Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Lenny Grant phoned me the other day to tell me that his father in law, George Wright, passed away on Friday 18th Feb 2005. His funeral was arranged for Thursday 24th Feb at Woodside Crematorium in Paisley. Together with John Brice and Willie Caldwell we attended and conveyed our deepest sympathy’s to Mrs Wright and the family.

George was a long standing member of the association and for the last 14 years anyway shared a boat with Lenny. I think George got slightly the better deal early on in those days, as Lenny was an off shore oil rig worker and was away for a fortnight at a time, leaving George to ‘hammer it’. Then when the returning Lenny came out to play George was chauffeured about the loch, sipping an occasional cocktail and eating the odd cucumber sandwich. A few years back George suffered a stroke and was severely restricted in his adventures on Loch Lomond, but that never dented his enthusiasm and passion for when Lenny returned from off shore he was out there in all weather.

They were no mugs at the fishing game either, I remember being out with my dad one early spring about 5 or 6 years ago up at the crannog at Strathcashel Point and seeing the pair of them looking into the boards of the boat, in full discussion. As I sailed past, Lenny lifted the most perfect fish I’d seen, a beauty of a Springer, a typical Loch Lomond fish of I think, 16lbs. I can now only guess that the pair of them were discussing who gets what part of the fish. I don’t know what it was about the spring, but they were tainted with the lucky white heather when it came to that time of year. Only two years ago the pair of them had just launched their boat for start of the season, and thought well we’re here we’d be as well giving the Endrick Bank a wee go. So off they went, they never even reached Aber Isle when they were into a 12lb fish of silvery loveliness. Either the next outing or the one after they were at it again with another one in the double figures. Now, to someone that is still after all these years looking for his first Lomond Springer, I was full of delight for them, honestly, I never even laughed last year at spring time, when they hooked a good spring fish brought it to the boat only to discover that they’d forgotten the net. The fish sprackled about the surface and was off.

George, we will miss you and hope that you will have the fire going and the kettle on when we all join you up there at the Big Loch in the Sky.

I was talking to Charlie Mitchell at the Associations AGM last Tuesday night, and found out that he hadn’t been too well over the close season, so, Charlie we wish you a speedy recovery and will see you on the Loch in your canoe.

At the AGM our chairman, Mike Brady, and the rest of the committee are absolutely right in their views with regards to changes on the Loch. All answers should be the same, as Mike suggested, ‘I want the same restrictions that Lake Windermere have adopted.’ Rather than a lot of different suggestions creating a wider result.

It was nice to see Davie Sunman back on the committee, although I very nearly didn’t recognise him without his beard. Davie, for those of you that don’t know him is a smaller version of Desperate Dan, a lot smaller. I wonder if he’s on the run from the polis with the new clean shaven look. Welcome back.

Take care out there at this time of year. Tight Lines.

In the picture below, PC MacIntyre is seen searching Balmaha and its boats for a wee guy with a beard, goes by the name Davie.