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7th July 2010- Competition results

The Lilly loch has seen some big money prizes up for grabs in recent weeks. First up was the annual Jim Armstrong Memorial Open Competition which saw over 60 anglers from far and wide using all their skill (and considerable amounts of hope) in an attempt to net the biggest trout and the large amounts of prize money and tackle on offer, not to mention further cash, courtesy of the £2 per angler sweepstake collection. When the final horn blew Stephen Frame stepped up to be presented with £100 cash, a new spinning rod and a bonus of £50 sweepstake money as a reward for a magnificent Rainbow Trout of 7lbs 8oz. Second prize of £50, a spinning reel and £36 sweep money went to John Graham for his 3lbs 12oz trout. Pat Thomson had a trout of the same size but was relegated to 3rd place because his 2nd fish was a few ounces smaller than Johns but £25 and £18 sweep money brought his usual smile back very quickly. P.Callaghan took 4th place, £15 plus £12 sweep money and 7 year old Peter Higgins beat most adults with a 3lbs 3oz fish which earned the youngster £10 and £6 sweep money. Grateful thanks are due to Airdrie Taxis, Airdrie Angling Centre and Clarkston Angling Club themselves all of whom contributed to the tremendous prize pot which helped make Jims memorial such a success.

The following Friday saw yet more big cash prizes on offer at the Lilly when 25 anglers tried their skill with the big rod in the Open Fly Competition with a £2 per angler sweepstake to add some spice to things. Just 2 weeks earlier Derek Gunn won the clubs Fly Shield with a fish caught with virtually the last cast of the night, and would you believe he repeated the trick by catching a trout of 3lbs 4oz wich he netted just as the horn sounded for the end of the contest . The last gasp fish won Derek £100 plus a fly rod and £20 sweep money while 2nd place went to John Richardson who also took his 3lbs 1oz trout just before the horn ended the competition. John took away £50,a new fly rod and £15 sweepstake cash. Last years winner Alan Hughes finished 3rd this time which earned him £30, a £30 meal voucher from the Owl and Trout Hotel and £7.50 sweep. Tom Currie was in 4th place taking away £20, a litre of malt whisky and £5 sweep money. In 5th place Gary Brogan took away a fly reel and £2.50 sweepstake. As the angler who caught the smallest takeable trout ( a monster of 1lb 4oz ) Keith Skinner took the final prize of a £15 voucher from Lochside Tackle Armadale completing an impressive prize list.

Many thanks are due to John Cunningham Financial Adviser and Airdrie Angling Centre who's generosity made the prize list so worthwhile.

4th June 2010- COMPETITION TIME AT LILLY LOCH


Competitions have been coming thick and fast at Clarkston Angling Club's Lilly Loch in recent weeks. The club's Honorary President's Cup was won by Alex McArthur with a Rainbow Trout of 2lbs 4oz, and the Junior version saw Kyle Black triumph with an admirable 2lbs 3oz fish.

The Fly Shield was won by Derek Gunn with an excellent Rainbow of 5lbs 8oz, caught just 15 minutes from the end of the competition to prove the necessity of perseverance to the end of any competition in any sport.

Future weeks however will see the Lilly hosting the big money competitions, which are the highlight of the season for many anglers. First up is the Jim Armstrong Memorial Open Competition to be fished by any legal method on Saturday 12th June from 9am till 3pm. Competitors can register from 8am at the Bailiff's Hut on the Loch. The entry fee is normal permit price plus £2 sweeptake. Permits are £8 for adults, and £6 for juniors and concessions. The winner of that one will walk away with £100 plus a fishing rod plus 40% of the sweepstake. Second prize is £50 plus a reel and 25% of the sweep, and third place carries with it a £25 prize plus 20% of the sweep. Fourth prize is £15 plus 10% of the sweep, while 5th takes £10 plus 5% of the sweep. Sponsors for that competition include Airdrie Taxi's, Airdrie Angling Centre, and Clarkston Angling Club themselves, all of whom have made possible the fabulous prizes on offer in this popular competition.

