A catfish surprise at Dog Lane! GARETH PURNELL'S WEEKLY ROUND-UP.

DOG LANE Fishery has surprised anglers in the region by throwing up this superb 42lb catfish - beating the previous best from the fishery by 27lb.

The fish fell to a dead skimmer so the angler was obviously fishing for it, but although Josh Whitehead from the fishery grabbed this picture, the angler vanished without giving his name!

Fishery owner Eddie Whitehead stocked catfish into the specimen lake at the Napton day-ticket water last year, and while there were rumours of one big fish being stocked this is the first proof.

Match angler Pete Palmer tells me he's planning on running a silver fish series over the winter on the Bottom Pool, after 'thinning out' the roach and skimmers on the Middle Pool. The plan is for a pairs and an individual series - for more information call Pete on 07957 861733 or email [e-mail].

THE second Shakespeare Championship qualifier of the season saw 68 anglers compete in baking hot conditions on a low and clear Warwickshire Avon but there were signs that the river is improving.

Match winner Trevor Chalk said at the draw that he fancied drawing Peg 1 at the upstream end of the Town Waters - and that is exactly what happened! Pole fished chopped worm at nine metres accounted for a mixture of perch and eels for 9-1-0 and a place in the big August Bank holiday final.

Second place went to Oxford visitor Dave Harpin, an angler who is making a habit of framing at Evesham in recent times. This time Dave drew Peg 5 and used long pole and worm for a 7-1-0 total.

Third spot went to Steve Ashmore at Peg 35 with a waggler caught 5-10-0 of small chub, ahead of Dennis Lipscombe at Peg 70 who took top weight at the Hampton Ferry end of the match length with 5-9-0 which was mostly one bream.

Fifth place fell to Chris Smith at Peg 20 with 5-0-0 of eels and perch. The qualifiers from the match are Trevor Chalk, Rob Badham and Dennis Lipscombe. In the Wychavon qualifier in another scorcher Chris Buckingham won from unfancied peg 40 at the bottom of the Town Waters at Evesham with 9-1-0 made up of a tench on the pole and worm and perch and small chub on stick float and maggot.

The next qualifier Shakespeare and Wychavon qualifiers are on the weekend of Saturday July 4th and 5th. Call Diana Raphael 0n 01386 442458.

IMON from Banks and Burr tackle shop is running a series of evening matches on the Carp Lake at Toft Fishery, where the carp have now grown on and are averaging over a pound, with a sprinkling of fish to 4lb amongst them.

Most baits are working - pellet, corn, meat, paste, even maggot - and Simon advises sticking to what you know you can do well. "If you can catch them on the pole it's quicker, but the feeder can come into it especially if the wind blows," he says.

"Around 40lb won the last three-hour match I arranged there but last summer you needed 70lb sometimes."

It's pounds 15 in for these Thursday evening matches and you need to be there at 5.00pm for the draw. Call 017962 261 258 - if you want to talk to the fishery direct, call Esther on 07934 327103.

THE hot weather is making trout fishing pretty difficult. Over at Packington the advice is that the fish are tending to shoal along the high bank and wires bank on Cocks Close, with small dry flies like black Gant, dry Sedge and Daddy Longlegs getting the best results when it's overcast - while in bright spells black Buzzers, Damsel Nymphs, GRHE and Bloodworm fished deep are best.

The fishery is suspending catch and release on Cocks Close from July 1, and prices will change to pounds 18 for five fish and pounds 10 for two fish. Contact the fishery on 01676 522754 or check out the website on www.packingtonestate.net . Over at Draycote, Coventry's Alan Anthony caught the week's best brown at 8lb 6oz to a Silver and Green Tube Fly boat fished near to the Valve Tower. Coventry's Tom Jones enjoyed a 23-11-0 eight-fish limit and another Coventry angler Nigel Walton had five fish for 17-6-0. Diawl Bach, Hares Ear, Cruncher, Cormorant, Zonka Hot Tail and Gold Head Damsel are all doing well plus a few fishing are coming to dry flies.