WEIGHTS were reasonable in the Bradford Open match fished on Saturday on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Whaddon.

Top honours on the day went to Westbury matchman Mick Withey with a mixed catch of skimmers, roach and perch weighing 8 lb 7 oz taken on chopped worm and casters.

Runner up prize went to Bradford matchman Ian Willetts with a mixed catch of skimmers and perch weighing 4 lb 12 oz, also taken on pole fished chopped worm and casters. Trowbridge matchman Howard Carpenter took third prize with a mixed bag of tench and skimmers weighing 4 lb 11 oz taken on pole fished red maggots on a 20 hook.

Other placings: 4. Ian Stainer Bradford 3 lb 10 oz; 5. Barry Oakford Trowbridge 3 lb 6 oz; 6. Dean Bird Bradford 2 lb 8 oz.

Bream fed well in the Wilts Angling Open match fished at Turners Paddock on Sunday.

In form Bradford matchman Ian Willetts rounded off a good week-end with top prize with an all bream catch weighing 40 lb 8 oz taken on feeder fished worm on an 18 hook. Frome matchman Gary Dallimore clinched second prize with a mixed catch of bream and rudd weighing 24 lb 8 oz taken alternating with feeder fished worm and red maggots.

Westbury matchman Andy Pritchard took third prize with a mixed catch of bream and tench weighing 21 lb 4 oz taken on feeder fished worm. Other placings: 4. Mick Withey Westbury 20 lb 0 oz; 5. Paul Gunning Trowbridge 18 lb 4 oz; 6. Fred Eagles Trowbridge 16 lb 6 oz.

Nineteen of Bathampton AA's keener carp anglers fished the club's first ever 24 hour carp match on the club's Hunstrete Lake.

Top prize went to Carey Dawe with a catch of four nice carp weighing 63 lb 10 oz taking his fish on legered boilies taken at regular intervals throughout the match.

Second prize went to 18-year-old Steve Rolfe with another four fish bag weighing just over 60 lb. Wayne Stokes clinched third prize with three fish weighing 47 lb 12 oz. Top fish prize went to Andrew Dixon with a magnificent common carp weighing 24 lb 8 oz.

Bathampton fishery at Withy Pool is continuing to provide top class sport.

Clutton member Richard Flinders recently took a fine bag of bream and carp.

His catch included four double figure carp weighing 15 lb 3 oz, 14 lb 9 oz, 11 lb 2 oz and 10 lb 0 oz as well as several smaller commons and mirrors.

In the same session at the lake he also took plenty of bream up to 5 lb 0 oz.

After the latest count-up of entries in the Bathampton AA- sponsored Junior Champion Angler of 2002, last year's champion, 15-year-old Ben Ford, has amassed a huge total of 1,140 points for a big lead of over 700 points over his nearest rival.

To date he has already landed 41 double figure carp and 5 twenties since January with most fish coming from Hunstrete Lake.

Bath Junior Thomas Kimber currently lies in second place.

The winner of the competition will receive a tackle voucher for £250 and a cheque for £500 for his school.

By Colin Scull