IN-form Swan AC club champion Craig Bennett turned in a superb performance to win the penultimate round of the WDUAA winter league, held on the local canal between the Cavalier and George Street bridge.

Mid-week sub zero temperatures and fluctuating water levels made catching fish a difficult prospect but 18-year-old Bennett showed his contemporaries a clean pair of heels when he put an excellent match winning 6-3-8 on the scales.

Chopped worm presented across to the reeds on peg 214 was the young star's opening gambit, leading to the downfall of a useful 14 ounce perch. However no more fish were forthcoming. A change after the first match hour to the deeper channel with caster on the hook saw Bennett steadily put together a fine bag of roach, netting samples up to ten ounces throughout the day to register his first win of the series.

Phoenix 'godfather' Nigel Harvey took the runner- up spot thanks to a skimmer bream and hybrid net that fell to maggot fished in the track on peg 156 in the park. After spending a fruitless first hour across on squatt and pinkie, Harvey found the skimmers almost immediately when he changed, netting his last bream five minutes from the end of the contest to weigh in a total catch of 5-4-6.

Peg 191 below the viaduct was where Pershore's Gary Smith (Harry's WC) found himself, taking two chub along with a solitary perch and six roach for a third placed 4-11-10.

Section winners were: A; Mark Kelly, B; Rick Moseley, C; Rod Guise and D; Tim Biddle.

There was a tie for first place in the team event with Swan White and Droitwich Angling Centre Blue both scoring 24 points to beat Rexel in third with 27 and Phoenix Youth who were fourth with 31.

League placings after five rounds sees the talented Swan White outfit increase their lead on 114 points followed closely by Greenman Black with 126, Droitwich AC with 127 and Phoenix youth on 129.

The final round takes place on Sunday, January 19.

The first of the regular Alans Tackle opens at Brockamin got underway with Worcester carp expert Bob Wilson proving that he has not lost the touch by taking an excellent winter haul of 55-9-0.

Drawn on the top pool, as were all the leading contenders, Wilson fished waggler and corn on peg 31 where he landed eleven similar sized carp to win by a comfortable margin.

Second place went to Malvern's Dave Powell who found himself in the narrows of the lake on peg 36 where he landed eight carp to ten pounds using pole and red maggot to finish with 35-6-0.

Third-placed Colin Newman (Worcs) needed just two fish, together weighing 18-13-0, which fell for feeder fished maggot on peg 19 while Jerry Thomas (Malvern) secured fourth thanks to an 8-14-0 carp which took his sweetcorn offering on peg 8.

There will be another Alans Tackle open held at Brockamin this Sunday, details from the shop.

Hardy Portobello AC anglers competed on the second round of their winter series despite the club's pool at Rushwick being froze over just two days previous!

Winner with a mixed small fish catch was Ron Eagle whose 6-3-0 fell for pole fished red maggot. In second place was Lol Jameson with just one carp, taken from peg 7 on the pole and weighing 3-9-0.

Third place went to Billy Hill who braved the elements to take a few bits going 1-6-8 while Graham Collins was fourth with 1-8-0.

The league places are first Lol Jameson with 23 points whilst Ron Eagle lies second with 22.

Eckington AC are holding an open match today on their waters on the river Avon, also the club will once again be running their popular pairs series after Christmas. Four dates will be used, all Sundays starting with January 19 and continuing on the 2nd, 9th, and 16th of February. Entry costs £10 per pair, person to contact for both matches is Stuart Spencer on 07929-040789.

PROSPECTS

Canals and stillwaters are the venues to head for, with the recent mild weather improving catches. Roach and skimmers should provide consistent sport on the canal where, due to the lack of boat traffic, fish should be found in the centre channel, with maggot unusually out scoring the more popular caster.