COOLER nights, bright sun but a cold easterly wind, all helped put a brake on the Indian summer sport enjoyed during the last few weeks.

Add low and crystal-clear waters meant anglers struggled both on the rivers and the lakes with a definite slowing down in the numbers of fish coming to nets.

The London AA Britford fishery provided some reasonable sport for those long-trotting with red maggot on the main river stretch with bags of grayling, some small roach and dace. The odd small chub was also caught. One angler, though, did land a lovely grayling at 2lb 4oz. But, the clear water kept the larger roach, chub and barbel out of sight. Some small roach were caught from the main carrier but conditions were difficult.

It was a similar story downstream around Fordingbridge and Ringwood with the Avon low and clear and water temperature falling. Bags of dace, grayling and the odd small roach were caught by float anglers.

Lakes at Witherington Farm Fishery have given pleasure anglers reasonable sport with skimmers, silver fish and some carp. Barnmoor Lake, though, continues to produce big carp with the week's best at 24lb and a handful between 15lb and 20lb.

The second round of eight in the Teams of Four competition, fished at Witherington, saw Barney's Blacks take the winning spot on the day and top of the league table. They won 35 points on the day and head the table with 61.5 points just ahead of Dandy's K2 on 60 points. The Snake Lake provided all three top individual places with Ian Goodfellow banking 67lb, John Rock 65lb 8oz and Brett Cooper, 62lb 4oz.

Salisbury Angling Club's 36-hour carp competition is set to become an annual event after this year's match at the club's Steeple Langford lakes. Although just four carp were banked and none of them huge, the competition raised £110 for the Salisbury Hospice charity as well as prize money for the top two anglers, Mark Potter and Simon Enticott. One of the organisers, club coarse chairman, Roger Hunt, said the competition had been a success and it is hoped to hold it again next year.