ANGLING: MUCH milder weather and gentler winds have made fishing far more comfortable, enjoyable and successful on the Bristol Water trout fisheries.

The recent heavy rains have filled Chew and Blagdon to top level and the water temperature is steadily rising. At Chew, bank anglers have been reporting success from many different areas of the lake, depending on the wind strength and direction. Good bags have come mainly to nymphs such as Diawl Bachs, Black Buzzers and Montanas fished slowly on floating lines, albeit often with a goldhead or other weighted fly on the point of a long leader.

Some success has also been recorded with Vivas, Fritz tadpoles and other small lures fished on medium sinking lines and also with Boobies fished on fast sinkers. Best banks have been Wick Green, North Shore, Woodford and Nunnery. John Gregory took a splendid 5lb 3oz brown trout from North Shore on a goldhead Viva.

The boats are doing particularly well using similar tactics, especially in the area between Spring Bay, Wick Green and Herriotts. At Blagdon the banks at Butcombe, Green Lawn and Peg's Point continue to reward the patient nymph angler, with good bags of fish, and some good sport with sinking lines and lures has also come from North Shore. The boats have been concentrating on these same areas but there has recently been a move to explore Top End and some excellent sport is coming from there too.

Some good bags of fish have come from Barrow No. 3 both to traditional floating line and nymph tactics to the static Barrow Mouse' on a fast sinker technique. Chew produced a total catch of 473 fish last week. Blagdon produced 489 fish. The Barrows yielded 301 fish.

Fishermen have enjoyed good sport on the Wessex Water trout fisheries over the last week. Clatworthy fished very well from bank and boat and a total of 432 fish were taken, mainly on sinking lures. Fish are spread over the whole lake and can be caught in moist areas.

Top bag of the week was a five fish limit bag weighing 16lb 3oz, taken by Richard Hawkins, while Les Gliddon took five for 16lb. Roger Wickens landed a fine 4lb 14oz rainbow. Hawkridge fished well too, with 357 fish recorded. Roger Tee took a five fish limit bag weighing 12lb 14oz, topped by a 3 lb 12 oz rainbow. Ron Hodges had a five fish catch weighing 14lb.

Sutton Bingham again produced the best catch, with 936 fish caught during the week topped by a five fish limit weighing 16lb 1oz, with the heaviest fish taken being a fine 6lb 8oz rainbow.