The following week on Friday 18th June the Lilly is again the venue for the Open Fly Competition which takes place from 7pm to midnight and more generous sponsorship from John Cunningham Financial Advice, Airdrie Angling Centre, the Owl and Trout Hotel, and Lochside Tackle means more fantastic prizes in this one too. For just the normal £8 permit (£6 concession/juniors) plus £2 sweepstake, anglers are in the running for prizes of £100 plus 40% of the sweep for 1st, £50 plus fly reel, plus 25% of sweep for 2nd place and £25 plus a meal voucher for the Owl and Trout and 20% of the sweep money for 3rd. Fourth prize is £15 plus 10% of the sweep and a tackle voucher for Lochside tackle, while 5th takes £10 plus 5% of the sweep. Registration for this one will be at the Bailiff's hut from 6pm onwards.

All in all some exciting competitions with serious prize funds are available to anglers, so make sure you have both of these in your diary.

2nd May 2010-COMPETITIONS AND MONSTERS AT THE LILLY
The last few weeks have been hectic on Clarkston Angling Clubs Lilly Loch, with some huge fish of several different species caught and a variety of competitions fished.
Season ticket holder Charlie Brown had a cracking Brown Trout of 4lbs 8oz on fly ,while Derek Inglis had a 10lb Rainbow on powerbait.,
Competitions too are coming thick and fast and producing top class fish like the 5lb Rainbow Trout that won the clubs Loch Cup for member and bailiff Johnny Armstrong. Large numbers of members turned out for this one and enjoyed a great days sport. Johnnys fish took ledgered powerbait just out from the jetty. 

The following week saw the Lilly hosting the return leg of the Inter Club Bait Competition between the Clarkston team and Airdrie and District A C. Clarkston were ahead by a healthy 21lbs from the first leg on Hillend,so the Airdrie team had a veritable mountain to climb and made a valiant effort to do just that on the day.They weighed in 5 trout for 20lbs 8oz and over half that weight was in the form of a magnificent Rainbow of 11lbs 8oz landed after a long fight by Alan Tripney,who walked away with a £25 tackle voucher for the heaviest fish. The Clarkston team however were not to be outdone weighing in a creditable 6 fish for 13lbs 6oz to retain the trophy for a second year.Both teams paid tribute to the sporting and good natured manner in which the whole competition was fished,and the excellent hospitality provided by each club to their visitors.

The other competition on the loch was the clubs Bill Mc Arthur Memorial Pike Competition and an excellent Pike of 13lbs 8oz secured the handsome trophy for Robert Deacons. All of these fish,however,big as they are ,were overshadowed by 10 year old Ross Stevenson who was the proud captor of a monster pike estimated to be over 20lbs !!!! Young Scott sportingly returned it unharmed to the water.

The loch continues to fish well to a variety of methods.Powerbait is,as usual,taking its fair share of fish,as is spinning,while killing flies include Damsel Nymph Orange Fritz,Yellow Dancer,Zulu,Wickhams Fancy,and Montana Nymph.

27th April 2010- CONGRATULATIONS

Well done to Coatbridge angler Martin Hanlon, who landed a 10.5lb rainbow trout on the 17th April. Martin was fishing on the south side of the loch, using yellow powerbait.

27th April 2010- NLC Access Forum

Jim Cassidy is the walkers and anglers representative on the North Lanarkshire Council Access Forum. This group deals with access issues, some of which may affect club members. If you have any problems with an access issue (at the loch or elsewhere), such as blocked footpaths, missing signs, etc, contact Jim at admin@lillyloch.co.uk.

The AGM of the access forum takes place on Thursday 13th May at Motherwell Civic Centre at 6pm. All are welcome to attend, and new members are welcome.

21st March 2010- FALSE START AT LILY


The magic date for trout anglers is the 15th March when the Brown Trout season opens, but for the last few years Clarkston Angling Club have given anglers a little "extra time" by opening the Lily Loch at the end of February, for Rainbow Trout fishing only.

This year the loch was due to open on Saturday 27th February, but that day dawned with the loch completely frozen over to a depth of several inches. This ice persisted until close to the official season start date, with only the keenest (or craziest!!!) anglers fishing the few small areas of clear water. The ice also prevented the club from stocking the loch until well into March, but by the 15th it was mercifully ice free, and a large number of anglers took advantage to set out on their first outing of the season. A few hardy fly fishermen even braved the elements and, despite the long cold spell, had some success, mainly on damsels, black fritz lures, and small traditionals.

