Drew pips Giles with ten carp catch in nail-biter

The Woodlands View Affordable Open was held on Arles Pool with Andy Toal (WMP Fosters) taking first place by pole fishing corn and meat at peg ten for 51-2-0, second Paul Foster (Blackheath) 31-8-0, third Mick Williams (Shrewsbury Bait) 20-10-0. On Wednesday, England International Will Raison (DAIWA Dorking) continued his good run at Woodland View by topping the Deans Pool Open with a pole, worm and caster catch of 72-1-0 from peg four, second Jack Harness (Simons 2000) 64-10-0, third Alan Scotthorne (Shimano) 58-11-0.

Astwood Fisheries Bluebell Pool Open was won by Charlie Wheelwright (Cobra) by waggler fishing worms to the island from peg 15 for 23-6-0, second Gary Kirkham (Astwood) 22-8-0, third John Worrall (Moseley) 14-5-0. At Moorlands Farm, the Meadow Pool Open saw Paul Foster (Blackheath) go one better than his previous day's result by taking first place with an exceptional 111-2-0 catch taken with pole and corn from peg 53, Bob Jones (Moorlands) followed with 73-1-0, third Giles Cochrane (Wales) 69-10-0.

The Thursday Special Open was also fished on the Meadow Pool with Bob Jones (Moorlands) moving up a gear to take first place with waggler and meat at peg 52 for 74-15-0, second Lee Richards (Fosters MG) 71-14-0, third Pete Gould (Lucas) 69-9-0. All four divisions of the Starlets Veterans held their annual championships at Elbridges Heron and Pheasant Pools with Peter Turner (Tunnel Barn) being crowned 2001 champ for his winning 44-10-0 carp catch taken with pole and meat from Heron peg 31, Ken Giles (Northfield Div) had to settle for the runners-up spot again with 32-10-0, third Tony Shuttleworth (Northfield Div) 31-13-0.

The Ladies Trophy saw joint winners Pat Kavanagh (Northfield Div) and Margaret Astley (Tunnel Barn Div) both 5-1-0. On Friday afternoon, the Woodlands View Open was hit by a violent storm but that didn't stop the fish feeding for Klaus Fix (Trabucco) who put together a 92-1-0 carp haul at Deans Pool peg four, with pole, corn and meat, second Frank Taylor (Strettons) 66-13-0, third Kieron Rich (Tricast) 64-13-0. Moorlands Farms Costcutter Open saw Bob Jones (Moorlands) make it a double victory with a waggler and meat catch of 53-15-0 from Bank Pool peg six, second Alan James (Moorlands) 48-6-0, third Colin Pace (Bilston) 34-8-0.

On Saturday, the third round of the Angling Link, Talk Angling Charity League saw 22 teams of four battling it out at Moorlands Farm, and it was (Shakespeare) Stuart Pulsar that took the top individual honours with a ton-up catch of 107-8-0 by pole fishing corn over casters at Middle Pool peg eight. Second Gavin Daley (WMP Fosters) 85-2-0, third Giles Cochrane (Talk Angling) 81-9-0. Shakespeare topped the points list with 76, Fosters Gold 64, Masterline and Welsh Wizzards 62. How these points work I don't know but leading the League are PDLL with 60, Steve Spurrford 58, Shakespeare 56.

Lucas College Road AC had to transfer its first Bye Contest from Oldington Lane on the Staffs-Worc's Canal after observing a number of dead fish floating past. This section of canal has suffered a number of pollution incidents over recent months and this appears to be another one. The match went ahead at Caunsall where Jim Pedley was pegged halfway between bridges 26 and 27 where he pole fished casters for a mainly perch catch of 5-4-0, second Paul Stroud 1-10-0, third Terry Tooms 1-8-8.

The Woodlands View Open was won by Kieron Rich (Tricast) with a pole and worm catch of 69-9-0 from Deans Pool peg 53, second Sean Ashby (Preston Inovations) 59-13-0, third Gary Webber (Thatchers) 57-8-0. Dave Pimlot was the winner of Sunday's Big Turnout Event of 118 by pole fishing worms at High Pool peg nine for 62-11-0, Mike Duncan (Oxford Drennan) followed with 56-4-0, third Lee Addey (Keenets Northwest) 48-7-0.

Top catch

The Birmingham Civil Service Spring Contest was held at Elmdon Pool with Ray Quinney drawing bonus peg five, worth £65, for his top catch 37-4-0 by pole fishing corn and meat, runner-up Gary Clayton had 33-15-0, third Rob Swain 31-2-0. Long Nuke AC fished hits second Bye Contest at Astwood Fisheries Smokey Joe Pool which was won by Don Perks with a pole and corn catch of 22-3-0 from peg 42, second Pete May 15-14-0, third John Miller 13-3-0.

The only river match reported this week was the Wixford AC J Watton Cup, fished on a slightly up and coloured River Arrow at Wixford where West Bromwich top rod Keith Butler poled fished worms at Pipebridge peg 36 for 8-6-0 of chub, second Martin Baker 6-1-0, third Richard Hall 3-14-0. At Furnace Mill Fishery, Worcester's Richard Brewer (Greenman) was a convincing winner with a pole and meat catch of 73-9-0 from Mucky Meadow Pool peg 38, second Terry Edwards (Swan Jacks) 56-0-0, third Tony Delves (Ovation Leisure) 47-3-0.

The Astwood Fisheries Buddleia Pool Open was won by Stoke Prior's Mark Roberson (DMG AC) with a pole and maggot mixed catch of 16-4-0, second Paul Webley (Kateshill AC) 9-0-0, third Rob Francis (Ovation Leisure) 8-2-0. At Wyre Forest Fishery Silligrove, Harriers AC fished its contest on the Match Pool with Paul Hyde taking top spot with 8-9-0, second Mick Norgrove 7-6-0, third Dave Knight 4-6-0.

Trout catches at Silligrove showed Stourbridge's Les Pamplin taking ten rainbows on Friday to dry fly with fish to three pounds and Norman Crump from Enville bagging seven fish up to five rounds, all to dry fly. The Moorlands Farm Open was won by Terry Butler (Fisherman's Friend) with a pole and caster mixed catch of 67-8-0 from Island Pool peg 22, second Grant Albutt (DAIWA Dorking) 64-2-0, third Les Thompson (DC Lifestyle) 58-1-0. At the Evening Open Clive Munslow (Preston Inovations) after a long lean spell came good with a top catch 71-15-0 by pole fishing casters in the margins of Meadow Pool peg 26, second Neville Groves (Walsall) 57-2-0, third Pete Ricketts (West Mids) 50-2-0.