Fishing

Senior vice president Robert Main welcomed 21 Rotarians.

Robert reported he had attended the occasion of the 1000th meeting of Kirkcaldy Probus Club, which is still thriving after many years. He brought back a gift from Probus to mark the occasion.

After Club business, Robert introduced the speaker for today, Past President Bill Stewart who spoke to us on one of his main hobbies, fishing.

Bill does not possess all the paraphernalia associated with fishing fanatics but takes part for the sheer enjoyment. He started fishing the Tiel Burn at the age of 4 with his father using the worm from the bank and then progressed to fly fishing on the various Lochs and reservoirs available locally.

Bill likes to get away from it all doing his sport and loves wild, remote places where nature is visible in all its glory. Waterproofs are essential!

His first salmon was landed when he was a teenager and then waited for 20 years for the next one. Bill was fishing the Dee and landed the fish, which had to be put back according to the local rules. This was followed by another within minutes!

Cuba is one of his favourite countries to visit for fishing, in particular a place called Jardines de la Reina or Gardens of the Queen. The variety on offer here is vast and includes bone fish, which are fast and aggressive and the whale shark, the biggest fish of all. It is also a popular spot for scuba divers who even dive with salt water crocodiles. The island is fast becoming more expensive thanks to the influx of Americans as a result of thawing of relations.

Bill also goes to Kenya to do sea fishing from boats. The seas can be very high with dangerous waves which can cause fatal injury to anyone falling overboard, such is the power of the waves. He produced a Marlin bill from a fish which he landed after 5 and a half hours and which weighed 891 pounds.

It was not his best catch, however. That came on a visit to Islay where he hooked his wife!

After questions, Ron McGill gave the vote of thanks.