THE Wright household had an early Christmas present on Sunday after Gary Wright won the annual Salisbury Angling Club's Christmas Match, taking home with him the traditional first prize of a Christmas hamper.

He fished a peg on the Nadder off Elizabeth Gardens and weighed-in a mixed bag of fish for a winning weight of 15lb 10oz. The match was fished on both the rivers Nadder and Avon and the Avon produced second, third and fourth places.

Last year's winner, Steve Trevett, just failed to take home the hamper by ten ounces with his all-roach bag from a swim near Ashley Road bridge. Shaun Gumbleton was third with another all roach bag weighing 14lb and Malc Pepperill was fourth with 12lb 12oz. Both rivers had a tinge of colour but levels were well down on where they should be at this time of the winter.

Mixed bags of dace, grayling, sea trout and the occasional roach and chub have been caught by anglers at the London AA fishery at Britford from the old river. The main carrier is still proving difficult to fish because of the huge shoals of hungry minnows.

Most anglers have been catching between 10lb and 25lb of small fish from the Avon stretches with some lucky anglers hooking into bigger chub and specimen dace.