THE River Avon has been producing large netfulls of dace and roach from swims virtually along its entire length.

Coupled with one amazing bag of carp, a specimen roach and dozens of double-figure barbel, it has been quite a week for fishing.

The Avon between Fordingbridge and Ringwood has been producing top quality barbel with fish to 14lb 11oz and many between 10lb and 13lb.

Barbel expert, Pete Reading, has banked four around 14lb.

Somerley, Lifelands and Ibsley stretches, are all producing barbel, dace and some roach.

The Severals stretch is also fishing well for dace, with large bags reported comprising fish of around 1lb. One angler had to empty his keepnet and start again as he was catching quality dace on every cast.

On the London AA stretch at Britford, just outside Salisbury, bags of dace weighing between 20lb and 40lb have been caught along with good catches of roach around the 1lb with the odd larger fish - the best reported roach at 2lb 4oz. Reports indicate the fishery is in good form, both the main river and the carrier.

Carp enthusiast Nigel Tupper returned to Barnmoor Lake at Witherington Farm Fishery during the week from where he has caught many large carp.

After a fruitless day it looked like his luck was out, but then about 4.30pm, he caught his first carp and by dusk he had banked a total weight of 220lb of carp, the two largest at 22lb 2oz and 20lb 7oz.

Carp to 30lb have been caught from Somerley lake while one of the lakes at Wedgehill Fishery, Verwood, has produced a perch of 2lb 14oz.

Salisbury Angling Club's match anglers had a successful outing on Sunday in their interclub competition with Test Valley on the host's lakes at Embley.

Salisbury's Lee Goodfellow won the contest with a bag of three carp and some skimmers for 28lb, Salisbury's Paul Barnard was third with a net of silver fish for 14lb and Andy Palmer, for the host club, was second with two carp and skimmers for 22lb 10oz.

Witherington Farm has held two matches over the last few days - one, an open match on Sellwood Lake, was won by tackle boss, Dave Moody, with 57lb, John Dewbury was runnerup with 40lb 13oz and Jem Turner , third with 36lb 14oz.

Another match on Cottage Lake was won by Mike Hawkins with 68lb 4oz, Clive Egerton was second with 42lb 3oz and Paul Felbrick was third with 32lb 12oz.