WITH the freezing conditions, the only thing anglers could do this week was dream of the summer ton-up catches, as all of the local still water fisheries were iced over solid.

Angling round-up by TONY BRUNN

Many open events were cancelled and even those hardy Starlets Veterans shied away from holding their usual contests.

The weekend thaw didn't make things much better and Saturday's Woodlands View Open failed to get into double figures with winner Steve Waters (Oxford Drennan) taking a 6-6-0 of silver fish with pole, bloodworm and joker from Deans Pool peg 29.

Second was Norman Carpenter (Map Starlets) 6-0-0 and third was Rob Gandley (Map Starlets) 5-15-0.

On Sunday, the Woodlands View Arles and Deans Pool saw Gary Bartley (Oxford Drennan) take the best catch of the weekend of 28-10-0.

It consisted of seven carp taken with waggler fished maggots and pinkies from Deans Pool peg 62. Second Clive Nixon (WMP Fosters) 10-6-0, third Norman Carpenter (Map Starlets) 8-12-0.

The ice was still two inches thick on the Staffordshire Worcestershire canal at Hinksford for the first round of the Mallards Winter League.

It took more than an hour for most of the 50 competitors to clear enough ice so they could wet a line.

Top individual was Terry Hodgetts (Strike Gold), who was staked on the reed beds below Swindon Bridge. He pole fished caster for seven roach scaling in at 2-10-9. Second was Ben Garbett (GTI Midland Match) 1-9-11, third Dave Brown (VDE Foster Tipton) 1-4-2.

Top team were Turners with 40 points, followed by Team Strike Gold and GTI Midland Match, both with 30.

Kings Norton AS held the fourth leg of their club Winter League on the River Alne at Kinwarton, near Alcester, and it was Erdington angler Pete Sum who took a brilliant all roach catch of 14-10-0 from peg one.

With pole and bronze maggots, runner-up Terry Morris had 6-11-0, third Alan Crowton 1-13-0.

The Stratford Canal at Earlswood produced good catches for the Geers GB Open. Steve Long (DGL) took the winner's purse by pole fishing bloodworm and joker at peg 172 for a roach and perch catch of 6-1-0. Second-placed Martin Griffiths (DGL) had 4-15-8, third Arnie Duggan (Redditch MG) 3-9-0.

The Moorlands Farm Open was won by Jason Neath (Shakespeare) by pole fishing maggots at Island Pool peg 25 for 8-10-0 of roach. His team-mate, Mal Watson, followed with 7-14-0 from Moors Pool peg 16, third Rob Wirrett (Fox Match Hereford) 7-10-0.