LAST year's Plough AC league champion Andy Sankey got the season off to a fine start when he won the club's February open on their own Cotheridge pool with a mainly carp net weighing 22-10-0.

Peg 11 is a notoriously unpredictable peg but for venue expert Sankey it held no fears.

Offering his sweetcorn bait into the margins of his own bank, he netted mostly mirror carp for a comfortable victory.

Second-placed Paul Simmonds was on permanent 24 where he chose to fish mid-pool on red maggot and was rewarded with 15-9-0 of carp.

Red maggot was also the bait used by third-placed Keith Holt who, on peg 18, finished with a 11-8-0 total.

Glen Butt narrowly beat off a strong challenge by club star Richard Oliver to win the latest Halfway AC silver fish only contest on Church Farm pool.

Drawn on peg 17, Butt used chopped worm bait on the long pole to take a mainly chub net, plus a pair of two pound perch, in his 22-12-0 total.

Runner-up Oliver pinned his faith in the humble maggot and, in conjunction with groundbait, took skimmers and roach going 20-12-0 from peg 24.

Harry Taylor secured the third prize, thanks to 14-6-0 of skimmers from peg 28.

Newly regrouped Swan AC held their first contest of the year on the canal at Alvechurch.

Les Sanders continued his good form with an 8-6-0 winning roach net which fell to bread punch offered across to the far shelf.

Runner-up was Colin Davis with a similar net of 6-4-0 and new member Chris Turner came third again with roach going 5-10-0 to beat canal ace Mick Samson.

Terry Box recorded yet another win from Wards pool when he won the penultimate Winter league contest with a five-carp net going 22-10-0.

The previous week's winner, Hugh Busby, finished in second place, thanks to 10 carp for 19-9-0, while in third spot was Leon Elsworth weighing 15-12-0. With one match remaining, Box holds a narrow lead in the league on 71 points followed by Busby on 69.5 and club star Dave Wright in third place with 65.

Alans Memorial winner Craig Hobbs returned to form to take the honours on the latest Brockamin open held on the bottom pool.

Drawn on dam wall 24, Hobbs included two double figure fish in his 57-2-0 waggler-caught net.

Tony Whitcher came second, thanks to a pole-caught 48-6-0 from peg 28. Third was Barry Morrall, weighing 20-6-0.

Moorlands Farm Wednesday over 50s: 1 P Wellington 39-6-0, 2 P Simmonds 36-0-0, 3 N Davies 33-10-0; Saturday Open: L Richards 97-14-0, M Watson 63-11-0, A Jones 36-12-0; Sunday Open: Richards 53-14-0, N Groves 39-5-0, C Pace 35-14-0.

WDUAA are running a series of Sunday open contests on the canal from March 18.

Anglers wishing to compete can call Colin Pettifer on 01905-25193.