A major 2019 highlight has been reached

It must seem too soon to be thinking about nominating the highlight of the year, but it is going to be difficult to top an event which took place in the middle of February.

Nearly 300 men, women and children came together to help the United Clyde Angling Protective Association celebrate the official opening of the salmon season on the Clyde.

This kind of event takes place on virtually every salmon river in Scotland.

They all involve a group of anglers following a piper to the river, where they witness a small amount of whisky being thrown into the water. The first fly of the season is then cast.

The UCAPA event went further; children were welcomed and the Association’s youth development team put on a fun casting competition for the youngsters. The best were presented with prizes.

While this was taking place, in the gardens of the Popinjay Hotel, the adults were being treated to tea, coffee and bacon rolls, courtesy of the very attentive hotel staff.

In the meantime, members of several fly tying clubs demonstrated their skills.

A new addition to the programme was a stall set out by members of the Wildlife and Rural Crime section of Police Scotland.

The water bailiffs and river wardens have been working closely with police officers over the last few years.

These teams have become more frequent and welcome sights along the Clyde.

Rural crime has been occurring more and more all over the country, and it is accepted that those involved in these crimes are probably guilty of even worse offences against society.

The biggest part of this popular event was made possible thanks to generous donations from tackle manufacturers Daiwa Sports in Wishaw, and Hardy of Alnwick. To the list was added numerous angling opportunities on various other rivers, and a selection of valuable items of tackle.

These were to be used in the annual charity prize draw; this year’s chosen charity was Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). At the end of a hectic hour or so, £1500 had been collected.

Before he started the prize draw, well-known actor and angler Paul Young was presented with a scroll to mark the fact that he was being made an Honorary President of UCAPA, in appreciation of the part he has played in promoting angling, and his ongoing support of the Association at every opportunity.

Peter Hutchison was presented with the Daiwa Cup for having caught the best salmon of the 2018 season.

Once at the river, more speeches were made, the whisky was thrown, the first fly was cast, and several people watched the whole thing from the vantage point of the Mauldslie Bridge.

The next event on the UCAPA calendar is the AGM. I understand at least half a dozen members will miss it because the post office returned their invitations marked‘gone Away’. If anyone reading this is in that position, they can reinstate their membership simply by contacting the secretary. It is too late for this year, but failing to update our details is a mistake that we all make from time to time.

The brown trout season opens on March 15. The remarkably mild period during February is in sharp contrast to what we experienced around this time last year. The Beast from the East was just the beginning of an extended cold spell, but this year we have had record-breaking high temperatures. That means everything could be back on schedule, or ahead of its normal time.