CHANGE HOOK THE BIG ANGLING TITLE.

Byline: SILVER WILKIE

A FANTASTIC 19 fish session by Edinburgh angler Kevin McCabe helped net the Change Fly Fishers A team the prestigious Scottish Club Championships title at the weekend.

It took only a few seconds for property developer Kevin, 45, to get under way. He landed his first rainbow with his first cast, and had his three fish limit before anyone else landed a fish.

Kevin's club mates, Scottish Power engineer, Jock Kettles, 45, and electrician Andy Dunn, 38, were each responsible for nine of the 37 prime Lake of Menteith rainbows weighing 75lb 10oz netted by the team.

In addition to winning the coveted silver salver, the three were also presented with three gold medals, a pounds 500 cheque, three top of the range Greys Platinum competition fly rods, and three bottles of GrouseWhisky with Famous AnglerWhisky labels specially produced for the competition.

Last year's title holders, the Change Fly Fishers B team who had 35 rainbows weighing 72lb 7oz, were narrowly beaten into second place by their club mates.

Jim Crawford,Willie Leach, and Jim McBride, received silver medals, a cheque for pounds 300, three Greys reels, and three bottles of Famous Angler Whisky.

In third place was the Crieff Fly Fishers B team, Nigel Burns, Davie Downie, and Michael Low, with 30 rainbows weighing 63lb 11oz. They received a cheque for pounds 200, bronze medals, three Greys fly lines, and bottles of Famous Angler Whisky.

Martin Grantham, of the Angling Centre, Stirling, who, along with the Daily Record and the Famous GrouseWhisky, co-sponsors the event, presented the prizes.

Among the 18 competing teams in the event, which is the Scottish Anglers' National Association's flagship competition, were 11 previous title holders, making the final one of the most exciting ever.

In what turned out to be the best-ever final in terms of fish caught, not one of the 54 competing anglers blanked. They landed a total of 339 fish weighing 711lb 13oz. The biggest, a beauty of 4lb 12oz was netted by Inverclyde Fly Fishers' Ken Oliver.

Afterwards a delighted Kevin McCabe, who also landed the biggest bag in the 2008 final, revealed that his road to this year's title began just two seconds into the competition when he hooked his first rainbow in Hotel Bay.

The first hour saw him land a total of seven before moving to Lochend and the Road shore where he netted another 12.

Kevin's fish were all taken on a cast comprising three red and black buzzers and a Sunburst Blob. They were fished on a midge tip line very slowly.

Hesaid: "It seemed pointless changing my cast, so I fished with it all day long. Half were on the buzzers and half on the Blob."

The Change Fly Fishers team, who are sponsored by Sharps of Aberdeen, donated their cheques for pounds 500 and pounds 300 to the cardiac unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children atYorkhill, Glasgow.

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WINNERS: The Change Fly Fishers A team and their prizes