13oz came from short pole work with maggots and a few tip-rod bites on dumbbells. Will Martin and Shug Smith rounded out the section placings with double-figure and mid-single-figure returns respectively.
Sections C and D
Section C produced the standout results of the day. On an island peg and with a light breeze, Andy Roberts accumulated an imposing 56lb 3oz fishing pellets and expanders in roughly 4ft of water, while Joshua Lloyd was second overall with 46lb 12oz on similar tactics. Bartusik took third in the section with 13lb 1oz and expressed disappointment at not doing better, while Jimmy Jones posted 10lb 7oz. Section D proved the most modest for weight, with last year’s ladies champion Heather Lauriston top-rod on 6lb 12oz from 13 metres on maggot, followed by Stewart Ritchie on 3lb 14oz and Gordon McKay on 2lb 9oz.
Coaching, casting and charity
Beyond the coarse match calendar, attention turns briefly to trout-focused events. The Edinburgh Angling Centre at Granton was due to host a Loop Tackle weekend on May 9 and 10, featuring equipment displays, demonstrations by a world champion in single and double-handed casting and hands-on tuition. Visitors can enter a single-handed casting accuracy contest with prizes on offer, and a raffle will raise funds for the Tweed Foundation, which supports initiatives to introduce people of all ages to fishing. The mix of competitive matches, coaching and community fundraising underlines the healthy and varied life of angling in the region.
