SWAN AC angler Len Merrill produced a rare win when he topped a talented line up to claim first place on his club's latest aggregate contest, held on the Droitwich canal at Porters Mill.

It was a case of who lost the least amount of fish, with most competitors loosing at least one of the canal's big perch or carp population throughout the five-hour event.

Merrill's approach of breadpunch offered at 11 metres towards the far side reed bed proved to be spot on when he safely netted two useful skimmers which, along with a few small rudd and roach, gave him his first win in a long while with a weight of 2-9-6.

Using his new longer pole to good effect for the first time was seasoned campaigner Ivor Ballard who claimed the runner up position with a net of roach and rudd to six ounce.

These were all taken on bread punch from the centre channel and going 2-0-9.

Continuing an excellent season was mid-week open winner Graham Goodyear whose catch of five eels and a few perch tipped the scales at a third placed 1-14-11, while in fourth was young Andy Collins with a weight of 1-13-12 taken on maggot.

The club's league after 10 rounds puts Colin Davis on top with 206 points, Brian Wood in second with 198 and Mick Samson third on 161.

The first match of the WDUAA Thursday evening series produced excellent catches for the top anglers with Swan AC's Graham Goodyear scoring another victory with a fine three hour total of 7-9-0.

Drawn on peg 127 behind the football ground Goodyear did exceptionally well to take skimmers up to a pound along with small rudd and perch, by presenting his maggot bait well across to the open water opposite.

Second placed Jim Collins (Swan AC) was ruing his luck after loosing a succession of good bream on peg 125, any of which would have won him the match. Collins did however manage to hang on to one three-pound fish which took his worm and caster bait and when added to a few silver fish gave the towpath expert a final weight of 5-4-8.

Doug Smith (PMG) came third with 2-8-0 form peg 119, with southern exile Ron Eagle (Portobello) filling the final place by weighing in a golden orfe of 1-3-0!

Moorlands Farm -- Saturday Open: 1 N. McKinnon 54-9-0, 2 S. McArthy 54-8-0, 3 S. Pulsar 46-8-0. Sunday Open: 1 N. McKinnon 60-7-0, 2 I. Lockley 59-13-0, 3 L. Richards 55-5-0.

Monday Open: 1 S. Pulsar 106-6-0, 2 S. Roberts 77-7-0, 3 I. Lockley 62-3-0.

Prospects: Stillwaters are now starting to produce good catches with carp falling for summer methods. Meat, worm or caster presented high in the water as well as into the margins is accounting for some excellent bags.

Canal anglers will find bream starting to show on noted pegs but roach are slow to respond, while hempseed could produce the odd redfin.