Festival bonanza for Paul

SALISBURY Angling Club stalwart Paul Barnard picked up the top prize in the three-day festival at Witherington Farm Fish-ery over the bank holiday weekend which saw success for local fishermen.

Paul totalled up an impressive 38 points out of a possible 39 over the Saturday, Sunday and Monday to take top share of the £2,000 total prize money.

Martin Rogers was close behind Paul with 37 points and Brian Shutler was third with 36 points.

Brian, though, picked up the award for the highest individual weight with a massive 196lb 10oz of fish over the three days, all caught from Barnmoor Lake.

The top three prizes all went to local anglers while well-known Salisbury angler Colin Sellwood won the trophy for the best fish, a superb roach weighing 1lb 10oz.

Bob Wakrill won the rod and reel prize.

The festival attracted a total of 39 anglers and many caught weights around 100lb.

A few days earlier the Harnham Kingfisher's club held the first of their evening series of matches - the youngsters also fishing Witherington Farm.

In the under 12s section Tom Hood came out the winner with 9lb 9oz, Dale Evans was second with 5lb 8oz and Joe Dunne was third with 3lb 1oz.

The 12-16 age group was won by Robert De'ath with 14lb 2oz, Michael Griggs was second with 7lb 2oz and Ed Purvis was third with 5lb 12oz.

A mammoth koi carp, big bags of ghost carp, several large tench and heavy bags of roach, rudd and skimmers helped make the last few days some of the best fishing for a few weeks on the five lakes at Waldens Farm Fishery.

Dave Broomfield caught a tench weighing 6lb 2oz, Gordon Horricks had one of 5lb 4oz, Tim Austreng another of 5lb 1oz and Mike Hammond another of 4lb 8oz, all of them from Monks Lake.

Dave Bond chose Bish-ops Lake and using meat over loosefed pellet caught a brace of ghost carp for 33lb.

Robert Andersen match-ed the exact weight with a brace from Abbots Lake while Jeff Cambell and Robert Jackson took the week's heaviest ghost carp with 16lb 8oz and 16lb respectively.

Catch of the week, however, must go to Lewis Dunham, from Amesbury, who hooked and landed a 17lb koi carp from Popes Lake.

All five lakes are also fishing well for crucians, roach, rudd, skimmers and mirror and common carp.

This Sunday sees the start of the new coarse fishing season on Salisbury AC's lakes.

Club members will be able to start fishing again on all the club's stillwaters including Petersfinger lakes and Steeple Langford.

Members of the Wilt-shire Chalkstream Branch of the Fly Dressers' Guild had a successful match at Holbury Lakes taking on teams of Guild members from Farnborough and Fleet, Ringwood, Rother Valley, Wessex and Wim-borne.

Wiltshire's team of Dave Nobbs, Peter Priddle, Tom Smith and Norman Will-iams won the match with a total weight of 48lb 6oz.

Top fish went to Peter Priddle with a superb blue trout of 7lb 8oz.

As well as the regular fly dressing classes in Bos-combe village hall on the first Tuesday of the month, members have been enjoying some good trout fishing despite the weather.

Next Tuesday the monthly fly-tying class will be followed on the Sunday (June 8) by a trip to Sutton Bingham reservoir near Yeovil for a day's fishing. Details from secretary John Leathley (01264 364850) or chairman John Currie on 01380 860309.