Angling news with TONY BRUNN

A VERY busy holiday week calendar started with the Woodland View Easter Monday Open and 62 die-hards must have sweetened the way with Easter eggs for wives and girlfriends.

To be able to wet a line, winner Lee Richards (Fosters Tipton) was way out in front with an 81-10-0 catch taken with pole and corn from Deans Pool Peg 60, Tim Guise (Preston Inovations) followed with 49-8-0 from Arles Pool peg ten, third Dave Harris (Lobbies Tackle) 47-9-0. Over the Valley at Moorlands Farm, Chris Hill (Fosters MG) headed a good score sheet with a ton-up catch of 107-8-0 taken with pole and corn from Bank Pool peg four, second Neil McKinnon (Shakespeare) 97-4-0, third Steve Chester (Fosters MG) 92-14-0.

Chris Hill went on to make it a double victory by topping the 3-hour Evening Open fishing same style to take a 66-0-0 catch from bank peg eight, his team mates Mick Henshall was second with 60-13-0 and Steve Cheser third on 34-12-0. Tuesday's Meadow Pool Open saw the best catch of the year so far when Stourbridge matchman Andy Newton (DC Lifestyle) put together a 123-00 carp haul take with pole and corn from peg 11, second Les Thompson (Baitmaster) 78-3-0, third Brian Hughes (Strike) 73-6-0. The Moorlands Farm Junior Open as held on the Silver Fish Pool where Great Barr's Leanne Ashington (14) (Jack Purchase Holidays) gave the boys a thrashing by pole fishing maggots at peg 29 for 29-0-0, Aaron Munslow (DC Lifestyle) followed with 19-8-0, third Wayne Jennings (Stourbridge) 14-13-0.

The Starlets Veterans fished their event at Trevs Pools at Hawford Mill near Worcester, with Harold Willey (Kidderminster) showing the way with a pole and pinkie catch of 18-4-0 of carp and chub, second Ken Hall (Northfield) 15-14-0, third Bill Wright (Northfield) 11-11-0. On Wednesday the Astwood Fisheries Bluebell Pool Open saw Birmingham's Paul Webley (Kateshill AC) continue his good run with a winning 26-5-0 of carp taken with waggler, corn and meat from peg 18, Paul Woodfield (Boards Head) was just short with 26-1-0, third John Halfpenny (Astwood) 13-9-0. Moorlands Farm Bank and Moors Pools Open saw Andy Newton (DC Lifestyle) make it two on the trot, this time he was staked at Moors peg 15 where he pole fished corn for 80-14-0, Aaron Munslow (DC Lifestyle) had to settle for second place once again with 50-5-0, third Mick Henshall (Fosters MG) 47-13-0.

Stourport's Lyttleton Veterans fished its event on Moorlands Farm Silver Fish Pool where a new record was set with a 50-7-0 bream and roach catch by Derek Buckle (Bewdley) by pole fishing casters at peg 34, second Bob Knight (Stourport) 44-3-0, third John Cole (Stourbridge) 42-4-0. On Thursday Northfield's Starlets Veterans were at Wassell Groves Match Pool with Mike Millinchip (Kidderminster) in winning form by pole fishing Red Maggots at peg 32 for a modest 7-6-0, second Ken Hall (Northfield) 5-7-0, third Reg Putnam (Quinton ) 4-1-0.

Moorlands Farms Costcutter Special was topped by Bob Jones (Moorlands) by waggler fishing corn and meat at Bank Pool peg 24 for 56-9-0, Mark Pincer (DC Lifestyle) was second with 50-6-0, third Adam Toal (West Mids Police) 50-0-0.

