FOR the first weekend since the middle of December, Doggetts was ice-free and anglers that visited the Rochford venue all seemed pleased with their results.

The pike fishing continues to be productive with a good head of fish being landed on deadbaits, with a reasonable number of fish in the eight to 12lb bracket being landed.

The float fishermen are enjoying sport with reasonable bags of bream mostly in the 1.5lb bracket.

And the carp anglers have enjoyed good sport. Doggetts regular Alan Lambert fished one night on the south bank and landed a 15lb common plus a very fine 20lb mirror.

Rochford anglers Leon Thurlow and David Barrell fished Saturday night on the short arm where Thurlow landed his PB, a superb 22lb common. Barrell was not disappointed with a fiesty 12lb mirror.

Mark Smith enjoyed two short day sessions plus one night on the north bank and did not blank. He landed six doubles plus a very dark 26lb mirror.

But, as usual, the top rod this weekend was John Hanks who braved the long nights by fishing a 48-hour session.

The first night saw Hanks draw a blank, but the second saw him bank five nice fish including a 16lb common, two upper doubles, plus mirrors of 20 and 25lbs.