                       

More success than most was enjoyed by Cumbernauld angler Steven Sutherland. Whilst fishing in the burn area of the loch, with a small damsel nymph, he had an arm wrenching take which dispelled any discomfort from the cold. Steven found himself connected to an obviously large fish, which made several long unstoppable runs before finally coming to the net. It turned out to be a beautiful overwintered Rainbow, estimated at 12lbs, fin perfect, and in excellent condition, which was carefully returned to the water after an impromptu photo shoot. The fish of a lifetime indeed for Steven and the smile on his face illustrates his excitement with his catch.

Club Treasurer Tom Lang explained that only one stocking had been possible this year because of the weather, and all the fish introduced to the loch had been between 2 and 3lbs, so this perfect specimen had been in the loch since last year at least, and judging by its condition, possibly much longer.

Hillend Loch opened for angling on 15th March, and the 1st leg of the Inter Club Bait competition took place on the water a few days later. The Airdrie and District team managed a commendable 14lbs, but were well beaten by their Clarkston counterparts who landed 35lbs. The Airdrie team will now have to hope for revenge in the second leg on the Lilly Loch in April.Some of the loch still remains frozen, from the East dam back to the jetty, and both west bays. Otherwise the majority of the loch is open. Rising temperatures and rain mean that this may change, and the ice may well break up soon. The loch has been stocked recently, prior to the opening of the brown trout season. The fish farm has informed us that the fish have not been eating much during this cold weather, so patience will be required over the next few weeks.

11th March- Tom Lang contact details

Anyone wishing to contact Tom should do so on his mobile: 07596 505242. Tom works nightshifts, so please try and call him at a reasonable time (late afternoons are best).

26th February 2010-Loch update

Winter conditions are very much in force at the loch today. The loch remains frozen from the East dam back to where the burn comes in at the container. Beyond the burn is clear of ice, although there may be small patches remaining in the West bays. Although much of the north shore is clear of ice, we would like to remind anyone fishing that side to be aware of the landslip in this area.

22nd February 2010- Loch conditions and stocking

A quick update on the loch for those of you planning on an early start to the season. Much of the loch is still frozen, and we would advise that you keep a close eye on the weather over the next few days. We will update this page on Friday 26th February with a report on the condition of the loch.

Preparations for the new season are continuing, and the loch will be stocked twice later this week.

3rd February 2010- Season ticket prices & Loch opening date

This year the loch will open for fishing for rainbow trout on Saturday 27th February. Fishing will be by fly, spinner or powerbait only, until the commencement of the brown trout season on 15th March.

Much like the loch in recent weeks, ticket prices have been frozen for the 2010 season, and will remain the same as for 2009. Full details are on the Prices and Restrictions page.

3rd February 2010- Rockfall on north side of the Loch.

We would like to draw your attention to the safety notices which have been placed on access routes to the loch. The landowner will be carrying out clearance work on this area in the near future.

In the meantime please exercise caution when in this area.

To the board and members of Clarkston Angling Club.

My family and I would like to express my thanks for the kind thoughts to you all after the recent passing of my father, John Sloan. As has been noted elsewhere my father was a founding member of the club and was very proud of that fact. He was an avid fisherman, there was a time when he would be gone 4 nights and a Saturday fishing. It was his passion in life, he was happiest with a fly rod in his hand. It didn’t matter where he was, just as long as he was fishing. In later years I too enjoyed going with my dad and having him pass just a little of his knowledge and skill onto me. Those of you who know him will also know that his absence from the water in recent years wasn’t like him. My father suffered from Alzheimer’s and that took his confidence away, he was always worried that something would happen. He would still talk about fishing and watch fishing Videos and DVDs at home. The passion never left him. He may not have been fishing, but he was still tying flies. This was made evident to me when I found his little tying setup in my old bedroom. In front of the window where he had natural light and the ability to watch people come and go while he worked.

