Trout fishermen enjoyed changeable sport last week on the Bristol Water trout fisheries with top sport early in the week but as the weather conditions deteriorated towards the end of the week sport became harder.

Both boat and bank anglers enjoyed excellent sport early in the week at Chew Valley.

The wind turned very cold and the hatches of buzzer became less putting paid to surface activity. But fish were found in most areas although pulling tactics were needed much of the time.

The second evening competition produced a good result with 72 fish being caught. Mark Withyman was top with Martin Burgess in second place – the overall winner and runner up from last year coming good in this tear’s league. Tony Gourlay took a 6 lb 12 oz brownie on a red dry and Dave Drake took a 5 lb 7 oz rainbow. A brown estimated at 10 lb was caught and returned to the water on Saturday.

At Blagdon Top End and Cheddar Water were fishing really well early in the week but the cold conditions slowed things for all.

The bank fishing at Blagdon has been more consistent than at Chew and good catches have come from many areas including Polish Water, Home Bay, Green Lawn, Rainbow Point, Orchard Bay and Ash Trees. Few moving fish still so use long leaders with nymphs or washing line for best results.

The Barrows is still fishing well at all tanks. Best catches are falling to nymphs and lures fished well down as there are few moving fish around so far. If the weather improves watch out for increased fly activity especially during the evenings.

Chew produced a total catchy last week of 668 fish averaging 2 lb 4 oz topped by a brown of 7 lb 6 oz and rainbow 5 lb 7 oz with 39 limit bags.

At Blagdon 931 fish averaging 2 lb 7 oz were taken topped by a brown of 4 lb 0 oz and rainbow 5 lb 6 oz with 50 limits. The Barrows yielded 189 fish averaging 1 lb 8 oz topped by a brown of 4 lb 2 oz and rainbow 2 lb 5 oz.

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Sport on the Wessex Water trout fisheries is still good with most fish being caught tom the bank last week. At Clatworthy where Westcott Bay and the arm have been the most productive, 379 fish were taken.

Black Buzzers are still working well and orange lures if fishing sinking lines. Some Hawthorn flies are starting to appear on the warmer banks. Mike Coggins took a fine 4 lb 8 oz rainbow from a boat.

Hawkridge produced a total catch of 169 fish. Paul Clough took a five fish limit for 14 lb 10 oz topped by a 3 lb 9 oz rainbow. Sutton Bingham continues to fish well with 609 fish taken last week. Best catches came early in the week. Kevin Pearce took a five fish limit weighing 13 lb 2 oz.

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The 42 anglers arriving at Chew to fish the Anglian Water Teams Competition were greeted with very strong southerly winds and heavy showers, the worst conditions experienced so far this season.

Still, expectations were high after several days of excellent fishing enjoyed by many of the anglers practicing during the week.

Seven teams of six fishermen set off at ten o’ clock and most headed up-wind to Villice, Moreton and Herons, the most sheltered areas of the lake.

Throughout the day the wind blew strongly and at times consideration was given to calling the boats back in.

But in the end the whole eight hours were fished and at six o’clock anglers returned wet and tired after battling the wind and the weather.

Catches were never going to be as good as in practice as conditions had changed too much over the previous twenty four hours. 102 fish were caught at an average weight of 2 lb 2 oz and a rod average of just less than 2.5 per person.

Winning team was Bristol Water sponsored Blagdon Fly Fishers with 31 fish. Second team, Tight Lines took three more fish but were beaten on weight by just 3 oz. Irish Team Woodford Greys were third with 16 fish with Snowbee fourth with 15 fish.

These four teams all qualify for the final at Grafham later in the year. Tony Baldwin was top rod with six fish for 13 lb 13 oz with Andrew Hedger second with four fish including the biggest fish of the day weighing 4 lb 10 oz and Scott Graham third with 6 fish for 11 lb 10 oz.

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Bathampton AA members are enjoying excellent sport with big carp at Hunstrete Lake. Lee Wells from Bristol has been particularly successful recently with a lake favourite known as ‘Jaffa’ weighing 32 lb 2 oz and witnessed by club officials Dave Crookes and Keith Pope, and followed up the next day catching ‘Birdy’ at 30 lb 0 oz.

He took his fish using RLD corkdust pop ups from local bait Company Hunters Quality Carp Foods. John Mulcahy from Bristol took another fine mirror weighing 30 lb 4 oz using a Nash Squid boilie on a size 8 hook. Andy Coombes also took a fine mirror weighing 27 lb 13 oz on CS1 boilies.

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The Bathampton AA 30 hour carp match produced excellent sport on the main Hunstrete Lake despite cold winds and rain.

What a day for Lee Nicholls of Bristol who carried off top prize with a catch of four mirrors all weighing over 20 lb for a winning weight of 95 lb 2 oz topped by a 25 lb specimen. He took his fish on boilies.

Dean Hawkins from Bristol clinched second prize with a catch of five carp weighing 78 lb 10 oz topped by an 18 lb specimen taken on boilies.

Rob Delaney took third prize with a catch of four fish for 70 lb 5 oz. The biggest fish prize went to Kevin Byrne from Bath with a superb specimen weighing 30 lb 4 oz. Other placings: 4.

