WEEKLY CROSSWORD

(* indicates an anagram)

ACROSS

1 e.g. tote bag (5-3) 6 Plan, blueprint *signed off (6) 9 Bookie’s quote (4) 10 Scottish salmon/trout river – in urban Nantwich (5) 11 Genuine-sounding angling item (4) 12 Spaced out (*drapes) (6) 13 Sort of leger rig that prevents line twisting (4-4) 15 Expanded like maggots soaked in water (7) 17 Arthur, author of ‘Rod and Line’ (1929) (*oarsmen) (7) 19 The ‘B’ of BCAC event (7) 21 Section of an earthworm’s body (7) 24 Like lead-free shot, not poisonous (3-5) 26 See 28dn. 27 Number of hours in each Supercup match (4) 28 A small one is a ‘skimmer’ (5) 29 Nuclear weapon (abbrev.) (4) 30 More compact (6) 31 N. Atlantic sea where freshwater eels spawn (8)

DOWN

2 He qualified for every major final in 2017 (*prayed won!) (4,5) 3 n‘Carp Wars’ participant, Ian (7) 4 e.g. a weekly Drennan Cup prize (5) 5 Term for mirror carp with scales along lateral line (6) 6 Scottish salmon/trout river (3) 7 Lifts rod in response to a bite (7) 8 See 25dn. 14 Poke fun at ... bait! (5) 16 County location of Ardleigh reservoir (5) 18 Kent fishery – UK’s largest one-site venue (4,5) 20 Restraints like pole winder anchors (*the rest) (7) 22 Reddish-purple colour (*a magnet) (7) 23 A buzz bar ___ into a bank stick (6) 25/8 Main colour of Tinca tinca (5,5) 26 Edible mollusc – in oxygenator, Mersey (5) 28/26ac. Nickname for crucian carp (*or flog dab) (3,2,4)