The fish are really "having it large" at Paradise Fishery, Melbourne, according to fishery boss Simon Cramner Gordon, with pleasure catches regularly exceeding 20lbs.

Maggot is producing a fish a chuck on the drop, with rudd and roach making up the bulk of catches.

Meat or corn baits anchored to the bottom are accounting for some nice catches of carp and tench.

Regular trickle feeding seems to be the key. Patrick Johnson, from Hull, took 32 tench averaging 2lb, fishing meat tight to the long island on Wednesday.

Over on Pond Two, two sections of pole are all that are needed to be in among the fish. They are tight in against the margins. All baits are working well. Again the key is to feed little and often to get the best results.

Alan Morton, from Sheffield, took a mixed bag of approximately 30lb on Thursday fishing double over loose fed bronze. He was so busy he didn't have time to eat his sandwiches.

Contact Valerie or Simon, telephone 01759 318452, or e-mail ww.paradiseleisure.com.

Many of the York Amalgamation ponds continue to produce well, with Burn Road in cracking form for tench.

During a walk along the Lakeside at Rawcliffe this week I saw plenty of anglers.

Roach and small chub were featuring in catches, along with perch, tench and crucians.

It was encouraging to see the number of youngsters spending half term holiday angling.

As the weather warms up the trout are rising higher in the water at Maran Lakes. At the moment they seem to prefer to hang about between six inches and four feet, keeping an eye on the surface for the unwary terrestrial which drops on to the water, or for the buzzer/emerger, on their way to the surface.

There have been good hatches, with plenty of pond olives, buzzers and black midges coming off.

On the terrestrial side the hawthorns have been plentiful, as have the small daddies. Tactics vary according to the day but buzzers, pheasant tail, CDC buzzers, Suspender buzzers, yellow fritz, damsel, and the egg all taking fish.

Be patient. Work out where the fish are and have a good day.

Updated: 12:05 Friday, June 01, 2001