ROUND Three of the Snowbee Top Rod competition was at Chew Valley Lake near Bristol Airport in the Mendip Hills. Chew Lake is 1200 acres in size, so there is plenty of room for the boats to move around.

This event is for the Fred Pike Cup and fished at either Bladgon or Chew each year. Fish were caught in all areas of the lake, with False Island, North Shore and Picnic Bank being the popular spots. Intermediates with damsels and floating lines with diawl bachs were the best methods. 

Fourteen anglers made the trip and caught 50 fish for a bag weight of 139lbs 7oz, with the average catch of 3.6 weighing in at 2.8lbs. Five anglers caught their eight-fish limit.

The best fish of the day was caught by Alex Venn marking his first trip to Chew with a 5lb catch as his first fish of the day.

A number of pike were caught with Gerry Scutt catching the biggest of 6lbs and John Hern, Darren Penfold and Alex Venn all having fish between 4-5lbs, all returned.

1st - Alex Venn of Willand, eight fish at 24lbs 8oz; 2nd - Darren Penfold of Liverton, eight fish at 22lbs 12oz; 3rd - Andy Watson of Bovey Tracey, eight fish at 22lbs 10oz; 4th - John Hern of Exeter, eight fish at 22lbs 4oz; 5th - Andy Gooding of Liverton, eight fish at 20lbs 9oz; 6th - Robert Gale of Ashburton, four fish at 12lbs.

The next event is Wimbleball Boats on May 25.