Fishing: A NEW carp record is on the cards for Salisbury Angling Club following the capture of a giant 31lb 12oz specimen from the lower lake at Steeple Langford.

Pete Orchard caught the carp, which is a different fish from any previously taken from that lake so far this season.

His surprise capture has yet to be ratified by the club as a new record.

Trout anglers are getting ready for the new season which opens, in most areas, on April 1.

I say most areas because due to an anomaly affecting the Avon, the trout season opens later on the Avon above Fordingbridge.

From Fordingbridge downstream, the season begins on April 1, but above Fordingbridge and including Salisbury and upstream, it does not start until April 15.

However, most trout fisheries open on April 1 including the Chalke Val-ley Fly Fishery at Bishop-stone which will be enjoying its first full season.

Two picturesque lakes stocked with brown trout only are on offer at Norman Barter's fishery. Fed by chalk springs offering clear water, Home Lake and Marsh Lake are ideal stalking lakes.

Chalke Valley opens on April 1 and is catch and release with dry fly only and barbless hooks. For details of the fishery ring 01722 780471.

So far this season just two salmon have been reported from Christ-church AC waters on the Avon - Jim Foster with a fish of 13lb and John Slader with one of 9lb.

Both fly-caught salmon were released alive, which is mandatory before June 16, but even after this date the Avon operates a total catch and release policy to conserve depleted stocks.

In an effort to reverse this decline Orri Vigfus-son, chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, interrupted his journey from Iceland to Washington to speak at the Wessex Salmon and Rivers Trust annual meeting last week in Ringwood.

The presence of the internationally-famous Mr Vigfusson brought representatives from the Envir-onment Agency, English Nature and two DEFRA agencies to the meeting to hear about the work of the trust and see Lord Nor-manton, president, present Mr Vigfusson with a cheque for £2,000 for the North Atlantic Salmon Fund.

Members of the Wilt-shire Chalkstream branch of the Fly Dressers' Guild have a busy calendar culminating on April 13 with the first outing of the new season at the John O'Gaunt fishery.

On April 1 the Fly Dressers' class will start at 7.30pm giving the last opportunity to get help with patterns for this year's competitions.

On April 8 the branch will be holding a cheese and wine evening at the Boscombe and district community hall - where they meet monthly - and the evening will include the annual presentation of fishing and fly tying trophies for the 2002 season.

The branch's annual meeting has taken place and was followed by a tackle auction. Details of the club can be found from secretary John Leathley on 01264 364850, or chairman John Currie on 01380 860309.

On the coarse scene Waldens Farm Fishery's pike season ends on April 1 and last week more pike were taken from Bishops Lake and Abbots Lake.

The warmer weather has brought carp into a feeding mood and a number of good sized ones were taken from Abbots Lake, the best, an 18lb 6oz ghost carp caught by Dave Bond. Peter Lane took two carp of 12lb 8oz and 9lb 6oz on meat.

Both Monks Lake and Popes Lake have been fishing well with tench, crucians, skimmers, roach and rudd plus carp and chub. From the deep end of Popes, Katgie Sim-monds caught five mirror carp for a total of 43lb.

Sunday's open match was won by Dave Parvin with 46lb. Second was Bill Pragnell with 26lb 13oz while Mark Brown was third with 15lb 9oz.