I’d also like to thank the club for the donation to Alzheimer’s Scotland, in my dad’s last year’s people from this organization would assist my Dad in getting the services he needed to live at home, and they’d take him on outings. My Dad loved the outings, he talked most about two. One to Hampden where he got to take a penalty into a set of the old Hampden goals and to Duck Bay at Loch Lomond. I’d been told by workers from Alzheimer’s Scotland that he’d spent time on a little dock there pointing out fish to the other people that were on the trip. That was typical of my Dad, put him near water and he’d start scouting out places to fish. I know that Alzheimer’s Scotland will put the money to good use for future trips for other sufferers.

I’d also like to personally thank Peter Gunn for the help and friendship he gave my Father while he was alive, and the help he gave me with the arrangements and breaking up my Father’s house both while I was there and after I had to come back home.

Sincerely,

Iain & Angie Sloan and family

11th January- Your Photos

New Photos of the loch in winter are now on our Photobucket site at:

http://s725.photobucket.com/home/ClarkstonAnglingClub

You can send your photos to admin@lillyloch.co.uk

News Archive

18th December- John Sloan - RIP

John Sloane, a founder member of the club, passed away on Tuesday 15th December, aged 79.

His funeral will take place on Tuesday 22nd December at McLarens Funeral Parlour, at 2pm.

The clubs thoughts are with his family.

18th December- Landslide

A landslide on the north side of the loch is causing some concern, and we would point out to you that you should exercise caution in this area, as it has caused some major rockfall onto the path. The club would like to point out that it is not the landowner, and has no responsibility for the path or the adjacent land.

3rd November 2009- The Loch is now closed for the winter.

12th October 2009- Club Presentation Dance

This will take place on Friday 6th November 2009 at Clarkston Miners Welfare Club. Contact the committee for tickets.

7th October 2009- Brown Trout season is now closed

Fishing for rainbow trout continues until 31st October, using fly, powerbait or spinner only.

17th September 2009- Night fishing continues!

A misprint on the terms and conditions on the back of the permits state that night fishing/ overnight camping finishes at the end of August. This is not the case and to clarify, night fishing/overnight camping is allowed until 30th September. This means that there are two sessions available, 0700-1900hrs and 1900-0700hrs.

15th September 2009-NEW SPORTS FOR CLARKSTON ANGLING CLUB MEMBERS?

You would be forgiven for thinking that Tom Currie was practising Rainbow-wrestling or Troot tossing! In fact Clarkston Angling Club member Tom is helping to stock the club's Lilly Loch, and the monster he is holding is a 12lb specimen Rainbow Trout.

The club continues to stock weekly with fish from 2lbs up to double figures, and this is reflected in recent catches. Season ticket holders Hugh Bettley and Sverre Haugene both took fish of 9lbs 7oz, while an unnamed Armadale angler took a 12lb Rainbow on the North shore but left without leaving his details.

The Lilly continues to fish well particularly with ledgered Powerbait, while killing flies include Olive Fritz, Orange Fritz, Yellow Dancer, and Cats Whisker. Those who prefer more traditional flies are finding success with Loch Ordie, Bibio, Greenwells Glory, Blae and Black, Whickhams Fancy,and Soldier Palmer.

The Brown Trout season finishes on 6th October, but the Lilly Loch will remain open until the end of October for Fly fishing, Spinning and Powerbait fishing only.

18th July 2009- MAKE MINE A DOUBLE SAYS ALAN

The Competition scene continued on the Lilly Loch with Clarkston Angling
Club's ever popular Open Fly Competitiion.

The promise of big money prizes brought anglers from all over Central
Scotland to the Lilly despite horrendous weather conditions with high
winds and rain.

On a night more reminiscent of November than June, some very good fly
fishermen stuck to their task and brought some excellent catches to the
net.

Just a week previously Coatbridge angler Alan Hughes won the Jim Armstrong
Memorial Trophy £140, and a spinning rod. He completed the double in the
Fly Competition winning another trophy, £110 prize money, and a Daiwa Fly
Rod by catching a Rainbow of 4lbs 7oz. Second place, £60 prize money, and
a fly reel went to club member John Richardson, while season ticket holder
Arthur Graham's third place landed him £35 plus a £50 meal voucher.
Fourth place, £10 and a £25 tackle voucher went to Derek Gunn.

