WITH rivers steadily rising after days of continuous rain and growing more coloured by the hour, anglers have had to face difficult fishing conditions.

Over the holiday period lake owners and commercial fisheries have faced unusually quiet days as few anglers came out to brave the appalling weather.

A few hardy fishermen did turn out on Sunday for the Salisbury Angling Club's open match on the Avon and Nadder and some did catch fish, although not in great numbers. Steve Nadin won the match with 9lb 12oz from the Avon near Ashley Road, George Stainer was second with 7lb of fish from the Nadder at the Elizabeth Gardens and Peter Mills was third with 6lb 8oz from below Harnham Mill. Colin Sellwood was fourth with exactly 6lb from near Salisbury Fire Station.

A pair of nice roach, weighing 2lb 2oz and 2lb 1oz were landed over the holiday period from the navigation carrier on the London AA Britford fishery along with a few around the 1lb mark from the same stretch. This little river can fish quite well when the main river is high. A pike angler fishing the main carrier banked a 22lb specimen on dead bait. The main Avon through the fishery is high and coloured and with the wet and windy weather, there have been few anglers on the banks during the holiday period.

A similar story downstream in the Ringwood area where both the Avon and the Stour have flooded into surrounding meadows. Sidestreams and carriers off the main river are fishing well, though, and anglers have been catching good bags of quality dace.

On the lakes, bags of carp to 80lb or so have been taken from Wedgehill Lake, Verwood, while Rockford Lake at Ringwood has again produced a big carp with a 40lb specimen.