WORCESTER Angling Society's new season got off to a cracking start when Nigel Crane took a superb barbel and chub catch from the club's stretch of the river Teme at Powick.

Tackling his peg below the road bridge with a rolling ledger set up, Crane soon had fish queuing up for his luncheon meat bait offered on a size eight hook tied direct to six pounds line.

Netting fish consistently from the start of the contest, Crane took barbel to eight pounds along with some massive chub, to tip the scales with an excellent weight of 79-0-0.

Runner up with another good weight of 47-2-0 was club star Terry Cook who included just one barbel in his 47-2-0 catch from the adjacent peg to the winner, all Cook's fish coming to caster presented on float tackle.

Joint third were Dave Wright and Kevin Pound who were both drawn down river towards the swans neck where each weighed in with 25-6-0 of chub.

Society members took the novel approach of bank clearing before their contest on the river Wye at Bishops Wood, but the disturbance didn't affect winner Terry Cook who landed three barbel along with half a dozen huge chub on swimfeeder and maggot to finish with a final total of 34-7-0.

A long way behind in second place was Wayne Hope with 7-6-0 followed by Chris Jackson weighing 6-12-0.

A good turnout for the WDUAA National squad open found the local canal in a dour mood, but former Pershore Match Group angler Doug Smith tamed the conditions to record the only reasonable weight of the match.

Drawn favourably on peg 207 Smith, now grouped with Worcester's Phoenix outfit, took the bulk of his catch in the first hour of the contest when he netted three bream, the biggest around two pounds, by pole fishing caster and worm towards the far bank. A change to the centre channel saw Smith add a few small fish later in the day to end with a final total of 6-10-0.

In second place was Nick Doherty (Worcs) who also took a bream along with a big hybrid and silver fish from end peg 223 above the Commandery lock. Pole fished pinkie and bread punch being the succesfull tactics employed by Doherty who weighed in with 3-3-8.

Third place went to towpath regular Nick Vaughan (Worcester Match Group) who on the adjacent peg to Doherty netted small perch, roach and bleak going 1-11-7 and fourth, the unluckiest man on the match Bill Biddle (Tewkesbury) who, while landing a bream from his peg near the winner, unfortunately lost a further two good fish on his way to recording a weight of 1-10-11.

The semi final of the WDUAA knockout competition saw local side Phoenix demolish the Carr's Paints AC opposition by taking three of the top four positions.

Given the choice of venues the Carr's team took their opponents to Cobb House farm pools, where Phoenix canal expert Mick Samson showed his versatility by taking three carp from the margins on luncheon meat for a match winning weight of 4-8-0.

Second was veteran matchman Nigel Harvey who successfully landed a three pound carp on a tiny size twenty two hook tied to just one pound breaking strain line, which along with a few silver fish tipped the scales at 4-5-0.

Best weight for the Carr's team was recorded by Gerry Rush who took an all small fish net of 4-4-0 whilst in fourth, was national team captain Gary Summers with another small fish catch weighing 3-9-0.

The Phoenix team now go through to the final against the winners of the other semi final between Cookley AC and Evesham Jubilee.

Stillwater expert Nic Hill proved that he can catch fish other than carp when he stormed to victory to win the Portobello club knockout competition held on the river Teme at Bransford.

Stick float and maggot were the tactics used by Hill who dominated the match with an all chub net of 27-10-0. Way behind the winner was second placed Graham Collins with just 2-9-0 followed by Ken Miles with1-2-0.

Meanwhile the Portobello's second club match went ahead on the Driotwich canal where John Ludlow took one big bream along with a few perch for a winning 6-14-0 whilst Wayne Parkin took second with 4-8-8 and hardy perennial Billy Hill in third place weighing 4-7-0.

A challenge took place between Worcester's Swan AC and Warndon's Green Goddess club on British Waterways' prolific Clattercote reservoir where Ian Humphries (Green Goddess) ran out a comfortable winner with an all carp net, taken on waggler and corn weighing 56-0-0.

Second was clubmate Mark Handley with 35-14-0 while holding the fort for the Swan lads was young Craig Bennett with 27-8-0.

Droitwich Angling Centres third Monday evening open attracted an improved turn-out at Broadheath Fisheries.

Taking first place by the narrowest of margins was Greenman's Nobby Clarke who landed ten carp for 31-7-0 by presenting luncheon meat bait just below the surface. Second place went to Mick Walker (WMG) with 31-3-0 followed by Richard Brewer (Greenman) with 25-0-0.

The next open in the series will be at Pitchcroft on Monday evening, draw at the top car park at 5.30pm.

Results: Moorlands Farm -- Saturday Summer League (5th round). 1 D Clewley 48-11-0, 2 M Talbot 47-3-0, 3 Emma Pickering 46-11-0.