July 2022

SPORT
21
A stylish
Sensation
New host Jennifer Reoch looks forward to the
glamorous Ladies Day at Musselburgh Racecourse
By OLIVIA THOMAS
SCOTLAND’S MOST stylish date in the calendar
is returning this year at Musselburgh Racecourse
with a new host, a new date and an exciting new
focus on fashion. Part of Musselburgh’s
Sensational 7 series, the glamour of Stobo Castle
Ladies Day takes place on Friday 5 August.
Award-winning TV and radio presenter and
former Miss Scotland, Jennifer Reoch, will host
this year’s Stobo Castle Ladies Day which
promises to be the best one yet.
With a selection of luxury hospitality packages,
a new Style competition and first-class
entertainment, Ladies Day is sure to be one of the
biggest fashion extravaganzas the country has
seen in a long while.
This year’s event will celebrate the changing
styles of Ladies Day past and present, a theme
that will be part of the entertainment throughout
the day.
Showcasing all the top racing action alongside
dazzling fashion competitions - style and
elegance will be obligatory.
Jennifer Reoch said: “I’m so excited to be
hosting this year’s Stobo Castle Ladies Day. It’s
been such an important date in people’s
calendar’s for so many years, and I know
everyone will be so excited to get dressed up and
really celebrate being out this summer. I can’t
wait for everyone to experience all the exciting
things planned for this amazing sell out event.”
Aisling Johnston, Commercial Manager at
Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “This year, we are
looking forward to welcoming back thousands of
spectators to enjoy our stylish Stobo Castle
Ladies Day.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to really go
for it and get dressed up after what feels like so
long and enjoy a jam-packed day of first class
racing, great food and entertainment including
our infamous after-party with an exciting
celebrity DJ that will be able to announce
very soon!
“It’s interesting to think about the evolution of
Ladies Day style and, we want this to be a day
where we can really celebrate the style and
individuality of our racegoers year on year. We
are working with some great brands including
Harvey Nichols, Sally Ann Provan and Charlie
Miller, to spotlight the amazing range of clothes
and looks available to buy to ensure people are
feeling fabulous on the day.”
As well as first class racing and exciting
entertainment and music throughout the day,
there will also be plenty of fantastic food and
drink offerings, as well as an after-race party with
a celebrity DJ to keep the party going.
Hospitality packages for Ladies Day are
Jennifer Reoch looking ahead
to a stylish day at the races
already sold out but there are lots of ticket
options still available including the beautifully
decorated Picnic Pavilion marquee, located
alongside the running rail.
With a prime position for viewing the action,
the picnic pavilion has its own dedicated bar,
betting facilities and private washrooms and are
always popular with racegoers.
Book your tickets before midnight on the 1st of
July and SAVE £5 per person. Tickets are selling
fast, so book now to avoid disappointment at:
www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk
Robert’s guide to fantastic fly fishing this summer
By ROBERT ROSS
Company secretary, Malleny Angling
AS WE move into summer the choice
of artificial fly will change. Anglers
should try to match the hatch, where
they fish . A typical selection of
artificial flies may include the diawl
bach, buzzers, hoppers, sedgehog,
olives and Bolton Sedge.
Lures such as yellow dancer,
rainbow dancer, cormorant, viva and
muddlers will all, given the correct
conditions, tempt fish. Fishing a
floating line with a long leader of
three metres will be sufficient.
The magical thing about fly fishing
is that feeling of anticipation and the
rush of adrenaline as, on the largest or
smallest of lochs, we watch trout
feeding on surface flies. It is heady
stuff and that is why we do it.
Looking back, the Mayfly hatch has
been on. This magnificent fly was on
the water and in the air in substantial
numbers. Trout were feeding actively
on both emerging and adult flies. The
wild birds were also having a feast.
Fish can be so intent on feeding on
this specific fly that their guard may be
down. The Mayfly hatch normally lasts
for more than two weeks, perhaps
extending to four to six weeks.
The Mayfly emerged as the day
warmed up, around 11 am to noon. If
the weather conditions were
favourable, the hatch continued, in
varying quantity, until evening.
The selection of artificial fly and
presentation is important. The wrong
size, colour or badly-tied fly can prove
less than successful. Representing the
Mayfly nymph, the insect before
emerging into the adult fly is, at
Mayfly time, often the best bet. This
emerging nymph moves fairly fast
from the bottom of the reservoir to
the surface.
Once at the surface it becomes
vulnerable to predation. The emerging
fly gets stuck in the surface film of
water until it wriggles out of its existing
PERMIT PRICES
• Fishing permits for Harlaw and
Threipmuir are priced at a full day for
£25, with a bag limit of three fish.
• Catch and release for the full day is £20
and barbless or de-barbed hooks must
be used.
• An evening permit is priced at only £20
and allows the angler to keep two fish
• Permits for Harlaw and Threipmuir
can only be purchased online at
www.mallenyangling.com
aquatic body to emerge and take to
the wing as a beautiful adult Mayfly.
The angler’s imitation should try to
represent this stage of the Mayfly’s
life. Fishing the artificial fly in the top
meter of water presents the pattern in
the trout feeding zone. The trout will
take the adult fly, but will often go for
Ronnie Robinson
playing a fish at
Harlaw Reservoir
the easier option of the emerger.
Fish take the fly with a bang, so
light breaking nylon can be a mistake.
A 2.7 Kg/6 lb breaking strain nylon is
considered heavy enough. I have
never been a convert to modern
carbon leaders and fish Maxima
Ultragreen, which works for me. It is
simply a personal choice.
A Mayfly nymph tied on a size 10
longshank or de-barbed hook and
lightly dressed is a good choice, as is a
similar size of Pheasant’s Tail nymph
with a paler coloured thorax. The
Sawyers Pheasant’s Tail Nymph is
perhaps the simplest and deadliest
nymph dressing ever developed and
is a must for all fly fishers.
An adaptation of a pale Hare’s Ear
fly tied on a longshank size 10 hook is
my choice of fly. This fly is tied with a
few pheasant tail feather to represent
the tail, a hare’s ear body with a silver
or gold wire rib, a soft pale greenish/
golden brown thorax of mixed seals
fur and greenish brown grizzle throat
hackle is close to the colour of the
natural fly. If the aim is to hold this fly
in the surface film an extension of
CDC from the front of the thorax may
be added.
Many bag limits are being achieved
at Harlaw with fish up to 2 Kg, 4.5 lb in
imperial weight being recorded.