THE change in the weather did no favours for river anglers hoping to end their season on a high.

The biting cold easterly wind put fish down and cooled the water temperatures making fishing difficult.

Nearly 80 anglers arrived at the London AA stretch at Britford on Saturday, the last day of the season, and they all struggled. The previous day a specimen roach of 2lb 9oz was landed from the old river stretch but there was nothing like that on Saturday.

Some anglers had a few chub and dace and the odd grayling was caught, but overall it was hard going and many anglers blanked, particularly those fishing the main carrier stretch.

It was a similar story on the lakes, with catches well below what they had been during the previous week. A match on Sellwood and Cottage Lakes at Witherington Farm Fishery saw Dave Moody take the honours on Sellwood Lake with 27lb while Mick Hawkins won on Cottage Lake with 34lb, both weights below the average for these two waters.

However, Barnmoor Lake did give one angler a good day, Mick Taplin landed a 24lb carp over the weekend.

The new river season opens on June 16 and Salisbury Angling Club waters have also closed down for the close season with the exception of Nightingale Lake at their Wellow fishery, which remains open all year.