CLUB JUNIOR BLOWS AWAY BASS RECORD!

The early bird caught more than the worm, when father and son double act Ted and Ross Ledger, set off from their East Kilbride home at 4.30am, on the 11th of August, for a fishing session at the Isle of Whithorn.

The pair of eager beavers arrived at the mark for 7am to find perfect conditions for their intended target, bass, an onshore wind and driving rain. They got off to an auspicious start, when Ted had a flounder of 1lb 8oz on his first cast, which swallowed a three-peeler crab bait! Re-baited and recast, his rig then found a fish, which gave him a thumper of a bite, only to suffer the disappointment of feeling his line part as he struck in to it.

Then it was Ross’s turn to see action for the first time striking yet another good bite, briefly feeling a heavy fish on the end of his line, only to suffer the disappointment of feeling the weight fall away as the fish threw his pennel rigged crab bait.

On this day however Ross was not to be denied, and his next cast to quote Ted saw “His rod dancing in its rest”. Ross picked up his rod to find a good fish well hooked and the battle was on! With encouragement from his dad, Ross brought the fish toward the shore, until about twenty yards out the fish broke surface, giving them both their first sight of a good sized bass. As it got to within fifteen yards of the shore the fish began to go loopy, thrashing on the surface, and Ross gingerly eased it to within five yards of the shore, where Ted was waiting in the surf to grab the leader, and haul it twenty yards up the beach. The fish was Ross’s!

Ted started going ballistic with excitement, whooping and dancing around the beach, while Ross was struck dumb and didn’t seem able to say a word! When Ted had calmed down enough to unhook and weigh the bass, it took the scales down to 2.79kg (6lb 2oz), which betters Bill Hutchison’s existing club record of 2.325kg, captured at Monreith in August 1988.

Congratulations to Ross on his cracking capture, which will be the envy of the club’s senior anglers! Ross later went on to capture his first ballan wrasse, a fish of 12oz.

The Magic Rig	The Magic Fish