JUST about every local commercial fishery has shown an improvement through the week, with settled weather a key factor, though there is so much more to come - maybe tomorrow.

For that settled weather, reasonably warm as well, will still be with us and I am sure that the fish, carp in particular, will be very active.

Local reservoirs have yet to spring to life and the canal is so unpredictable that the commercials do represent the best option for most dedicated coarse anglers.

There was a welcome improvement in catches last weekend generally, though not dramatic, with some excellent top weights recorded in matches.

The most noticeable difference was, however, in the quality of the 'backing' weights. These give a much clearer indication of a fishery's form than a single fantastic winning net and much encouragement can be gleaned from them.

Not least at Brookside, which has been struggling to find a bit of form of late. Not last weekend though, with the Stretton Fishery producing some very acceptable weights and nets indeed.

Snake lake is the one to get on, with carp, tench, skimmers and roach all falling to a very simple soft pellet approach. Carp are needed to make the best weights, as you would expect, but the other species ensure that everyone on here should be getting bites at least.

Over 30 lbs was needed to make the frame last weekend, with the best weight not much over 40lbs. That indicates just how well spread the fish are and that it doesn't really matter too much which peg you choose (or are left with).

Greenhalgh is the place for a ton, if that is what you're after. In fact it seems to be the only place at the moment where that feat is possible, producing yet another big weight, 102-6-0, to win the latest All-Winners Qualifier last week. Big fish are in all pegs, it seems, with over 50 lbs the target for every pleasure angler.

The same cannot be said, of course, for Copthorne, which was one of the poorer performers last week.

Things have improved as the week has gone on, as was clearly needed.

Pole, with caster on the hook, was the best approach last weekend, producing a winning weight of 29-4-0.

The winner's net was made up mainly of chub, to about 1lb, but the runner-up did manage to get amongst a few carp.

He was Hyndburn matchman Arthur Hargreaves (Ted Carter Preston), who brought 25-6-0 to the scale, just 4lbs or so clear of Carl Blurton.