Winning catch

Friday's Costcutter Open saw Les Thompson (Baitmaster) at Island Pool peg 24 where he took a winning catch of 46-3-0 taken with pole, worm and casters, second Paul Sibley (Fisherman's Friend) 40-8-0, third Rob Symes (Lucas) 38-8-0. The Moors Pool was used for the three-hour Evening Open with Les Thompson (Baitmaster) making it a daily double fishing same style as he did in the daytime event from peg ten for 48-8-0, (Ibstock Himley) team members Ray Brookes and Graham Nicklin shared the runners up spot with 35-0-0 a piece.

On Saturday round three of the Lower Broadheath Spring League with the 13 teams of four event giving top individual honours to Worcester's John Mahoney (Greenman) who waggler fished maggots at Sycamore Pool peg two for 39-6-0 of carp, Paul Butler (Ovation Leisure Red) followed with 21-13-0, third Dave Lyons (Castle MG) 20-6-0. Leeda took the day's top points score with 15, Ovation Leisure Red 19, Greenman and Castle MG both 23. Overall Ovation Leisure Blue and Ovation Leisure Red lead with 64 apiece with Leeda on 68.

Round three of the Woodlands View Spring League for 20 teams of four saw Les Thompson fishing under the (DC Lifestyle) banner clinch first place to round off a good week with a 93-4-0 carp catch taken with pole and worm shallow from Deans Pool peg 27, Steve Clark (Daiwa Trentmen) was second with 61-11-0, third Barry Gannon (Preston Innovations) 60-13-0. Top team on the day were Daiwa Trentmen with 69 points, Starlets 'A' 57, Preston Innovations 53. Shakespeare 'A' are out in front overall with 180 Slapheads 175, Oxford Drennan 'B' 163.

Sunday's Woodlands View Open was a big cash earner for Steve Seabourne (Fox MG) who drew bonus peg 28 on High Pool, worth a cool £1,100 and took a top catch 71-9-0 with pole and corn over casters, second Gary Slack (Woodlands) 58-10-0, third Tony Holmes (Slapheads) 50-3-0. The 100AC transferred its first Bye Shield Contest from the still closed Birmingham Worc's Canal to Lower Broadheath's Island Pool where Droitwich top rod Rob Francis fished meat and corn at ten metres for 29-9-0 of carp, second Pete Shaw 19-3-0, third Clive Duggan 18-0-0. Kings Norton AS fished its Bank Clearing Contest at White Lakes Fishery, Tidbury Green near Earlswood which proved difficult for most and Northfield's Jim Pedley stuck at it with link ledgered corn at peg 20 for a winning 10-14-0 of carp, club secretary Alan Crowton was a close second with 9-14-0, third Ned Needham 4-15-8.

Ibstock Himley AC fished its event on Moorlands Farms Silver Fish Pool where the record tumbled again for Roy Webster who pole fished casters at peg 30 for 52-7-0 of roach and bream, second Dave Smart 43-10-0, third Ken Johnson 37-2-0. The Moorlands Farm Open was held on the Meadow and Moors Pools with Steve Berry (Strike) taking a close verdict with 53-9-0 from Meadow peg 48 with waggler and corn, Lee Richards (Fosters MG) took second place with 52-15-0, third Colin Pace (Bilston) 44-8-0.

Initial AC were at Silligrove Fisheries Match Pool where Hall Green angler John Foyle took the honours by pole fishing maggots at peg five with 22-6-0 of carp, second Brian Chillwell 13-4-8, third John Berry 8-1-0. Trout returns from Silligrove produced some nice rainbows with Stourport's Jess Nevey taking seven fish to eight pounds on vivas and buzzers on Thursday, Stourbridge fly expert Bill Barley had 14 fish up to six pounds on Saturday and on Sunday Russell Balmar from Cleobury Mortimer took nine fish with the best just under pen pounds on Oranglures.

A vacancy for a team of five anglers has arisen for the 100AC Invitation Club Championships to be held at Lower Broadheath on Saturday May 12. If any club wishes to enter, to bring the event to its full accompliment of 16 teams, call myself, Tony Brunn, on 0121 445 5183 for further details.