The weekend floods put paid to any sport on the rivers for many anglers, writes Peter Stone.

Concern has been expressed that last season's fry will be washed away, which would be a disaster for local rivers.

This summer has seen a welcome influx of immature chub, roach and bream which, with river stocks low, delighted many anglers. It will, of course, be a case of wait and see.

National Coarse Fish Centre spokesman, Phil Hackley, said: "Fry wash-outs occur with fast winter flows, but it depends on the speed rather than the level of the river. A slower build-up allows the fish to maintain their position in a river, while a sudden increase doesn't."

Meanwhile, when the floods do recede, it will be worth taking a look at the bottom of Port Meadow, in Wolvercote, where two large areas of water remain after the rains.

Last autumn, the Environment Agency removed two tons of fish from the two large 'puddles' but unfortunately did not inform me until the fish had been netted and returned to the river.

Among several species taken were lots of tench, bream and pike.

Where pike are concerned, many small fish around six inches were removed, showing that during the two years the meadow had been flooded they had spawned. A few carp were also recovered, including some into double figures.

I certainly hope to take a look this year catching a big carp in the middle of Port Meadow would be something different!

**ESP tackle design and development manager Adam Penning, based at Drennans in Oxford, was after carp when he fished a local reach of the Thames. But he wasn't disappointed when a 6.2.0 chub picked up his hair-rigged Scopex boilie.

Adam is enjoying a wonderful spell with chub, having taken three others over six pounds from two different swims over a two-week period.

There certainly are cracking chub in the Thames, of which Adam is catching his fair share.

**Orchid Lake at Dorchester has gone rather quiet, with just one carp a cracker of 29.0.0 taken the past week.

Pike have begun to show in the nearby Lagoon, with several high doubles taken.

During the next few weeks, prospects are good, with a '20' very much on the cards.