WOODLAND View's Ghost pool produced a high scoring, close-fought contest for the Barbourne AC pairs event, with local stillwater ace John Starkey holding off strong opposition to win by a very slim margin.

Offering luncheon meat shallow on the pole at 13 metres saw Starkey set a blistering pace, taking carp up to six pounds with monotonous regularity and, but for a lean final hour, the carp expert would no doubt have broken the magical ton barrier, in the event Starkey still recorded an excellent weight of 90-14-0.

Recently crowned 'King of Tons' champion Craig Davies took second place to finish just eight ounces short of the winner.

Also fishing up in the water as well as into the margins Davies, noticing that Starkey had slowed down late in the match piled on the pressure ending with a very close 90-6-0.

Some way back in third was Pete Hughes who chose to present his meat and corn bait on the bottom at six metres to take 62-10-0, while Lee Deeley finished fourth with 61-14-0.

Top pair were Craig Davies and Paul Knight together weighing 141-6-0, while John Starkey and Mick Taylor were second with 127-10-0.

n A low, clear river Teme greeted members of the Heenan and Froude AC for their latest contest on the upper section of the club's water at Leigh Court, but recorded weights were still respectable.

First place went to club regular Brian Curtis who, like all the leading contenders, used a swimfeeder rig to take four similar sized barbel which, along with a solitary chub, tipped the scales at 23-8-0. Runners up spot went to Darren Brand on peg 47 with a weight of 15-3-0 which consisted of just two barbel, the biggest a superb specimen of nine pounds three ounces. Club stalwart Howard Chance took third place with 14-6-0 while Clive Oakley secured the fourth position with one barbel weighing 5-6-0.

n Local character Dick Blight capitalised on an early start to win the Swan AC match held on the BAA section of the canal at Blackpole with a weight of 6-9-6. Netting three to four skimmers early on using bread flake tight to the far shelf, Blight changed his approach to the centre channel where he netted roach to ten ounces on maggot until heavy boat traffic curtailed sport.

Second went to young Craig Bennett with a roach and rudd net, taken on caster from peg 1 weighing 4-3-8, third was Mick Samson with 3-13-8 and fourth, Jim Collins weighing 3-9-12, a catch that included a huge eel over two pounds!

The junior contest was won by Liam Weston with 1-7-11 followed by Alex Bird with 1-5-1 and Adam Clifford's third weight of 1-3-10.

Club league positions after sixteen rounds still sees Jim Collins on top with 321 points followed by Craig Bennett with 304 and creeping into third position is Mick Samson with 220.

n After a run of high placings southern exile Ron Eagle finally won a Portobello club contest. The river Avon around Birlingham was the venue chosen for the latest outing where club members found the river carrying a tinge of colour. Presenting red maggot on pole tackle over a bed of hemp and caster allowed Eagle to land a net of roach and perch weighing 5-7-0. Former WDUAA champion Mick Weston ended just an ounce adrift when he weighed 5-6-0 of silver fish, all falling to 'Bolognese' tactics while John Ludlow came third with 3-15-0 taken on the swimfeeder.

The club's next contest will be the Annual on Brockamin bottom pool this Sunday, members wishing to compete should let Max Hill know prior to the match.

n Eckington AC stalwart Lawrence Hibbs conquered a good looking but finicky river Avon to win his club's latest contest held on the famous 'covert' corner stretch of the lower river.

Starting at just six metres Hibbs offered hempseed bait on a pole set up and was soon into a shoal of roach up to 10 ounces, a mid match encounter with a pike put a halt to proceedings before he was able to relocate the shoal further out towards mid river, giving Hibbs a final weight of 7-4-0.

John Perry came second with 5-7-0 of silver fish from peg 117 with Brett Young third weighing 4-12-8 and Andy Millyard fourth just behind on 4-11-0.

n Local angler Harry Harrison continued his run of good form when he travelled, along with his WDUAA national team mates over to the river Nene to win the Peterborough and District summer league competition with an excellent bream weight of 33-8-0. Also sharing the spoils for the Worcester lads was Gerry Hemming who took second place on the match, with an all skimmer net of 16-6-0, whilst the squad's Blue team secured third place out of the 18 teams competing.

n There are just a few places left for the Acorns Children's Hospice charity event to be held at Brockamin fishery on August 18 followed by a buffet at Worcester Rugby Club. Tickets cost £13 and are available, along with sponsorship forms, from Alan's Tackle shop in St. Johns.