PICTURES: Ullapool angling competition overcomes coronavirus woes
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AN annual angling competition at Ullapool looked to be another event set to fall foul of coronavirus.
Organiser Noel Hawkins said: “We realised that you can’t get much further away from each other than on a boat in the middle of the sea and as families were mixing anyway we decided to go ahead with families and social bubbles on individual boats.”
The fishing competition used to be a huge affair in Ullapool during the '60s and '70s, attracting competitors from around the world. It was restarted five years ago and attracted almost 100 competitors last year. Normally the competition works on a catch and release basis with only fish being landed if going to be eaten. As it wasn’t possible to get together for a weigh-in the most species category was abandoned this year and instead only heaviest fish were being judged with a ‘virtual’ weigh-in done through WhatsApp.
“We had planned a big marine festival for 2020 as part of the Year of Coast and Waters and had hoped to put on marine events and music in collaboration with Ullapool Harbour and a number of local businesses this year but sadly corona put and to the idea. However a number of local boat owners decided that we’d try to salvage something and we ended up with 10 boats and over 40 competitors taking part, and fortunately the weather was ok and we got out in Loch Broom and to the Summer Isles for the day.”
Winners for the year were predominantly from the neighbouring community of Scoriag with Jonah Piggot and Martha Kerr both aboard the peninsula based boat Scrimshaw taking the men’s heaviest fish with a 7.7 lb Pollock and women’s heaviest fish at 5.5 lb. Ullapool school girl Caillin Patterson won the under 18s cup with a 4.66 lb Pollock. A mix of new and old cups were awarded with prizes sponsored by Ullapool’s Broomfield Holiday Park and Ullapool branch of Anders Shaw and Gilbert Solicitors.
Donations from competitors raised £280 which went to BDMLR Skye and Wester Ross, a local group that volunteer to protect marine mammals and wildlife in the area.
