The cooler weather has brought about improved sport on the Wessex Water trout fisheries last week. At Clatworthy 213 fish were caught at a rod average of 1.8 and at Hawkridge 72 at a rod average of 2.0.

It was a good week at Clatworthy where Mr Rabbits took a five fish limit for 19 lb 9 oz and Chris Bee took five for 17 lb 0 oz. Clive Woolfenden took four fish for 16 lb 7 oz which included a nice 5 lb 0 oz rainbow.

Main tactics were intermediate lines with Damsel, Little Viva, Montana and Fry patterns. Some fish have been taken on floating lines with Buzzers and Diawl Bachs. The lodge bank and Rowes End continues to fish well and with the airline on boats should do well.

Hawkridge fished well with plenty of fish showing on the surface all over the lake. Some excellent fish were caught last week including a 7 lb 6 oz rainbow, a 5 lb 10 oz wild Brown trout and a 3 lb 6 oz golden trout. Philip Elson took a five fish limit for 19 lb 0 oz; Dave Churchill five for 18 lb 10 oz and Colin Greenway returned a bag limit totalling 18 lb 0 oz.

The Wednesday Open match at Viaduct Fishery produced outstanding catches with car p feeding ravenously.

Top honours went to Lewis Greenwood-King of Bait Tech Viaduct with a carp catch weighing a magnificent 309 lb 6 oz taken alternating with legered pellets and luncheon meat. Ben Hagg of Bait Tech Viaduct took runner up spot with another carp catch weighing 259 lb 12 oz taken on pole fished pellets. Roy Worth of Bait Tech Viaduct clinched third prize with a carp catch weighing 235 lb 4 oz with Lee Pesticcio of Mosella fourth with a carp catch weighing 169 lb 14 oz. The silvers prize went to Graham Cochrane with a weight of 48 lb 2 oz.

There was an even bigger catch taken in the Thursday Open at Viaduct Fishery. Ben Hagg went one better than Wednesday by topping the list with a great carp catch weighing 373 lb 10 oz taken on long pole fished pellets fished shallow. Lewis Greenwood-King had to settle for runner up spot with a carp catch weighing199 lb 10 oz taken on legered luncheon meat. Mike Nicholls from Bitton clinched third prize with a carp and tench catch weighing 191 lb 10 oz

taken on pole fished paste. The silvers prize went to Graham Cochrane again with a weight of 26 lb 8 oz. Other placings: 4. John Guy Millfield 181 lb 1 oz; 5. Dave Romaine Bait Tech Viaduct 176 lb 13 oz; 6. Glen Bailey Avon Angling 169 lb 13 oz; 6.

 Last week’s Final Avon Angling Float Only match fished at Viaduct Fishery produced excellent sport. Craig Edmunds of Avon Angling took top honours on the day with a carp catch weighing 245 lb 15 oz taken alternating with pole fished pellets and luncheon meat fished shallow. Paul Elmes of Avon Angling took runner up spot with a carp catch weighing 179 lb 13 oz taken on pole fished luncheon meat. Ray Hayward from Frome took third prize with a carp catch weighing 175 lb 15 oz taken on pole fished luncheon meat.

Don Squires of Bait Tech Viaduct took the silver prize with a weight of 36 lb 13 oz. The overall series winner was Tony Rixon of Mosella with 23 points. Other placings: 4. Lee Werrett Middy Bait Tech 169 lb 15 oz; 5. Sean Townsend Maver Bathampton 167 lb 2 oz; 6. Lee Pesticcio Mosella 164 lb 15 oz. Final League: 1. Tony Rixon Mosella 23 points 620 lb 8 oz; 2. Sean Townsend Maver Bathampton 23 points 489 lb 12 oz; 3. Tom Mangnell 23 points 489 lb 10 oz         .

 The Bank Holiday Monday Gary Wall Memorial match fished at Landsend Fishery produced good sport. Mosella star Tony Rixon carried off top prize with a carp catch weighing 178 lb 13 oz taken on pole fished luncheon meat.

Tom Mangnell of Avon Angling took runner up prize with a carp catch weighing 154 lb 2 oz taken on pole fished pellets. Mark Poppleton from Trowbridge clinched third prize with a carp catch weighing 121 lb 0 oz. Other placings: 4. Pete Nurse Landsend 114 lb 15 oz; 5. Rod Wooten Clevedon 105 lb 1 oz.

The Trowbridge Seniors enjoyed excellent sport in their match at Farleigh Wood on Tuesday. Top honours on the day went to Paul Brown from Devizes with an all carp catch weighing 36 lb 0 oz taken on method feeder fished red maggots.

Jim Escott from Melksham kept up his good form with runner up prize with a bream catch weighing 31 lb 0 oz taken on pole fished pellets. There was a tie for third place between Bernie Ran from Devizes and John Blackmore from Lavington with weights of 28 lb 8 oz. Both took mixed catch of carp, skimmers and roach on pole fished pellets. Other placings: 5. Brian Ellis Melksham 20 lb 12 oz; 6. Pete Craig Devizes 20 lb 4 oz.

The Lavington Pairs match fished at Merritts Lake on Sunday produced excellent catches with carp feeding well. Top honours on the day went to Dave Bancroft from Trowbridge with a carp catch weighing 194 lb 12 oz taken on pole fished paste along the margins.

Don Keates from Hilperton took runner up spot with a carp catch weighing 134 lb 4 oz taken on pole fished paste. Jim Butcher from Bradford clinched third place with a carp catch weighing 117 lb 8 oz taken on pole fished paste. The Pairs prize went to Don Keates and Graham Pearce with a combined weight of 241 lb 4 oz. Other placings: 4. Graham Pearce Lavington 107 lb 0 oz; 5. Dave York Bradford 94 lb 0 oz; 6. Terry Fell Devizes 91 lb 6 oz.

Competitors enjoyed mixed sport in the Wilts Angling Open match fished at Eden Vale on Sunday. In form Stuart White from Chippenham chalked up another fine win with a mixed bag of carp and skimmers weighing 70 lb8 oz taken on method feeder fished pellets for an easy win.

Pete Neate from Holt captured second prize with a carp and skimmers catch weighing 49 lb 6 oz taken on method feeder fished pellets. Harry Muir from Yeovil took third prize with an all skimmers catch weighing 31 lb 0 oz taken on pole fished red maggots. Other placings: 4. Robin Guy Melksham 28 lb 0 oz; 5. Sean Rhodes Trowbridge 25 lb 2 oz; 6. Mick Martin Trowbridge 19 lb 7 oz.