FOX Match Group angler Brett Price beat the difficult conditions to narrowly win the first Plough Open of the winter at the club's Cotheridge pool.

Drawn on permanent peg 12, Price used red maggot hook bait offered close in on pole tackle in order to master the strong wind and net carp to eight pounds in his winning 28-1-0 catch.

Venue expert Nigel Crane was drawn opposite the winner on peg 17 where, after spotting the tactics used by Price, changed to a similar approach to end with a second placed 26-15-0.

Swan AC canal regular Nick Doherty also adapted his tactics in order to take third spot with 19-2-0, consisting of five carp, all of which fell for sweetcorn on peg six.

Team mate of the winner, Brian Good, claimed the final fourth prize when he too used maggot bait in the margins on peg eight and weighed in a 16-2-0 total.

Brockamin's bottom pool was the venue used for the Portobello Fur and Feather contest where member John Tibbetts ran away with the match when he found himself drawn on peg five - the only place which can reach the top island with pole tackle.

Tibbetts had a huge advantage by offering his sweetcorn bait just inches away from the opposite bank.

He went on to take carp to five pounds throughout the day, ending with an excellent 70-0-0 total.

River expert Mick Weston used his normal stout pole tackle to net just three fish in his 25-8-0 runner-up bag.

All of the fish came to corn bait early on in the contest from the fancied dam wall peg 26.

Keeping things in the family was third placed Stuart Tibbetts who took just two carp on worm from peg 40 going 17-2-0 to beat Dave Powell. His 16-8-0 consisted of carp caught on straight ledger from peg 42. Best junior was Adam Parkin with 1-8-0.

The club pool was heavily coloured for the first round of the Wards AC winter league.

However, Nigel Cox didn't complain when he won the event with a 12-7-0 net, made up of three carp and a few silver fish, all taken on corn and maggot from peg 13.

Peg one is always highly fancied but Hugh Busby was unlucky to lose a number of good fish, netting just three carp on meat and maggot for a second-placed 9-12-0. Club star Terry Box claimed third prize with 7-2-0 from peg 10.

Halfway House AC combined their Fur and Feather contest with a silver fish only match on their Church Farm pool - a decision which suited winner Keith Deaner who netted an all-skimmer bream weight on feeder and pole going 9-10-0.

Terry Homer claimed second place with an all-perch catch, which included a fine specimen of 2lbs. 7ozs. in his 7-10-0 total. Regular winner Richard Oliver had to be content with a third-placed 7-8-0, beating Tracy Pegram who secured fourth prize with a level 4-0-0.

Moorlands Farm results: Saturday League round six: M Watson 55-0-0; N Groves 48-2-0; T Homer 38-3-0. Teams: DGL 9; Top Four and Left-overs 14. League: Top Four 14; DGL 18.

Sunday Open: Richards 50-7-0; M Watson 45-10-0; C Pace 40-5-0.

PROSPECTS: Still-waters offer the only chance of sport this weekend with sweetcorn either ledgered or pole-fished taking carp on fisheries.

Meanwhile the canal at Perdiswell plays host to the fourth round of the WDUAA winter league on Sunday where the winner will no doubt include a few good chub in their net.

Best baits for the bigger fish are worm and caster but competitors should not ignore breadpunch in conjunction with fluoro pinkie.