THERE were bulging bags of trout at the Blakewell Fishery Christmas Competition.

Twenty-eight competitors landed more than 700lb of fish.

The top six-fish limit bag was Lewis Janes's, totalling 28lb 9oz.

I was the runner-up with 26lb 11oz, and Les Cleavelly was third with 26lb.

Several quality brown trout were among the fish landed. John Buxton caught a brown of 5lb 15oz, Clive Cutter one of 5lb 8oz and Angela Colwill one of 5lb 1oz.

The top rainbow was a fine fish of 8lb 2oz to Cutter.

Trout anglers are enjoying steady sport at Simpson Valley with rainbow trout to 8lb 12oz succumbing to a wide variety of flies and lures.

At Angler's Paradise, Chapel Baits have sponsored a winter catfish challenge on Angler's Eldorado that runs until January 31. Two cats of 15lb and 17lb have been landed so far.

Staff at the complex are targeting 3lb-plus perch, with those competing banned from shaving until they achieve the target weight.

Chapel is to launch a range of Angler's Paradise baits next year that are sure to work well at this complex and others.

Sea anglers have had steady sport at marks along the coast with dogfish and whiting. The estuary is giving good flounder sport with plenty of fish just over the pound.

Garry Vaughan won Triple Hook Club's Flounder Open with a fish of 1lb 12oz. Second was shared by David Mock and Robert Hancock with flounder of 1lb 10¾oz. Mark Beer took fourth prize with a catch of 1lb 10½oz.

Kevin Legge won Combe Martin Sea Angling Club's monthly competition with a specimen smoothound of 13lb 12oz. Chris Martin was runner-up with a bull huss of 10lb 8oz and Graham Snow was third with a flounder of 1lb 14¾oz.

A specimen red mullet scoring 185 per cent specimen rating and scaling 1lb 14oz gave David Barnes top spot in Appledore Shipbuilders' monthly rover.

Richard Boon was second with a dogfish of 2lb 7oz and Andrew Atkinson third with a flounder of 1lb 3oz.

Cameron Atkinson won the junior section with a wrasse of 2lb 14¾oz.

Bideford and District Angling Club's monthly rover went to Graham Parsons with a flounder of 2lb 7oz landed from a South Devon estuary.

Runner-up with a North Devon flounder weighing 2lb 7oz was Kevin Peach.

Richard Boone was third with a dogfish of 2lb 7oz, Kevin Peach fourth with a flounder of 1lb 9¾oz, Trevor Fishleigh fifth with a flounder of 1lb 3½oz and Andrew Atkinson sixth with a flounder of 1lb 3¼oz.

Jake Parsons took first and second in the junior section with flounder of 1lb 10oz and 1lb 3oz, beating Cameron Atkinson's 2lb 15oz wrasse.

Diary dates

Tomorrow: Combe Martin Sea Angling Club AGM, Braunton Cricket Club, 7.30pm.

Saturday and Sunday: Barnstaple Rod 'n' Reelers 24-hour rover.

Sunday: Triple Hook Club Ladies and Junior Flounder Open, fishing 9am to 1pm, weigh in at Royal British Legion 1.45pm. Book in with Dennis Toleman on 01271 378595.

Sunday: Appledore Shipbuilders Christmas Competition, fishing 11am to 3.30pm, Bassets Pit to top of Ashford Strand, weigh in at Appledore Social Club 5pm.