IN a close fought match, Westbury angler Vicky Hier gained the advantage over her boyfriend Steve Martin in the Haines Angling open evening float only match at Woodland Park on Monday 29 July.

Vicky won with a carp and roach catch weighing 11lb 5oz, taken on pole fished sweet corn on a 14 hook.

Close behind came Steve Martin, from Westbury, with an all-roach catch weighing 11lb 1oz, taken on whip fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

He was followed by Gary Collinson, of Frome, with another all-roach catch weighing 9lb 3oz, also taken on whip fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 Harry Harris, Frome, 5lb 10oz; 5 Martin Sparks, Westbury, 4lb 7oz; 6 Tony Richardson, Newcastle, 4lb 2oz.

Fish were hard to tempt in the Bradford evening match fished on Wednesday on the Avon at Staverton.

Steve Shaw, of Trowbridge, won with a mixed catch of bream, perch and roach weighing 7lb 0oz, taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Runner-up was Ian Willetts, of Bradford, with a mixed catch of chub, perch and eels weighing 6lb, taken alternating with feeder fished red maggots and chopped worm on an 18 hook.

Vic Abbott, of Trowbridge, was third with a mixed catch of perch and chub weighing 4lb 2oz, taken on pole-fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 Dave Foster, Bradford, 3lb 8oz; 5 Dave Baker, Trowbridge, 3lb 4oz.

Rood Ashton produced good sport on Thursday evening for the Wilts Angling open evening match.

Ian Willetts, of Bradford, won with an all-carp catch weighing 36lb, taken on pole fished cat meat on a 14 hook. Mark Harper, of Warminster, was second with another carp catch weighing 34lb 12oz also taken on pole-fished cat meat on a 14 hook.

Gary Dallimore, of Frome, was third with a carp catch weighing 30lb 14oz, taken on pole-fished pellets on a 14 hook.

Other placings: 4 Andy Pritchard, Westbury, 21lb 14oz; 5 Darius Fletcher, Melksham, 20lb 12oz; 6 John Sudbury, Melksham, 18lb 3oz.

Competitors also struggled in the Bradford open match fished at Staverton on Saturday.

Howard Carpenter, of Trowbridge, won with a mixed catch of bream, roach and perch weighing 5lb 10oz, taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Ian Willetts, of Bradford, again took second prize with a mixed catch of roach, perch and chub weighing 4lb 14oz, taken on stick-floated casters on a 20 hook.

Dave Foster, of Bradford, was third with a roach and chub catch weighing 4lb 8oz, taken on pole-fished red maggots on a 20 hook.

Other placings: 4 Pete Neate, Holt, 4lb 2oz; 5 Steve Shaw, Trowbridge, 4lb; 6 Barry Oakford, Trowbridge, 3lb 6oz.

The Wilts Angling Open match fished on Sunday at Lodden Lakes produced mixed catches.

Jason Mills, of Gillingham, won with with a mixed catch of grass carp and skimmers weighing 28lb 14oz, taken alternating with pole and feeder fished worms and red maggots on an 18 hook.

Runner-up prize went

to Trowbridge matchman Tony Mumford with a mixed catch of bream and tench weighing 21lb 5oz, taken

alternating with pole and feeder fished worms and sweet corn on a 14 hook. He was followed by Geoff Matthews, of Trowbridge, with a mixed catch of skimmers and tench weighing 19lb.

Other placings: 4 Dean Adams, Bradford, 15lb 10oz 8dm; 5 Steve Lovell, Gillingham, 14lb 8oz; 6 Howard Carpenter, Trowbridge, 14lb 4oz.

Chew Valley Lake produced another good week last week with 1,095 fish averaging 2lb 2oz being taken, topped by the best brown of the season so far of 6lb 6oz and rainbow 5lb 0oz with 49 limit bags.

Blagdon produced a total catch of 529 fish averaging 2lb 3oz topped by a brown of 3lb 6oz and rainbow 4lb 6oz, with 15 limit bags. The Barrows yielded 136 trout averaging 1lb 10oz topped by a brown of 4lb 8oz and rainbow 2lb 12oz.

At the Wessex Water trout fisheries Clatworthy fished well last week despite bright sunshine with 306 fish taken. Ronnie Giddon took the best fish of the week with a 5lb 8oz rainbow.

Best results were from deep down with sinking lines and slow retrieve along the bottom with black patterns proving the most successful. Sutton Bingham slowed right down in the bright conditions with just 91 fish reported.