weekly crossword

Across

8 Carrion feeder, such as eel (*even scrag) (9)

9 County Antrim seaport and town ... in blarney! (5) 10 Offering to attract fish to hooked bait (7)

11 Severnside Powys town upstream from Welshpool (7) 12 Like unmoving water (5) 14 Llangollen is on this river (3) 15 Item of value – in shoka’s set-up (5)

16 Clears sediment from bottom of rivers etc. (7) 18 Quivering movement of spinnerbait – and moth (7) 20 (One spelling of) middle of centrepin’s spool (*or bar) (5) 22 Text message: ‘salt-based bait enhancer’ (abbrev.) (3) 24 Poaching amounts to this (5)

26 Lamby Lake fishery is in this Welsh city (7)

28 A __ ___ has a large diameter to reduce line resistance (3,4)

30 Is full of e.g. fish (5) 31 Used for landing perch, not pike (stops none*) (5,4)

Down

1 It stops rod rings freezing in icy weather (*in leaves) (8) 2 e.g. coriander or thyme (4) 3 Concurred (6)

4/19 Barbel’s regal nickname (6,2,3,5)

5 A sluggish river is __ moving (4)

6 Weigh _, devices for suspending hanging balances (6) 7 Grand and Royal Canals are in this Irish province (8)

8 e.g. separates sawdust from maggots (5) 13 Commonly used weight (5) 15 Fully grown (5) 16 Warwicks. venue of Troutmasters Senior Final 2019 (8)

17 Describes moderately flexible rod taper (4-4)

19 See 4dn.

21 ___ Wright, leading UKSF caster/sea angler (*nearby) (6)

23 Ian, top ghillie, former Spey-casting champ (6) 25 River of Spain and Portugal (*a gust) (5)

27 A Cairngorms loch – some alevins here (4)

29 River running from Northants to The Wash (4)