Clarkston Angling Club offers sincere thanks to Airdrie Angling Centre for
the rod and reel, to the Owl and Trout Hotel for the meal voucher, and to
Lochside Tackle Armadale for the tackle voucher.

Inter Club Challenge Fly Shield
The competition theme continued a week later with the first leg of the
Inter Club Challenge Fly Shield, between Clarkston Angling Club and
Airdrie and District Angling Club.

The 8 top Fly Fishers from the two local clubs clashed on the Lilly loch
first, and a strong Easterly wind failed to hamper the Clarkston team who
landed a total of 11 trout for 26lbs 14.5oz. Airdrie and District had
only 2 fish for 4lbs 0.5oz.

Heaviest fish of the night went to Clarkston's Paul Blades with a Rainbow
Trout of 4lbs 1oz, which earned him a £25 tackle voucher.

The return leg on Hillend the following week, saw a complete reversal.
Airdrie and District weighed in trout for 11lbs 7.5 oz, while Clarkston
could only manage one fish for 2lbs 8oz. That single fish won the £25
voucher for Craig Cummings of Clarkston. The final tally was Clarkston
Angling Club 29lb 6oz, Airdrie and District Angling Club 15lbs 7oz - a
resounding victory for the Clarkston men who took the handsome trophy
after a 2 year tenure by the Airdrie Club, to add to the Bait Competition
trophy which they also won. Team Captains Peter Gunn of Clarkston, and
Jack Carson of Airdrie and District, paid tribute to the hospitality
provided by each club, and to the sporting manner in which the whole
competition was fished. Both promised to have their respective teams on
top form for next year, with Airdrie and District looking to reverse this
year's Clarkston double.

Current conditions
Both the Lilly and Hillend are proving dour at present despite heavy
stocking by both clubs, and this is a situation being duplicated at many
fisheries around Scotland. There are many possible causes, the most
likely being extremely high water temperatures, which cause the fish to
hold in the deeper, cooler water, rather than coming up to take the
surface flies.

Hopefully the recent rains and fresher winds will bring the temperatures
back to nearer normal and restore fishing to what is expected.

16th June 2009- JIM ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL OPEN ANGLING COMPETITION

The Lilly Loch was a busy place on Saturday as over 80 anglers turned up to honour the memory of Jim (Bogle) Armstrong. There were some fantastic prizes on offer in the Jim Armstrong Memorial Trophy, thanks to sponsorship from Airdrie Angling Centre, Airdrie Taxis and Clarkston Angling Club.

Fish were being caught all over the loch, mainly on ledgered Powerbait,but the winning fish and the runner up were both taken on flies. The lucky winner was Coatbridge bricklayer Alan Hughes whose magnificent 5lbs 10oz Rainbow Trout netted him the handsome trophy, £100 prize money a Shimano Spinning Rod and £40 sweepstake cash. Second place went to Mark Hotchkiss, with a Rainbow of 4lbs 8oz. Mark took home £50, a Spinning Reel and £36 sweep money, while third placed Pat Thompson won £25 plus £30 sweep money. Jim Cassidy and Alex McArthur received £20 sweep money each for 4th and 5th places.

A feminine touch provided the winning formula in the Junior Competition,which was won by Monica Braiden whose 4lbs 4oz Rainbow put most adults to shame. Monica took home £25 plus £8 Junior sweepstake and a Telescopic Spinning Rod. Mark Adams received a Spinning Reel and £7 sweep money for his 2nd place. Colin Smith's 3rd place earned him a jumbo spool of line and £7 cash from the sweepstake. It was an excellent day, in fine weather, with plenty of fish caught in a relaxed and sporting atmosphere. All in all a fitting tribute that Jim himself would have thoroughly enjoyed.

You can view photos of all the winners at our Photobucket site. Click on the link below:

http://s725.photobucket.com/albums/ww252/ClarkstonAnglingClub/Jim%20Armstrong%20Trophy%20June%202009/

Upcoming Competition!

