ANGLERS braving the gale-force winds and rain over the weekend had their rewards as the Avon fished very well.

There was a pike bonanza on the London AA fishery at Britford, as well as bags of quality-size chub, grayling and roach. Downstream near Ringwood, heavyweight barbel came to nets and upstream in Amesbury, a match was won with over 20lb of chub and roach.

Brian Penfold visited Britford on Sunday and fished the main river and had one of his best ever days. He ended up with 17 chub to 5lb 5oz, six grayling over 1lb, a roach of 1lb 8oz as well as several trout and dace, all caught on stick float. He also lost a barbel at the net.

Pike anglers had a good weekend headed by Ryan Fletcher on only his second visit to the fishery. He banked the biggest of the day at 25lb. Adam Millington also fished the carrier and he ended up with pike of 23lb, another of 16lb 8oz and a third at 11lb. Several other pike fishermen banked jacks. The carrier also gave another angler a good day with 13 chub all from the same swim by the willows.

Barbel to 14lb have been caught from the Avon at Lifelands, near Ringwood, and bags of dace and roach from Fordingbridge Park.

Salisbury Angling Club match members found the Avon upstream in Amesbury also fishing well when they visited the club's prestige trout fishery at South Mill for their once-a-year coarse fishing outing. Frank Gumbleton got himself into a nice shoal of chub and roach and won the day with 23lb 12 oz. Charlie Wernham was second with 18lb 10oz and Jimmy Smith was third with 17lb 12oz. Despite the high winds and intermittent rain, 27 anglers turned out for the match which saw many of them end the day with double-figure bags.

Ray Kelly did well when he fished a match on Saturday on Barnmoor Lake, at Witheringtojn Farm Fishery. Fishing the pole he hooked into a common carp of 30lb 14oz which he managed to net successfully, giving him a total weight of 46lb and victory. The first round of Eastleigh Club's Pairs Competition on the fishery's Snake Lake, was won with 40lb of carp and 6lb of silver fish. The other lakes are fishing reasonably well for silver fish, small carp and bream.