ANGLING

By Colin Scull

AS we move into the autumn months a number of local fisheries are fishing extremely well.

Shearwater Lake, near Warminster, is in prime form, with carp and bream feeding well, and recent match weights are nearing the magical 100lb mark.

The top lake at Longleat is also fishing very well at present, with some big carp being landed.

One angler recently took a catch of 10 big carp, topped by a fine 24lb specimen, and another took a catch of 22 carp in 48 hours, all over 10lb and topped by a fish of 27lb.

Bathampton members are also experiencing good sport at their lake complex at Hunstrete, with plenty of action with carp and tench. The Avon is giving good sport in many areas, with a wide variety of fish being caught. Barbel are featuring in the middle reaches of the river.

Fishponds House Lake produced some magnificent fishing in the Avon Angling open match, with carp feeding ravenously.

Pete Sivell, of Avon Angling, won with an all-carp catch weighing 116lb 4oz, taken on pole fished pellets and sweet corn on a 14 hook. Runner-up prize went to team-mate Dave Lewis, with another carp catch weighing 88lb 4oz, taken on pole fished red maggots on a 16 hook.

He was followed by Tony Rixon, of Avon Angling, with yet another carp catch weighing 83lb 12oz.

Other placings: 4 John Creech Avon, 63lb 12oz, 5 Brian Shanks, Avon, 63lb 8oz; 6 Ron Hardman, Avon, 58lb 8oz.

The Wilts Angling open match was fished on Sunday on the silver fish lake at Pober Manor, where Trowbridge matchman Mick Gunning gained a comfortable win.

He took a mixed bag of skimmers, crucian carp and small carp weighing 10lb 6oz, taken on pole fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Kevin Phillips, of Gillingham, was second with a mixed catch of tench and crucians weighing 7lb 10oz, taken on pole fished red maggots on a 20 hook.

Nigel Bartlett, of Sturminster Newton, clinched third prize with a mixed catch of perch, tench and crucians weighing 7lb 1oz, taken on pole fished casters on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 Kevin Grant, Trowbridge, and Barry Oakford, Bradford, 6lb 6oz; 6 Ian Willetts, Bradford, 4lb 12oz.

Fish were hard to tempt in the Calne open match at Hazelands on Sunday when the main catches were made up of chub.

Pete Craig, of Calne, won with an all-chub catch weighing 5lb 10oz, taken on stick floated red maggots on a 20 hook. Runner-up prize went to Thatchers matchman Martin Hunt, with another chub catch weighing 5lb 4oz, taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Trevor Payne, of Corsham, was third with another chub catch weighing 4lb 3oz 8dm, taken on stick floated maggots on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 Guy Manners, Calne, 3lb 4oz; 5 Martin Dolman, Calne, 2lb 5oz; 6 John Caddy, Chippenham, 2lb 3oz.

Fishing was rather hard to start with in the Bath Spartans match at Rood Ashton on Sunday.

Martin Francis, of Bath, took second prize with another carp catch weighing 13lb 12oz 8dm taken on feeder fished bread flake on a 14 hook. Martin Earwaker, of Trowbridge, was third with another carp catch weighing 12lb 5oz, taken on quivertipped red maggots on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 John Kelly, Bath, 8lb 10oz 8dm; 5 Jason Shirley, Bath, 8lb 6oz; 6 Mervyn Davis, Bath, 6lb 15oz.

The Ushers Winter League match fished at Melksham on Sunday produced a few reasonable weights.

Avon took the team honours with 76 points, followed by Devizes AC with 69.5 and Bradford 55.5. Individual honours went to Avon matchman Tony Gilbert, with an all-bream catch weighing 12lb, taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Alan Brown, of Devizes, was third with a mixed catch of bream and tench weighing 9lb 15oz 8dm, taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 Marcus Crook, Avon, 9lb 3oz; 5 Tommy Lee, Frome, 8lb 10oz; 6 Simon Stacey, Devizes, AC 8lb 2oz.

Teams: Avon 76, Devizes AC 69.5, 3 Bradford 55.5, 4 Chippenham 52.5, 5 Devizes AA 51, 6 West Tackle 49, 7 Frome 38.5, 8 Airsprung 37.

League placings: Devizes AC 141.5, Avon 130, Bradford 112, Airsprung 110, West Tackle 109, Devizes AA 100, Chippenham 91, Frome 57.5.

Chew is still providing trout with an abundant larder of fry and fly hatches. This in turn is creating spasmodic feeding frenzies giving boat angler opportunities of fantastic sport on a variety of methods all across the lake.

Dry flies are the most productive method but lures pulled on intermediate and floating lines produce exciting sport with fry feeders. Bank fishing is more difficult but fish are being caught early mornings and evenings.

Blagdon bank and boat fishers are still having enjoyable sport, with fish feeding close to most of the shores. The fish are feeding within reach of most bank anglers small nymphs fished very slowly have produced good catches.