Mark Stevenson Bath 57 lb 9 oz; 5. Christian Parker Bristol 50 lb 7 oz; 6. Nigel Matthews Bristol 43 lb 9 oz.. The event raised £100 for the club’s charity CLIC SARGENT.

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Viaduct Fishery was once again in superb form for the Carps AC Open match and needed over 100 lb just to win sections. Paul Shergold of Wiltshire AC clinched top prize on the day with a carp catch weighing 169 lb 6 oz taken alternating with waggler and legered pellets.

Clive Davis of Frampton RBL took second prize with another carp catch weighing 143 lb 7 oz taken on pole fished pellets. He was followed by Ron Hayward of Viaduct Select with a carp catch weighing 128 lb 9 oz.

Gary Wall of Landsend produced an outstanding catch of tench and skimmers weighing 72 lb 6 oz taken alternating with pole fished sweetcorn and pellets to carry off the silver fish prize.

Other placings: 4. Mark Illingworth Southampton 116 lb 7 oz; 5. Martin Cardwell Viaduct Young Guns 115 lb 0 oz; 6. Tom Thick Thatchers Tackle 103 lb 8 oz.

Competitors enjoyed mixed sport in the Landsend Open match. It was a good day for Clint Wojtyla who gained a runaway win with a carp catch weighing 111 lb 2 oz taken on long pole fished pellets.

Nick Collier of GOT Baits was a distant runner up with a carp catch weighing 65 lb 8 oz taken on pole fished pellets.

Dave Sawyer of Landsend took third prize with a carp catch weighing 43 lb 0 oz. Gary Wall of Landsend took the silver fish prize with a weight of 15 lb 3 oz.. Other placings: 4. Kevin Molton Maver Veals 38 lb 14 oz; 5. Gary Wall 35 lb 6 oz.

The Wednesday Open match at Viaduct Fishery again found the carp in feeding mood. Top honours on the day went to Alan Perkins of Viaduct Select who drew the Golden Peg worth a £200 bonus with a carp catch weighing 146 lb 9 oz taken on legered pellets.

Martin Preston of Viaduct Select took runner up prize with a carp catch weighing 134 lb 11 oz taken on waggler fished pellets. He was followed by Paul Greenwood of Viaduct Select with a carp catch weighing 124 lb 12 oz taken on pole fished pellets.

Other placings: 4. Frank Roberts Maver Veals 121 lb 9 oz; 5. Dave Wayle Vespe Army 115 lb 0 oz; 6. Graham Victor Vespe Army 104 lb 10 oz.

The final round in the Dynamite Series fished at Bullocks Farm produced fairly even weights. Pete Sivell of Dynamite Baits clinched the championship with 30 points followed by Paul Cooper of Dynamite Frys MG with 27 and Dean Malin of Dynamite Baits with 27. Top spot on the day went to Gary Bedford of Sarfix SW with an all carp catch weighing 38 lb 12 oz taken alternating with pole fished sweetcorn and soft pellets.

Paul Cooper pushed the winner all the way to take second prize with another carp catch weighing 38 lb 4 oz taken using the same tactics as the winner.

He was followed by Will Bates of Keynsham AA with another carp catch weighing 33 lb 10 oz taken on pole fished pellets.

The silver fish prize went to Steve Evans of Dynamite Frys MG with a catch of crucians, fantails and skimmers weighing 11 lb 8 oz. Other placings: 4. Keith Firks Dynamite Frys MG 29 lb 6 oz; 5. Pete Sivell Dynamite Baits 28 lb 14 oz; 6. Paul Ratcliffe Dynamite Frys MG 27 lb 6 oz.

Carp fed well in the Todber Manor Open match fished on Saturday. Top honours on the day went to Jamie Smith from Frome with a carp catch weighing 149 lb 8 oz taken on pole fished pellets.

Nathaniel; Johnson from Melksham pushed the winner all the way to finish a close runner up with another carp catch weighing 148 lb 0 oz also taken on pole fished pellets.

In form Pete Neate from Holt again made the frame in third place with a carp catch weighing 132 lb 12 oz taken on pole fished paste. Other placings: 4. Will Bonney Gillingham 102 lb 0 oz; 5. Julian Heaven Pewsey 93 lb 0 oz; 6. John Atkins Trowbridge 84 lb 0 oz.

Holt star matchman Pete Neate rounded off another good week to capture top prize in the Wilts Angling Open match at Leech Pool on Sunday.

Pete took an all carp catch weighing 54 lb 12 oz on pole fished pellets for a comfortable win. Sean Rhodes from Trowbridge took second prize with a carp catch weighing 49 lb 5 oz also taken on pole fished pellets.

He was followed by Matt Skyrme from Trowbridge with another carp catch weighing 41 lb 0 oz also taken on pole fished pellets. Other placings: 4. Terry Gatty Melksham 40 lb 12 oz; 5. Fred eagles Trowbridge 37 lb 0 oz; 6. Dave Bancroft Trowbridge 32 lb 0 oz.

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Future events: Sunday May 10: Frys Match at Acorn Fishery Kingswood & Hanham TBL match at Chilton Trinity Friday May 15: Airsprung match K & A Canal Tithe Barn