WITH the end of the river season just a month away, quality roach have started to appear in catches from rivers in and around Salisbury.

Salisbury Angling Club's match on the River Nadder on Sunday, saw four specimen roach landed, the largest at 1lb 14oz and the other three nudging 1lb 12oz apiece.

Bill McDonald, fishing the Avon from the island at Newbridge Road, on the London AA stretch of water, landed the biggest roach of the week, weighing-in at 2lb 9oz.

Other anglers fishing the Britford fishery caught bags of roach up to 1lb 15oz from swims on the carrier and from the main river.

Salisbury's match saw 28 anglers turn out and the Nadder fished much better than of late, although some of the more usual productive swims, failed to produce.

Individual winners were Shaun Gumbleton, who fished Deanery Meadow and bagged 31lb 12oz, which included 11 big chub and a roach of 1lb 14oz.

Ray Ridgers was second with 19lb 1oz from the mill pool at Harnham, Bob Ryan was third with 17lb 12oz from Brunel Road and John Burtt was fourth with 14lb 14oz, also from a swim off Brunel Road.

The London AA fishery is fishing much better, with both the main Avon and the carrier providing bags of roach, dace, grayling and chub.

The island near Newbridge Road has produced some good bags but the carrier has also yielded roach to 1lb 15oz.

Pike anglers too, have enjoyed good sport with several predators between 14lb and 17lb 2oz from the carrier.

In the Ringwood area, Winkton is fishing very well with the river providing bags of dace and roach to 14lb a sitting.

Lake fishing has also improved over the last week with Witherington Farm Fishery reporting better prospects as bream and silver fish have been appearing as well as the odd large carp.

A 28lb carp was caught during the week from Hucklesbrook Lake, near Fordingbridge, along with tench to 7lb 4oz while the top lake at Wedgehill Fishery, Verwood, produced a perch of 3lb 12oz.