ONLY hardy anglers ventured out to the region’s rivers and lakes over the last week.

And in addition to the freezing weather, they also found lakes were iced over and the rivers very low and clear.

It all led to difficult conditions and fish were few and far between. Some swims on Salisbury Angling Club’s Constable Fishery did yield fish when the club held a match on Sunday. Twenty-four competitors braved the cold to fish the match, which also took in swims where the River Nadder passes through the city and some of its parks.

Rob Ryan caught a bag of mainly dace and some grayling weighing 25lb to take the honours while Dave Tucker landed several chub for a second-placed 17lb, both these anglers fishing pegs in the city and Elizabeth Gardens. Gary Wright was pegged along Brunel Road and he came third with 9lb 12oz.

Downstream on the London AA Britford fishery, fishing has been very difficult and while the cold weather has reduced the minnow problem, the low and clear water has not encouraged other fish to feed. Some pike were caught, a few grayling and dace but very little else.

Some 11 brave anglers turned up at Witherington Farm Fishery on Saturday knowing that for much of the week all the fishery’s lakes had been ice-bound. It was the same on Saturday, but they broke the ice around the edges of Barnmoor Lake and fished a match – 13lb of silver fish was the top weight, but the fishery’s cafe did quite well for warming food and drink.