ANGLING: THE close season comes into force tomorrow and river anglers will be laying up their rods until the glorious June 16.

It will not be remembered as one of the best river campaigns with excess floodwater dominating much of the winter fishing season.

But 2002/2003 did produce about half-a-dozen 2lb-plus roach from the Avon and Nadder once the floodwater subsided, a couple of hefty bream at 9lb and 8lb 8oz from the middle reaches of the Avon, chub to more than 7lb from the Avon between Fordingbridge and Ringwood and a few dace although nowhere near the quantity and quality of seasons in the past.

It was not a particularly good season for barbel with fish to just under 13lb.

The biggest problem facing the Avon fish stocks come from the cormorant.

Huge numbers of cormorants are regularly spotted on the entire length of the river and they are decimating shoals of smaller fish and several anglers have caught larger fish with slash marks from a cormorant's beak on their flanks.

The close season will not affect lake fisheries except owners may well close individual lakes to allow fish to breed. Check with fishery owners on which of their lakes are open and which are not.

Salisbury Angling Club lakes remain open until March 31 and will close down until May 31.

Tisbury AC will keep Dinton Lake open but Wardour Lake closes tomorrow and will remain so throughout the close season.

Waldens Farm Fishery continues to fish well with pike, carp, chub and some decent perch that have started to come from Bishops Lake.

Ian Jones took three of them weighing 2lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz and 1lb 14oz using float-fished worm over chopped worm and pinkies.

Some double figure pike from Abbots together with chub, roach and perch with carp showing an interest in meat baits.

Sam Bulpit took a 10lb ghost carp from Monks which is also fishing well for roach, rudd, skimmers with crucian carp and tench continuing to appear among catches.

Dan Crouch fished Popes Lake and had a 60lb bag of carp and chub on float-fished meat over pellet while other anglers took tench, crucians and chub.

Dave Moody won Sunday's open match on Deacons Lake with 21lb 14oz with second and third places weighing-in between 13lb and 14lb.