The big money competition theme continues on the Lilly next Friday 19th June, with the Open Fly Competition. Sponsorship from Edward Jones Investments, Airdrie Angling Centre, The Owl and Trout Hotel, and Lochside Tackle Armadale, means cash prizes of £100, £50, and £25, for the the three biggest fish, with rods, reels, meal vouchers, and tackle vouchers, as well as a sweepstake, all boosting the prize pot. The competition is for fly only (long rod) and starts at 7pm with the weigh in at 12 midnight. You can register from 6pm at the Bailiff's Hut,(which is also the venue for the weigh in) and the largest fish will win. Entrance is the cost of your ticket (£8 day ticket, £6 concessions) plus £2 sweepstake. This competition usually produces some great fish, and the prizes are second to none, so if you think you can "fish the flee", come up to theLilly Loch on Friday 19th June and see how good you really are.                      

2nd June 2009 - What's hot (apart from the weather)...

The Lilly continues to fish well with an 11lb Blue Trout caught by William Reilly of Craigneuk Airdrie, on ledgered Powerbait, while a 10lb Rainbow Trout was taken by Greg Russell. Best method continues to be ledgered Powerbait, but the fly is coming more into its' own as water temperatures rise. Lures continue to dominate withYellow Dancers, Olive Fritz, Black Fritz and Black Cats all taking fish,on floating, or intermediate, lines. The second leg of the Inter Club Bait Competition between Clarkston Angling Club and Airdrie and District Angling Club took place recently. Airdrie and District won the first leg on Hillend by just one pound, but Clarkston took revenge in the second leg on the Lilly, winning by 15lbs to take the competition comfortably overall. The Airdrie men must now hope that they can turn the tables in the upcoming fly fishing competition between the clubs. Other competition results include the Loch Cup won by Paul Blades with a3lb Rainbow Trout. Bill McArthur Memorial Pike Competition won by JohnGardner with a Pike of 6lbs 13oz while Paul Blades made it a double taking the Fly Shield with a 2lb Rainbow Trout.

1st June 2009

Wulli Reilly of Craigneuk Airdrie, shows off the 11lb Blue Trout he caught from the Lilly Loch with the help of his friend C Tonner.

Blue Trout are Rainbow Trout specially bred to create a sort of albino effect, which gives them their beautiful silvery blue colouring. They tend not to grow much above 4 or 5lbs, so Wullies' fish is a real specimen, and very much the fish of a lifetime. Congratulations are definitely in order.

1st June 2009- ANOTHER DOUBLE FIGURE TROUT FROM THE LILLY LOCH

Greg Russell is pictured proudly displaying the 10.5lb Rainbow Trout he recently caught from the Lilly Loch.

31st May 2009- Members Meeting

The next members meeting is on Tuesday 2nd June 2009, at 1930hrs in the Springfield community Centre.

30th May 2009- Photos of the Loch

Photos from the loch, including some recent big catches of Blue Trout are on the Club photo website at:  http://s725.photobucket.com/albums/ww252/ClarkstonAnglingClub/                

These images can be saved onto your own computer by opening the image, right click on the mouse, then select SAVE. You will then be able to print off any pictures that you require.

If you have any photos of the loch, big catches, or items of interest, email them to admin@lillyloch.co.uk. Please include names, dates, fish weights, etc.

9th April 2009- Prizegiving

Prizes for the 2008/09 season were awarded at the Owl and Trout last weekend. You can see pictures at:

http://s725.photobucket.com/albums/ww252/ClarkstonAnglingClub/Prizegiving%20April%202009/

15th March 2009- Season Open

The loch is now open for fishing.

4th February 2009- Ticket Prices

The Lilly Loch will open for fishing for rainbow trout on Saturday 28th February 2009.

At the 2009 Club AGM, it was decided NOT to increase the ticket prices for the 2009 season. Check out the Prices and Restrictions page for full details.

1st January 2009- Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Details of prices for the 2009 fishing season will be posted as soon as possible.

4th March 2008

We have added a number of links to local angling shops who are offering a 10% discount on production of a current club membership card. See the Useful Links page for details.

1st March 2008

The loch is NOW OPEN for fishing for rainbow trout. The Loch was stocked yesterday in preparation for the new season, and a busy opening day is expected.

February 2008

The club is proud to announce the launch of it's new website, www.lillyloch.co.uk. Contributions from club members are welcome, be they photos or articles.