An Englishman in the PAAS

An Englishman in the P.A.A.S.
My passion for Scotland stems from my childhood, as a boy I lived in Glenrothes for about 12 months, my dad being on the management team that built the Bertha B oil platform. The house we lived in backed onto a park, that led down to a river & a small loch & I often fished in these for perch, trout & pike. When we moved back to England we returned over the boarder to loch Ken for leisure & whilst my dad went out on a speedboat I fished the loch. When I was at colleage on the Duke of Edinburghs award scheme I did a 165 mile self sufficient bike ride over 3 days from Edinburgh to Amnbleside, a feat I am not fit enough to accomplish today! As a teenager I remember watching in awe at talks from Gord Burton, John Watson & Neil Wheater amongst others with tales of mighty hard fighting Loch Lomond pike (a place I have still yet to fish – still there is always next time!), I had my first trip ‘going it on my own’ to Scotland fishing Loch Foot, following that up with another trip to loch Ken (well before the crayfish appeared!) we caught some nice pike, although no monsters. At work for 6 years I had sites in Scotland visiting the Coatbridge, Bellshill & Airdrie areas, I used to stay at the Bothwell Bridge hotel where the hospitality was first class, unfortunately there was very little time for fishing however I did manage to wet a line once or twice. I shamefully have to admit that the hospitality & helpfulness of the Scottish is much better that that of the English!
In recent years I have been over the border many times on pike fishing trips, some just for fishing & others with my family for short breaks, whatever the reason I have always thourghly enjoyed the trips. I have mainly travelled to the South-West area of Scotland because its not too far from where I live in Wigan Lancashire to go for a weekends piking in the region of a 3-4hour journey. More recently I have ventured a little further to Central Scotland. This year I joined the P.A.A.S., on one occasion I did on a 450 mile round trip in one day to fish a privileged access event! I know that I am not the only Englishman in the P.A.A.S. & my mates from Chester who are P.A.A.S. members encouraged me to join, they having thourghly enjoyed the privileged access events that they have attended.
On one trip to a particularly scenic Scottish Loch I joked with a mate saying God would never have put this place in England, whys that my mate said, I told him well God wanted everyone to enjoy the place & if it was in England it would be no fishing, a nature reserve, no boating etc.!
The only negative thing about my pike fishing trips to Scotland has been the midges & if anyone has any tips on how to cope with these winged devils then let me know!
I have a trip to the Isle of Bute planned shortly & next year I’m also planning a fishing trip up in the Highlands. I hope to see some of you on the fishing bank, I will be the one with the dodgy Wigan accent!
Tight lines
Jon Neafcy
Wigan Piker