THE Bath open Christmas match fished on the Avon between Freshford and Grosvenor, and sponsored by Broadlands Fruit Farm, produced some reasonable sport for the sell out field and also raised £135 for children's charity CLIC.

Martin Barrett, of Trowbridge and fishing for Sensas Bathampton, won with an all-bream catch weighing 12lb 5oz, taken on pole-fished double caster on a 16 hook.

Stuart White, of Chippenham, was second with a mixed catch of bream and roach weighing 10lb 4oz, taken on feeder-fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Harold Withey, of Trowbridge, was third with another mixed catch of bream and roach weighing 9lb 4oz, also taken on feeder-fished red maggots.

The Avon open pairs match was fished on a rising Avon at Melksham on Saturday when despite an additional 18 inches of water during the event some excellent weights were recorded.

Stuart White, of Chippenham, won with an all-bleak catch weighing 20lb 2oz, taken on whip-fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Howard Adams, of Devizes, took second prize with an all-roach catch weighing 15lb 9oz, taken on Avon-floated casters on an 18 hook.

He was followed by Ray Worlock, of Bristol, with another roach catch weighing 12lb 11oz, taken on Avon-floated red maggots on an 18 hook.

The pairs prize went to Stuart White, of Chippenham, and Tony Gilbert, of Melksham, with a weight of 30lb.

Other placings: 4 John Sudbury, Melksham, 12lb 4oz; 5 Rob Kepner, Devizes, 10lb 7oz; 6 Tony Gilbert, Melksham, 9lb 14oz.

Chub made up the leading weights in the Calne open match on Sunday at Hazeland.

Martin Dolman, of Calne, won with an all-chub catch weighing 5lb 15oz, taken on feeder-fished worm on an 18 hook.

Pete Halliday, of Calne, was second with another chub catch weighing 4lb 12oz, taken on pole-fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

A single bream weighing 4lb, taken on pole-fished red maggots on an 18 hook, gave third prize to Gary Dodson, of Calne.

Other placings: 4 Mac McQueen, Cirencester, 3lb; 5 Guy Manners, Calne, and Jason O'Dell, Wootton Bassett, 1lb 13oz.

The Airsprung open pairs event fished on Sunday on the Kennet and Avon canal and Bristol Avon at Bradford produced reasonable weights.

North Somerset Thatchers 2000 matchmen Guy Manton and Steve Tucker won the pairs event for the second year running. They were followed by Vic Abbott and Colin Gittings, of Trowbridge.

Winner on the Avon went to Ron Gullick, with a mixed catch of bream and skimmers weighing 11lb 12oz, taken on feeder-fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Runner-up was Thatchers matchman Guy Manton, with a mixed bag of skimmers and roach weighing 11lb, taken on quiver-tipped red maggots on an 18 hook.

On the canal Mark Green, of Trowbridge, won with a mixed catch of roach and gudgeon weighing 4lb 8oz 8dm, taken on pole-fished pinkies on a 22 hook.

Vic Abbott, of Trowbridge, was a close second with a roach and gudgeon catch weighing 4lb 7oz, with Steve Tucker, of Thatchers, in third place with 3lb 8oz 8dm.

By Colin Scull