Junior Troutmasters Final 2012

Congratulations to Swanswater Cygnet Eddie McKillop for competing in the Junior Troutmasters Final, 2012 at Stonebridge Fishing Lake, North Yorkshire, England.

Eddie caught the best fish of the weekend a 3lb 8oz Brown Trout.

Well done Eddie

Sunday 5th August 2012

The Cygnets session today started with Thomas Anderson, casting instructor, demonstrating and teaching the Cygnets on how to do the "double haul".

The weather was very humid and the sky looked very dark and grey. It felt very warm throughout the session.  There were 10 Cygnets who attended the session this morning. The Cygnets were all fishing the Mill Pond today.

It was very difficult for the Cygnets today. There were fish rising around the Mill Pond, with the golden trout showing around the pond which gave the Cygnets fun, trying to target them.

The fish were very reluctant to take any of the flies offered by the Cygnets. The Cygnets tried dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, lures and buzzers, but the fish showed no interest in anything.  Mid morning the first fish of the session was hooked by Eddie McKillop which was a lovely Golden trout.  Some of the Cygnets caught a few Perch throughout the morning. 

There was a shower of rain late morning which we hoped would help the fishing but unfortunately the fish remained uninterested in the flies being offered.

It was late morning before the second fish of the session was hooked and landed by Robert Fyfe. The fish was a hard fighting Tiger trout and gave Robert a good scrap before it was sucessfully netted by one of Cygnets coaches.

The successful Cygnets today were:-

Eddie McKillop:-  1 Golden trout

Robert Fyfe:- 1 Tiger trout

The next Cygnets session is Sunday 19th August with the session commencing with fly tying, setting up and fishing thereafter.

Sunday 22nd July 2012

There were 12 members plus Morgan McDougall helping out. All the Cygnets fished the Millpond. It was rather windy with a slight drizzle so fishing was a bit tricky and only 3 fish landed – Abbi Hutton 2 Tigers & Robert Hiddleston 1 Tiger.

There were plenty of fish seen moving but not wanting to be caught.  Jim Allan and Thomas Anderson took the Cygnets for a knot tying lesson before the session started which proved to be very worthwhile as Cygnets were asking questions waterside as to which knot to use and were tying them themselves.

Paul Young, Cygnets Honorary President visited the Cygnets and did the rounds, not just of Cygnets but also at least twice round Swanswater and spent some time with anglers on the Meadow Pond as well. Paul signed autographs and posed for photos, etc as usual and has promised to come to the next session on Sunday 5th August. Paul will also try very hard to be at BBQ on 25th Aug. 

At the end of the session, Jim Allan showed interested Cygnets and parents how to fillet a trout.

Forthcoming Events

On Sunday 22nd July, our Honorary President Paul Young will be coming along to see you all.

The Cygnets session commences with fly tying at

09:15 am with setting up tackle and fishing thereafter.

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Cygnet's Annual BBQ

Following the cancellation of the annual Cygnet's BBQ earlier this year due to adverse weather. We have provisionally arranged to hold the Barbecue on Saturday 25th August 2012. Further details and times will follow in due course.

UKCC Coaching Qualification

Congratulations to Angus MacDougall, Ian Lohoar, Jim Allan and Alasdair Fyfe on completing and gaining their Sport Scotland 1st 4 Sport UKCC Level 1 Certificate in Coaching (Game ) Angling with SANA (Scottish Anglers National Association).

Sunday 8th July 2012

The session commenced this morning with Fly Tying with Jimmy Miller. Today the Cygnets were shown how to tie the "Yellow Dancer" which is possibly one of the best lures devised.


Once the Cygnet's had their rods all set up. The Cygnets were taken on the grass by Thomas Anderson, Casting Instructor for a back to basic over head cast.


There were 8 Cygnets at the session today. The weather was dry but cloudy. It was cool and fresh at the start of the session but as the session went on the temperature became more humid. The Cygnets started fishing on the Mill Pond and it was not long before the first fish was hooked, unfortunately the fish came off.  There appeared to be a lot of fish showing and rising on the Mill Pond early on.

A couple of Cygnets managed to hook fish but unfortunately lost them not long after hooking them.  Robert Fyfe hooked and landed the first fish of the session, a hard fighting rainbow trout.

A short time later Robert hooked and landed his second fish, another rainbow trout which was expertly netted by fellow Cygnet Morgan MacDougall who was helping the Waterside Assistants and Cygnets today.

The air temperature was rising and was becoming more humid and there did not appear as many trout rising. The Cygnets tried various flies from Yellow Dancers, Damsel Nymphs to dry flies but the fish were proving very hard to catch.

Thomas Anderson, Cygnet's casting instructor was going around the Mill Pond giving casting instruction to the Cygnets throughout the session on a one to one basis.

There was only one successful Cygnet today :-

Robert Fyfe who landed 2 Rainbow Trout and returned one Blue Trout.

It was very wet under foot today but after the 36hrs of rain that descended on Swanswater, it was a pleasant morning for fishing with the water colour within the Mill Pond good.  The small pond beside the Mill Pond had a steady flow of water flowing out into the Mill Pond.

Mini waterfall beside the Mill Pond

The next Cygnets session is on Sunday 22nd July 2012 commencing with Fly Tying at 09:15 and fishing thereafter.

Sunday 24th June 2012

This morning's Cygnet session commenced with fly tying with Jimmy Miller who demonstrated the "Ke-He". The Cygnets then tied the fly under instruction. The "Ke-He" was derived in Orkney in 1932 by Mr Mercer Hardle for a fishing trip to Loch Harry which is one of Orkney prolific lochs to imitate bees.

"Ke-He"

Following the fly tying session, the Cygnets were given some instruction on the grass with Thomas Anderson, casting instructor

There were 10 cygnets who attended today. All the Cygnets were fishing on the Mill Pond. It was not long before the first fish of the session, was hooked by Cameron Smith, which was quickly landed and was one of the hard fighting Swanswater Tiger trout.  Abbi Hutton was very quick to follow with the second fish of the session. 

The weather was cloudy, with a brisk wind, with sunny spells, it was a humid day.  There was a good number of fish rising on the Mill Pond. The  far end of the pond was very productive for the majority of the session with the occasional fish being taken in other areas of the pond.  The Cygnets used Lures this morning with the Yellow Dancer taking fish along with nymphs such as the Montana and buzzers including the Okey Dokey all successful patterns.

The successful Cygnets today were:-

Mathew Beattie            2 fish retained

Cameron Smith            2 fish retained

Abbi Hutton                 2 fish retained

Eddie McKillop           1 fish retained

Robert Fyfe                  1 fish retained

Jordan Duncan             1 fish retained

Keir Penman                1 fish retained

It was a good day for the Cygnets. The returns included 4 Tiger trout, 3 Blue Trout and 3 Rainbow trout.

N.B. As a reminder to the Cygnets. There is a 2 fish limit.  Once you have caught your 2 fish limit. You must use one de-barbed fly. The fish has to remain in the net, in the water at all times until it is released.

The next Cygnets session will be Sunday 8th July 2012, with fly tying at 09:15am with fishing thereafter.