CHRISTMAS came exactly a week early for angler Shaun Gumbleton when he won the annual Salisbury Angling Club’s Christmas Match, fished on Sunday on the rivers Avon and Nadder.

His winning weight of 15lb 12oz from the Nadder at Deanery Meadow, overlooking Salisbury Cathedral, made up of eight chub, earned him a Christmas hamper, cash prizes and free membership of the club for next year.

He took the honours competing against 27 other fishermen in what was a hard competition in far from ideal conditions. Both rivers were low and clear and shoals of hungry minnows proved difficult to overcome on many swims.

The Deanery Meadow stretch also provided the match’s runner-up.

George Stainer netted several chub to record a weight of 13lb 4oz. The club’s Stratford stretch of the Avon featured in the top four with John Burt banking 11lb 2oz of grayling, but it was a close call, because Paul Coulbeck, fishing the stretch below Harnham Mill, weighed-in 11lb 1oz made up of chub, dace and perch.

The unseasonal warm weather, coupled with low clear water, is one of the causes for the shoals of minnows plaguing fishing along many stretches of the Avon and Nadder. Usually they have taken to sheltered stretches of the river bed or quieter side streams to see out the winter, but not this year. On both the main carrier and the old river at the London AA’s Britford fishery, minnows are cleaning hooks taking every last morsel within minutes of the bait entering the water. When anglers can avoid them, they are catching fish with dace and grayling coming from the river and some roach up to 1lb 13oz from the carrier. Sport was better while the river had some colour in it, but the last few days have been dour with little being caught.

The Avon and Stour around Ringwood are both fishing better than upstream, with barbel to 9lb, chub to 6lb and some roach to 2lb from the Bickerley stretch.

Lakes are fishing slightly better with the mild weather keeping carp on the feed and decent bags of skimmers and roach.

The forecast for the festive holiday season is for wind and rain and while this will make uncomfortable fishing conditions, the rain might increase depth and put some colour in to the water which should improve sport.