ANGLING

By Colin Scull

WEIGHTS were below their best in the Airsprung match fished on the golf course stretch of the Bristol Avon at the Pond Fields at Bradford.

Top honours went to Bradford's Kelvin Oliver with a mixed catch of tench, roach and eels weighing 12lb 8oz taken on pole fished red maggots on an 18 hook.

Phil Yorke, of Trowbridge, took second prize with a mixed bag of tench and skimmers weighing 6lb 13oz taken on feeder fished red maggots on an 18 hook. Ian Stainer clinched third prize with a tench and roach catch weighing 5lb 8oz taken on pole fished maggots on an 18 hook.

Other placings: 4 Bill Turner Trowbridge 3lb 9oz; 5 Alan Lampard Trowbridge 3lb 1oz; 6 Dean Bird Bradford 2lb 13oz.

The Somerset Winter League series got off to a good start last week on the River Axe from Bleadon to Shiplake. Keenets Team Milo finished on 62 points followed by Somerset Angling with 60 and Thatchers 2000 with 53.

Individual honours went to Weston's Ray Stark who drew the end peg at Bleadon and took an all roach catch weighing 15lb 8oz on pole fished casters on an 18 hook.

Somerset Angling Club's Dave Gregory was second with another roach catch weighing 10lb 3oz taken on pole fished casters on an 18 hook. DAM Thyers' Don Wride was third with a mixed bag weighing 6lb 3oz. Other placings: 4 Russ Tinklin Thatchers 2000 6lb 1oz; 5 Ron Clancy Keenets Team Milo 5lb 5oz; 6 Brian Fowler Hinkley Point 5lb 4oz. Teams: 1 Keenets Team Milo 62; 2 Somerset Angling 60; 3 thatchers 2000 53; 4 Veals Whizzo GTi 45; 5 DAM Thyers & Hinkley Point 43.

Heavy rain had put extra water into the Bristol Avon at Chippenham for the Chippenham Open match on Sunday and as a result weights fell below their best.

Chippenham's Mick Ash was first with an all roach catch weighing 5lb 4oz taken on waggler fished bronze maggots on an 18 hook.

Close behind came Wootton Bassett's Jason O'Dell with another roach catch weighing 5lb 3oz also taken on waggler fished bronze maggots on an 18 hook. Melksham's Andy Pratten was third with another all roach catch weighing 2lb 12 oz taken on Avon floated maggots on a 20 hook.

Other placings: 4 Mark Woolridge Chippenham 2lb 12ozs; 5 John Wright Bristol 2lb 1oz; 6 Gary Hobbs Clevedon 2lb 0oz.

Gudgeon featured in the Airsprung Sweepstake fished on Sunday on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Avoncliff. Melksham matchman Corin Wiltshire finished with a catch of gudgeon backed up with a few roach weighing 6lb 3oz taken on pole fished pinkies o n a 22 hook. Richard Stainer from Trowbridge was second with a mixed bag of tench, roach and gudgeon weighing 3lb 8oz also taken on pole fished pinkies on a 22 hook. Similar tactics gave third prize to Trowbridge's Neil Hounsell. Other placings: 4 Dean Bird Bradford 2lb 6oz 8dm; 5 Ben Ludwell Trowbridge 1lb 13oz; 6 Ian Stainer Trowbridge 1lb 8oz 8dm.

Fish were hard to tempt on Saturday in the Bradford match fished on the Bristol Avon at Staverton.

Semington's Dave Foster took top prize with a mixed catch of chub and small roach weighing 3lb 14oz taken on feeder fished bread flake on a 16 hook.

Runner-up was Whitley's Pete Neate with a mixed catch of roach, skimmers and chub weighing 3lb 10oz taken on pole fished maggots. Second was Bradford's Barry Oakford with a mixed bag of chub, roach and skimmers weighing 2lb 6oz and Bradford's Bernie Ryan with another mixed bag weighing 1lb 2oz.

The Wilts Angling Open match on Sunday at Witherton farm produced some good weights. Gillingham's Robert Randell won with an all carp catch weighing 60lb 5oz. Runner-up was Trowbridge matchman Nick Johns with another all carp catch weighing 34lb 8oz taken on pole fished sweetcorn on a 16 hook.

Howard Carpenter was third prize with another carp catch weighing 32lb 4oz also taken on pole fished sweetcorn on a 16 hook.

Other placings: 4 Fred Eagles Devizes 26lb 14oz; 5 Rob Hunt Trowbridge 24lb 0oz; 6 Paul Bond Warminster 24lb 0oz.

There was mixed sport in the Avon Commercial League match on Sunday on the Bristol Avon between Christian Malford an Malmesbury.

Angling Techniques took top team spot with 45 points followed by Scorpions with 43 and Bacons Tackle 39.

Bathampton Intermediates angler Mark Bilder won the event with a mixed catch of chub, perch and roach weighing 13lb 10oz.

Runner-up was Spartans Steve Cross with a mixed catch weighing 8lb 6oz taken on Avon Floated maggots and worm on an 18 hook. He was followed by Colin Buckle of Angling Techniques with a chub, roach and gudgeon catch weighing 7lb 8oz.

Other placings: 4 Viv Amos Scorpions 6lb 12oz; 5 Nick Howell Scorpions 6lb 9oz; 6 Andy Ottaway Bathampton Intermediates 5lb 8oz. Teams: 1 Angling Techniques 45; 2 Scorpions 43; 3 Bacons Tackle 39; 4 Sashtech 37; 5 Mindbenders 33; 6 Spartans 32. League Table: 1 Scorpions 213; 2 Bacons Tackle 209; 3 Angling Techniques 165; 4 Sashtech 166; 5 Bathampton Intermediates 164; 6 Martins Windows 156.