PATCHY is the most appropriate word to use in describing local fishing at the moment. And that applies to the commercial fisheries along with the traditional ones.

It is surprising, considering the intensity of stocking, that some commercials are occasionally less than prolific at the moment. It is not so surprising, with roach and bream in the midst of, or recovering from, spawning with regard to the canal for example.

That is not to say there have been no good weights at the commercials, there have. There have also been some disappointing returns, with many anglers finding it a bit of a struggle.

Many of these waters are still in the process of maturing as fisheries, and I suspect that what we are now seeing will become typical for the time of year as they do. Anglers prepared to experiment with tactics, baits, presentation etc are faring best and that's no surprise.

If it is carp you are after, make sure you have a few choices of bait with you. Catmeat seems to be productive at times, particularly with bigger fish. Luncheon meat of course, is a must. You should however, consider carrying a few different flavour enhancers with you.

They can also be used with sweetcorn, but it seems that when the fish will take corn, at the moment, straight from the can is good enough.

The one common theme with all the currently successful anglers, does appear to be with the loosefeed. Pellets are easy to buy and use as feed. The carp you are after associate the sound they make when you fire them in with food, from a very early age. Why consider anything else?

Do use pellet or paste, on the hook. Many anglers are still using the hard pellet, attached to the hook by a band. Perhaps they haven't been introduced to the newer soft hook pellets you can buy. There is no need to bother banding with these -- straight on the hook and into the fish.

The depth at which you fish your bait, and your shotting patterns, are seriously important. When you feed pellets very frequently the carp will come up in the water to take them. Less frequently and you might find them taken in mid-water, then again you may need to present your hookbait hard on the bottom. Anglers who work at their fishing are always best rewarded.

That applies to the canal at least as much, perhaps even more so. You certainly need a bit more nous to locate the fish but when you do find them in feeding mood, roach and bream can be just as easy to catch as carp.

On all local stretches of canal roach have, for the time being, taken a back seat to the bream. They, the bream, have for the most part completed their spawning or are very close to doing so. Soon you will find them very active in reed and week-beds, cleaning off as it is known.

They are easy to spot when doing this, very easy. In fact you do not necessarily have to see them, you can usually hear them, so frenetic do they become. Walk your local stretch of canal, preferably on a calm evening, and you will find them. When you do, you can go equipped with just about any bait and fill your net -- corn is as good as anything for the better fish.

There are few anglers fishing the canal still. Those who are generally know what they are about and are doing quite well. Those who do not are finding very little action. It is essential to do a little research to improve your prospects.

Even matchmen fare badly right now unless they are pegged on bream. A good example of that I noted from Common Lane, where 22 good anglers could produce a winning weight of only 1-8-0, with 0-8-0 in fourth place. You must find bream!

Talking of matchmen, Hyndburn's John Rogers and Dave Pickering were in the money again at Greenhalgh Lodge.

Neither could win this disappointing match in which big fish were significant. Dave was fourth with 44-4-0, just one fish ahead of John, in fifth with 41-5-0. The winner put 61-8-0 on the scales and it was his big fish that made all the difference.

Most of the anglers were catching fish to four pounds in the main, with the odd one of eight or so. Anthony Roney, the winner, somehow managed a couple of 13lbs apiece as well as the more typical fish.

Catmeat was the difference. That is what he used, on 14 metre pole. The runner-up, with 48-11-0, used a paste/pellet approach.

Pilsworth has been a major disappointment. Only 17-8-0 was needed to win Sunday's match -- and this was a significant improvement on the previous Wednesday. Carp were rare captures, with skinners, roach and tench more prominent.

Copthorne has not been on top form either, though carp did feed sporadically. Catmeat is again the most productive bait for the carp, though corn and luncheon meat did produce some fish in weights of around 30lbs.

Hectic sport and impressive weights are what I like to hear, and that was how Sunday's match on the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester has been described.

The match was on the Moss Road to Kellogs stretch (day tickets on the bank) and skimmers/hybrids provided the action. Caster was the top bait which, presented at 14 metres, provided all-day action. Top weight was 18-9-0 and double figures was needed to frame.

That is brilliant canal fishing, by any standard, and is very attractive. Even more so when you appreciate that the runner-up in this match used bread-punch, so alternatives are possible in terms of bait and presentation.

That means for an interesting day's fishing and, even though none were caught in this match, a tench of four pounds and above is always likely to turn up on her.