with Roland Batten

Angling: A BARBEL of just over 13lb was caught from the Avon between Downton and Brea-more on Saturday, the second 13lb-plus barbel from the stretch this year.

John Thorne was fishing the Hale Syndicate water south of Downton and caught three barbel despite the bright, sunny day and crystal clear water.

The biggest weighed 13lb 5oz and the other two 7lb 8oz and 5lb.

Earlier in the summer another barbel weighing just over 13lb was caught from the same syndicate stretch.

Syndicate owner, Ken Cambell, said that over the last few days the stretch has also produced lots of chub with the best at 6lb 14oz.

There is good news for anglers fishing the Nadder where over the last few days a large shoal of quality roach has been spotted in the Harnham area.

The big shoal was made up of roach ranging in size from just under to just over 1lb. Anglers are also reporting sightings of plenty of decent sized chub throughout the length of the Nadder.

Anglers fishing the region's stillwaters are continuing to catch big bags of fish during the pleasant Indian summer.

At Witherington Farm Fishery, Alder-bury, well-known angler Malc Pepperill had a double win over the weekend taking first spot in two open matches.

He banked 70lb from peg 82 on the Snake on Saturday and on the outer peg 32 on Sunday hauled in 44lb.

A club match on Barnmoor and Sell-wood lakes on Sunday saw a winning bag of 99lb 8oz from Sell-wood and 81lb 5oz from Barnmoor.

The top six weights hauled in a total of 432lb of fish.

Pleasure anglers have also been catching some good bags of fish including one angler who landed a 17lb common carp.

Some big pike and carp have been taken from Waldens Farm Fishery with Bishops Lake producing a 22lb pike for Fordingbridge angler Gavin Cooper which took a legered smelt.

The lake's carp stock must be getting a liking for smelt food because James Taylor picked up a 15lb 2oz ghost carp on a sprat set for a pike - the second large carp to be caught on sprat in the last three weeks.

Pike to 15lb have been taken from Abbots Lake while Monks Lake is beginning to provide some quality perch around the bridge and island with fish to 2lb 8oz coming mainly to worm or maggot.

The middle areas of the lake are producing carp, tench, skimmers, roach and rudd.

A match on the lake on Sunday was won with 29lb 9oz with 16lb and 12lb securing second and third places.

Weights were higher in Sunday's match on Deacons Lake with Bill Pragnell winning with 49lb 6oz, Alan Turner was second with 41lb and Ted Bubb was third with 18lb.

Popes Lake is fishing well for carp, roach, tench and rudd.

Trout anglers have a few days left to enjoy sport at the Chalke Valley trout fishery in Bishopstone. Up to nine fish a session have been caught by rods during the last week with individual brown trout around 2lb. Fly hatches are slowly being compressed as the days get shorter but during the fine sunny days of late there have been some reasonable rises.

The fishery, which operates a no limit catch and release scheme, closes on October 16 and re-opens on April 15.